HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-05-05 Study Session MINASHLAND CITY COUNCIL
STUDY SESSION MINUTES
Monday, May 5, 2025
Mayor Graham called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m.
Council Present: Mayor Graham, Councilors Dahle, Bloom, Kaplan, DuQuenne, Hansen and
Kaplan.
Council Absent: none
Staff Present:
Jordan Rooklyn
Deputy City Manager
Marianne Berry
Finance Director
Bryn Morrison
Deputy Finance Director
Brandon Goldman
Community Development Director
Linda Reid
Housing Program Manager
Johan Pietila
City Attorney
Alissa Kolodzinski
City Recorder
I. Public Input
Citizens spoke on concerns about the proposed Parks fees and budget, livability in
Ashland, the proposed cost increase for sporting teams to utilize fields, concerns
about night lawn rules and enforcement, and suggested alternatives to budget cuts
through cost savings.
11. Budget Background #3
Berry and Morrison provided a presentation (see attached).
• Review of budget background, process, and timeline for the 2025-27 Budget. The
Citizen Budget Committee (CBC) began its deliberations on April 30 to develop a
balanced budget to send to council for adoption in June.
• Clarification that no City department has overspent on the current budget and that
there is not a deficit. Reductions in departmental budgets for the next biennium are
because projected revenue has not kept pace with increasing projected costs.
• Review of how to view revenues and expenses in the online proposed budget.
• Discussion on long-term financial forecasting and how to gather projections earlier in
the budget season to best prepare citizens for future budgets.
Rooklyn provided a presentation related to property taxes in Oregon (see attached).
• Measure 5 capped the amount of tax levied through property taxes in 1990 at $5 per
$1,000 for education districts and $10 per $1,000 for general government.
• IN 1997, Measure 50 permanently set the tax rate and no longer taxed on actual
market value but on a newly created 'assessed value' that can only grow at 3% per
City Council Study Session
May 5, 2025
Page I of 2
year. Ashland's tax rate is held at $4.2865 per $1,000. Measure 50 allows for a
temporary'local option levy' for 5 years but is subject to Measure 5 limits.
• The growing gap between assessed and real market property values has kept
property taxes low and predictable for property owners but limited cost recovery for
local government. Property taxes paid for most government services prior to 1990.
• New or greatly improved properties are assessed using a county -wide Changed
Property Ratio. Various inequity scenarios were presented to show how similar
circumstances for neighboring homes are impacted differently by these laws.
• Discussion of future cost recovery included how to increase development and
considerations to broaden the tax base such as annexation and/or change in the
urban grown boundary.
III. Non -Profit Affordable Housing Tax Exemption
Goldman and Reid introduced the topic and provided background. The City was approached
to see if there was interest in providing property tax exemption for affordable housing
operated by a non-profit organization. This exemption would help keep rent low and help
meet the City's Housing Production Strategy goals of incentivizing affordable housing in
Ashland. Neighboring municipalities have passed and/or are considering similar exemptions
to encourage affordable housing.
• Request for more information about the potential financial impact to the City.
• Council has a general interest in moving forward with an ordinance of this type.
• Direction for staff to contact the Ashland School District to gauge the level of interest.
• Direction for staff to estimate the projected increase of the affordable housing
market in the next three to five years. Staff offered to return with a comparison
between non-profit and private development within the affordable housing market.
• Direction for staff to bring back specific criteria in which a development would qualify.
IV. Adjournment of Study Session
The meeting was adjourned at 7:26 p.m.
