Public safety fee increasing in Dallas to cover budget shortfall
Like a lot of Oregon cities, Dallas needs more money to keep doing things it has for done for decades. The cost of police and firefighting is more than a few years ago, and things like maintaining parks and keeping the pool open are projected to be more costly, too.
For months, the debate in Dallas has centered on how to make up for a projected shortfall. Options that were considered included cutting staff positions, including police and firefighters, trying to get voters to pass an operations levy and spinning off parks to a separate district.
The city council decided, on a 7-2 vote, to increase the public safety fee for each renter, home owner and business to $12.50 per month from $4.95. The increase goes into effect July 1.
The city said the estimated $1.1 million from the increase will only be used to pay for police, fire and EMS personnel starting with the 2024-25 fiscal year.
“Now we just move on and hopefully it helps,” Dallas Mayor Ken Woods Jr. said.
Dallas public safety fee could increase to $30 per month
The fee-increase decision requires the city council to review the fee each year on July 1. They can’t raise it by more than the Consumer Price Index without a new resolution. That means the public safety fee could climb to as high as $30 per month, according to projections in city presentations.
“The council will review it each and every year,” Woods said.
It's estimated an $8.1 million surplus is expected to decrease to $3.1 million by the end of the fiscal year and keep falling.
Some options the city council looked at included putting a public safety levy to voters to raise more money. Another was to make steep cuts, including eliminating six positions from the Dallas Fire Department, six police officers and 4.5 other positions in the city. That also would have required closing the library on Saturdays and closing the aquatic center completely.
City councilor Debbie Virden, who voted against the increase, said the fee will hurt most those with lower incomes. “That isn’t equity. That’s equality," Virden said. "It’s giving the same thing to both people. Yes, there are renters, but you’re also talking about homeowners."
A November poll of residents overwhelmingly favored an incremental increase in the public safety fee over cuts or a public safety levy.
In all the discussions leading up to the vote, Woods said one person testified against a fee increase.
Cities in Oregon facing financial struggles
Dallas isn’t alone in facing financial problems.
Salem’s city council passed a payroll tax in 2023 in an attempt to make up for declining funds, but that was repealed by voters later in the year.
Cities including Eugene and Hillsboro have faced cuts to try to shore up their budgets.
In Independence, the city cut two staff positions and closed the library one day a week to make up for its projected shortfall.
Bill Poehler covers Marion and Polk County for the Statesman Journal. Contact him at bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: City of Dallas raises fee on water and sewer bills to shore up budget
