Beginning July 1, 2025, the City of Troutdale implemented a new Police and Fire Services Fee of $15 per month. The Police and Fire Services Fee is to provide partial funding for police and fire services which safeguard, facilitate, and encourage the health, safety, and welfare of the residents and enterprises of the City.
Why is this fee needed?
The fee provides only some of the funding needed to pay the approximately $2 million increased costs this fiscal year of the Intergovernmental Agreements {IGA) with the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office for law enforcement services, and the IGA with the City of Gresham for contracted fire and emergency services. Just the Sheriff’s Office’s services cost rose over 25%.
Public safety costs of police, fire and 911 dispatch for the current fiscal year exceed $9.6 million. This is a huge increase over the $7.5 million dollars we paid last year. Property tax revenue is estimated to provide only $7.4 million, resulting in a budget shortfall of more than $2.1 million. The Police and Fire Services Fee was necessary to allow the City to continue to protect its residents and maintain current services.
Why doesn’t the City have the money already for these services?
Property taxes in Oregon are effectively limited to a 3% annual increase. General inflation has increased at a significantly greater pace, resulting in public safety costs that far exceeded the funding available from property taxes. Regrettably, public safety operating costs are expected to continue to outstrip the growth in property tax revenue. In short, the City does not receive sufficient property tax to support these vital core services.
How much is the fee?
The monthly charge is $15 which is calculated using one single family residential sanitary sewer equivalent residential unit (ERU) as the base. The fee scales for multi-family apartments and for business commercial and industrial customers is based on their quantity of billed ERUs.
When was this fee considered?
The fee was proposed and discussed at the Budget Committee meetings on April 14, 16 and 21, 2025. The Budget Committee approved the budget with the assumed fee at $15 per month for single family residential units which would be added to the existing monthly City utility bills.
The City Council held public hearings on the fee at their meetings on May 13, and 27, 2025, and June 10, 2025 before setting the fee at $15 per month.
How much revenue will the fee generate?
It is projected to generate about $1.4 million which will be used to help fill some of the budget gap for public safety expenses. Use of the fee is strictly limited to police and fire costs spending on other general government costs is prohibited.
Why is the fee on my utility bill?
Placing the fee on your City utilities bill is the most cost effective manner to bill and collect the fee, reducing the administrative costs of processing and printing invoices to bill separately.
What’s next?
Most cities in Oregon do not pay for fire services from their budgets. Instead, they receive fire protection through special fire districts—such as Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue or Clackamas Fire District. The Troutdale City Council is currently evaluating whether joining a fire district is a viable long-term solution. If the residents approve joining a fire district, this fee would be cancelled. This shift could also create the financial capacity for Troutdale to bring back its own police department, allowing for greater local control over both police and fire services.