A�d-1 J �
City Recorder Alissa Kolodzinski
Mayor Tonya Graham
City Council Study Session
May 5, 2025
Page 2 of 2
Summary
❖ Frequently Asked Questions
■ Budget Process Timeline
■ Budgeting General Fund Revenues
■ Open Gov Portal
❖ Overview and History of Property Tax
F-,�gv, I MV
I
Budget Process & Timeline
• November. Leadership Retreat
City Manager Direction; Review Departmental Needs
• January -February: Projections Begin
Determine Carryforwards and Buildout Projections
■ March: Preliminary Budget
Council Retreat March 1st
Upload Departments' budgets into Open Gov
Review Preliminary Budget
ti� 4So> Q�t? 4So`r C4, 1 Pad
tiov'24 Jan/Feb'25 M2rch'25 April'25 Mai '25 June'25
kvw
Review City needs Reconcile acnrals Cowl Retreat Balance Budget Review Proposed Council Adopts
C11 Direction Assumptions Update Open Gov Budget Budget
Budget Process & Timeline
■ April -May: Budget Committee Meetings
Review, deliberate and potentially make any changes to Proposed Budget
• May: Budget Committee Approves Budget
Sends Approved Budget to City Council
• June: Council Adopts Budget
May make changes to Approved Budget
If less than 107., public hearing not needed
Sets tax levy & passes other budget -related resolutions
\ov'24 Jan'Feb'25 Nbrc6'25 _ap61'25 June'25
q1FIAMmm Review City needs Reconcile actuals Councl Retreat Balmee Budget Review Proposed CouncilAdopts
CNf Direction Assumptions Update Open Gov Budget Budget
Budgeting General Fund Revenues
Largest revenues in BN 23-25
Property Taxes
Franchise Fees
Electric User Tax
Transient Lodging Tax
Ambulance Revenue
Central Service Fee
Other revenues
Building & Planning Fees
Licenses (Business, Liquor, Tobacco)
Other Taxes (Cigarette, Marijuana,
Liquor)
Interest Income
Grants
Park Fees (facilities, recreation, etc)
Fines & Other Fees
Fees for Services (PD, Court,
Cemetery,
Budgeting General Fund Revenues
Over 110 lines of revenues to forecast
Departments project revenues
• Enterprises
• Fire
• Police
• Parks & Recreation
Aggregating the data
• Public Works
• Community Development
• Finance & Administration
■ Where/how to review in Open Gov
Pre-1990's
Property Taxes Based on Market Values
Every six years, the County Assessor would assess Real Market Value
countywide, and property owners would be charged property taxes on the
assigned Real Market Value. During this period, property taxes paid for the
majority of city services.
1990 - Measure 5
Total Property Taxes are capped.
1997 - Measure 50
Property Taxes no longer taxed on actual value, growth is limited, and tax rate is
permanently set.
n
1990 - Measure 5
1. Set limits on the amount of tax levied per
$1,000 of a property's real market value
• $5 per $1,000 for education districts
• $10 per $1,000 for general government
2. If taxes exceed the limits, taxes
are reduced under
"compression."
• 65% of Oregon cities lost
revenue in FY17.
1997 - Measure 50
Year Built
1989
Real Market Value
$200,000
Measure 5 Limits
$1,000 ed / $2,000 gov't
Tax Rate
$1,035 ed / $2,052 gov't
Taxes Paid
$1,000 ed / $2,000 gov't
Compression
$35 ed / $52 gov't
1. Set a permanent rate limit for each taxing district.
• Based on tax levies that existed in 1997.
�shlAhd's is
• Forever set at the 1997 limit. �4.261v5 per �I,DDD
• Allows a temporary "local option levy."
2. Separated property tax from real market value.
• Newly created "assessed value"
• The "assessed value" can only grow 3% per year.
• Exception: new properties or major improvements
• Changed Property Ratio
A"
$1,200 1
,.., $1,000
c
° $800
w $600
$400
$200
$0
1995-96
FA7
199MO 2003-04 2007-08 2011-12 2015-16 2019-20 2023-24
How has that impacted me & my neighbors?
Base Year Inequity
Homes that have the
exact same market value
may have very different
property taxes depending
on when they were last
assessed when Measure
50 went into effect.
Exhibit A: Base near ineauih,
Home A
Home 8
Real Market Value In 1990:
$150,000
$150,000
Annual rate of growth
8%
8%
Assessment year:
1990
1996
Market value according to
assessors in 1996:
$150,000
$220,000
1996 Assessed Value Limits
according to Measure 50 formula:
$135,000
$200,000
Property taxes owed In 1996:
$1,350
$2,000
Assessed Value Limit in 2010:
$200,000
$300,000
Property taxes owed in 2010:
$2,000 1
$3,000
A" *Table source: League of Oregon Cities Measure 5 & 50. A Primer
How has that impacted me & my neighbors?
Neighborhood -to- Neighborhood Inequity
Since assessed values
were locked in 1995-6,
slower growing
neighborhoods have a
relatively higher tax
burden than faster
growing neighborhoods.
Exhibil B, N(,iehhorhood to rti,ii hhorhooci iiieuuitr
Faster
growing
Slower
growing
Market value in 1996
$150,000
$150,000
Market value in 2010
$400,000
$300,000
Property taxes owed in 2010
$4,000
$4,000
Property taxes as percentage of RMV
1%
1.33%
" &a `Table source: League of Oregon Cities Measure 5 & 50: A Primer
How has that impacted me & my neighbors?
