Welcome Letter from City Council

Dear West Linn Neighbors,

In West Linn, we pride ourselves on doing a lot with a little, and we want to take a moment to share what your City government is delivering—and ask for your guidance on where we go next.

Every day, your tax dollars and service fees help fund a full range of essential services: police protection, traffic control and safety improvements, street maintenance, clean drinking water, sewer and stormwater management, planning and building review, parks and recreation, and much more. For a relatively small city, West Linn provides the same spectrum of services you’d expect in much larger communities, but with a far leaner organization and careful budgeting.

Consider a few examples that might surprise you. West Linn has one of the lowest property tax rates in the area, with the City receiving only thirteen cents of every tax dollar you pay—the rest goes to schools, county services, and other districts. As a bedroom community, we don’t benefit from the industry and commercial tax base that many of our neighbors have. This means the City must work hard to keep core services as stable and predictable as possible, even as costs rise year after year.

Behind the scenes, your City Council and staff focus on stretching every dollar. We use multi‑year financial planning, conservative revenue assumptions, and targeted investments in infrastructure to try to avoid sudden spikes in rates and fees. Volunteers on advisory boards and committees amplify a relatively small city staff, adding community expertise to decisions about parks, the library, land use, and long‑term planning.

Now we are launching a new initiative—"Framing Our Future”—to bring this conversation directly to you. This online hub will make it easier to see what services the City provides, understand how they are funded, and explore the tradeoffs involved in adding, reducing, or reshaping services in the years ahead. You’ll find clear explanations and opportunities to share your priorities in ways that work for your schedule—short surveys, discussion questions, and options to sign up for news and future events.

To make smart choices, we need to hear from you. Do you want more services, fewer services, or for things to stay about the same—but perhaps delivered differently? Are there areas where you would support doing more, even if it costs a bit extra, and other areas where you’d prefer the City to scale back? Your feedback will help guide future budgets, staffing, and project priorities so that our limited resources align with what matters most to West Linn residents.

Please take a few minutes to visit the Framing Our Future website at yourwestlinn.com and share your thoughts. If you prefer to engage in person, we will also be hosting community meetings and listening sessions throughout the year, and we invite you to attend, ask questions, and tell us what you think. Together, we can ensure that West Linn continues to be a safe, welcoming, and well‑run community where we live within our means while investing wisely in our shared future.

Sincerely,
The West Linn City Council

Mayor Rory Bialostosky
Council President Mary Baumgardner
Councilor Kevin Bonnington
Councilor Carol Bryck
Councilor Leo Groner