What should we study?
We need to compare the costs of all our governance options:
1. The cost to become our own city
2. The cost to be annexed to Beaverton
3. The cost to have additional County Service Districts
1. The cost to become our own city
2. The cost to be annexed to Beaverton
3. The cost to have additional County Service Districts
Annexation Objectives to StudyWork in progress...
§ Have a mayor to directly represent us in local and regional and statewide planning and policy decisions § Create municipal planning capacity to focus on proactively vs. reactively planning for our future § Obtain revenue sources which we pay today, but only cities can obtain, i.e. gas taxes and franchise fees Service District Objectives to StudyWork in progress...
§ Target a tax rate that is less than Beaverton’s current $4.19 total tax rate § Create municipal planning capacity to focus on proactively vs. reactively planning for our future | Incorporation Objectives to Study
§ Control our own destiny in our own area. Obtain local control and community identity is critical
§ Have a mayor to directly represent us in local and regional and statewide planning and policy decisions § Have a district-based electorate system to ensure neighborhoods have representation with elected councilmen vs. an ‘at-large’ electorate system like Beaverton’s § Retain and/or contract with our current service districts to keep current service levels § Target a tax rate that is less than Beaverton’s current $4.19 total tax rate § Create municipal planning capacity to focus on proactively vs. reactively planning for our future § Obtain revenue sources which we pay today, but only cities can obtain, i.e. gas taxes and franchise fees |
What is a Feasibility Study?
A feasibility study defines the study area boundaries, establishes the exact population, provides details of the economic characteristics, reviews and evaluates current community plans, evaluates existing public services, defines a new governing body and which services would be provided and/or contracted and compare this to what it would cost to be annexed to Beaverton or have services provided by a County Service District. An Economic Feasibility Study collects information about the needed/desired community services (water, sewer, roads, public safety, etc.) as well as information about land use, zoning, anticipated tax revenue, boundaries, etc.
A quality Economic Feasibility Study is crucial. It helps communities identify all the costs associated with being the city it wants to be, divides this by property values and comes up with a tax rate. The community can then decide if they like that tax rate or not. The community can also compare the cost of becoming its own city with the tax rates of cities that propose annexation and the County Service District option.
Setting the right rate from the start is very important because once a city sets a tax rate, it does not change. Having a cushion is considered wise.
A quality Economic Feasibility Study is crucial. It helps communities identify all the costs associated with being the city it wants to be, divides this by property values and comes up with a tax rate. The community can then decide if they like that tax rate or not. The community can also compare the cost of becoming its own city with the tax rates of cities that propose annexation and the County Service District option.
Setting the right rate from the start is very important because once a city sets a tax rate, it does not change. Having a cushion is considered wise.
What does a Feasibility Study look like?
| Here's a sample Feasibility Study from Bull Mountain's attempt.pdf |