New Property Inequity
Since the change property
ratio is county wide, slower
growing neighborhoods
are more likely to see new
houses coming on at
lower tax levels than older
homes with the same
market value.
Erhihit ('• Now Yrnnertr lnvuuinv
Neighborhood with
Neighborhood with S%
20% annual growth
annual growth
Home A
New Home
Home B
New Home
1996-97
• RMV
$150,000
$150,000
. AV
$150,000
_
$150,000
2010
• RMV
$570,000
$297,000
• AV
$227,000
0.398
$227,000
0.764
Ratio
CPR for new
0.46
0.46
property
2011
• RMV
$627,000
$627,000
$312,000
$312,000
• AV
$234,000
$288,000
$234,000
$143,000
"Ik 'Table source: League of Oregon Cities Measure 5 & 50 A Primer
Changed Property Ratio
Used to calculate the assessed value of new or greatly improved properties
Total Assessed Value
Changed Property Ratio = x 100
Total Real Market Value
Residential 57.3
63.0
Commercial/Industrial 69.6
F-7
Changed Property Ratio
Used to calculate the assessed value of new or greatly improved properties
Manufactured Home Park Rebuild
Account T— Sales History Vatue H.stcuy
Values
510OW 000
S900o 000
Seo00oo0
52.000.000
$6000,000
u.aoo.000
n.oao.000
S2 w0.wo
$"oX000
So
2015 2016 2012 2016 2019 2020 2021 202Z 2023 2024
RMV MAV t AV
Residential Rebuild
Account ta.e9 Satas History Valua Hrstory
Values
S 200 000
S600.000
SSW.000
5400,000
1300,000
S200 000
1100,000
So
2015 2016 2012 2019 20M Mn 2021 2022 2023 2024
IL RMV MAV T- AV
How has that impacted me & my neighbors?
New Property Inequity
Since the change property
ratio is county wide, slower
growing neighborhoods
are more likely to see new
houses coming on at
lower tax levels than older
homes with the same
market value.
Frhilbif C• h%Pw PrnnPrty Ineituily
Neighborhood with
Neighborhood with 5%
10% annual growth
annual growth
Home A
New Home
Home B
New Home
1996-97
• RMV
$150,000
$150,000
• AV
$1.50,000
$150,000
2010
- -
• RMV
$570,000
$297,000
• AV
$227,000
$227,000
0.764
Ratio
0.398
0.46
CPR for new
0.46
property
2011
_
• RMV
$627,000
$627,000
$312,000
$312,000
• AV
$234,000
1 $288,000
$234,000
$143,000
`Table source: League of Oregon Cities, Measure 5 & 50: A Primer
How has that impacted me & my neighbors?
Commercial vs State Industrial*
Since the change property
ratio is calculated on
property type, large
industrial property has
significantly higher
property taxes than
commercial property.
Fvhihil D: Cnnnnerrial vs. Industrial
Commercial
Industrial
Market Value
$1,000,000
$1,000,000
Changed Property Ratio
.50
1
Assessable Value
$500,000
$1,000,000
Property taxes owed at
$10 per $1,000 of AV
$S,aaa
$10,000
*This ovily impacts desi9v1atrd
laved - there are, viovie ih Ashlavid.
'Table source: League of Oregon Cities, Measure 5 & 50: A Primer
How has Measure 5 & 50 impacted City of Ashland?
Significant reductions in
city tax revenues over
time.
S'aa�
s1aM
5161a
S14hI
S12M
S10M
58M
SfiM
SAM
S:M
Sad
Estimated io<as w/o M50
Estimated Taxes
dowmanow
2017 1018 :C21 20:2 2C:3 ..:
How has Measure 5 & 50 impacted City of Ashland?
Which has led us to
change how we fund city
services.
31.6M
, Cr"
24.8M �
38.SM 38 2M
40.8M
'Cie FY 2019 Fr 102C FY 2021 FY 2022 F, 2023 FY 2024
a«
Parks & Rec Fees
Planning/Building Fees
Ambulance Revenue
Grants
Admin Services
TLT Revenue
Franchise
Fees
Utility Bill Fees
Property
Taxes
Given all this, what are the pathways for increasing
revenue?
J�1
Change the statewide property tax system
Create a new taxing district
Increase development
Create a local option levy
Create a fee
f -= DEITY
QUESTIONS?