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Published By Your City Hall |
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Budget Committee Announces Public Meetings on 2023-24 Proposed Budgets
The City of Coos Bay staff have been busy preparing the 2023-24 proposed budgets which include the City and Urban Renewal Agency (URA). The proposals will be presented to the Budget Committee on Thursday, May 4, 2023, starting at 6 p.m. This is a public meeting and will also be streamed live on the City's YouTube Channel. Remote attendance is available via Zoom and can be accessed through the agenda for each meeting, found on the City’s website on the Agendas and Minutes page.
The City and URA adopted budgets are a financial plan prepared for one fiscal year (July 1-June 30). The budgets are one of the most important and informative documents city officials and the public will use. Both entities are required to adhere to the state’s local budget law which is a group of statutes that require the preparation and adoption an annual budget that follows a very specific process. As such, the adopted budgets are a legal document that establishes the authorization to receive and spend money. It presents the anticipated resources (revenue) available to pay for the estimated requirements (expense) necessary to provide services to the community.
In actuality, the budget is a cycle which takes 12 months to complete. The budgeting process is composed of four phases: Preparation, Approval, Adoption, and Execution.
 Preparation Phase
Preparation of the budget is the first phase of the cycle and allows for a review of needs considering the funds available. As Oregon municipalities, both the City and URA must plan for a balanced budget, meaning that resources and requirements are equal. As designated by the City’s Charter, the Budget Officer for the City is the City Manager. The Budget Officer for the URA is the Assistant City Manager. The Budget Officers, along with the Finance Director and other Department Directors, develop the proposed budgets.
Approval Phase
The next phase of the budget cycle is the approval phase, which is performed in a public meeting environment. Oregon Budget Law requires each government to have a budget committee that is comprised (in part) of citizens. The Budget Committee is tasked with reviewing the budget, as proposed by the Budget Officer, and to monitor the process to ensure adherence to State Law. The Budget Committees (City and URA) will hold a public meeting, as mentioned above, on May 4, 2023, in which the budget message will be delivered and the budget will be presented, and to listen to comments and questions regarding the proposed budget from interested citizens. Ultimately, the Budget Committee members who serve alongside the City Council and URA Board will approve the City and URA budgets for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024. When approving the budgets, the Budget Committees must also approve the property tax rate and amounts.
Adoption Phase
After the Budget Committees have approved the budget, the approved budgets are then forwarded to the City Council and URA Board for adoption. The City Council and URA Board are scheduled to review the approved budget and hold a public hearing on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. At this hearing, citizens have another opportunity to provide comments and ask questions about the approved budget. The budgets are adopted by resolution, setting appropriation authority for the coming fiscal year.
Execution Phase
Lastly, the execution phase is left to the City management to operate City and URA services for the next fiscal year within the financial parameters of the legally adopted budget.
We encourage citizen participation in the budget-making process, notice for the meeting is published in The World newspaper and posted on the City's website Budget Meeting Notice. Interested citizens can also review the budgets in all phases (proposed, approved, adopted), on the City’s website within the Finance Department’s Budget & Audit Records.
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City Welcomes Codes & Planning Specialist
The City of Coos Bay is pleased to welcome Tiffany Rose as a new employee of the Public Works and Community Development Department. Rose will be working as a Codes/Planning Specialist in the front office.
Rose moved to Oregon in November 2022 from Texas where she worked for the Texas Department of Insurance. She enjoys her dogs Anya and Giles, reading, and hiking.
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Boardwalk Flag Poles Updated
 The City has installed eight (8) new flag poles at the Boardwalk. In 1994, sixteen fiberglass flag poles were installed with the original construction of the Boardwalk. These poles are beyond their useful life, with some of them being removed due to safety concerns. The final eight were recently replaced by city staff with 25-foot-tall aluminum poles that will stand for many years to come. Staff will continue with the installation by completing some lighting that will illuminate the flags at night.
Please enjoy all the recent upgrades to the Boardwalk when visiting the area. Please use caution if workers are on site. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Greg Hamblet, Operations Administrator, at 541-269-1181, ext. 2201.
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 On Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at 6 p.m., the Coos Bay City Council will hold a public hearing on the 2023 Coos Bay “Housing Production Strategy” (HPS). The HPS includes feedback from a 2022 City sponsored on-line community questionnaire regarding individual housing experiences and suggestions. The HPS includes strategies for the City to promote housing for households of all income levels. These strategies include City land use regulation changes and new housing programs in the coming years.
The staff report, HPS for Council, and public review is on the City website on April 14, 2023, at https://www.coosbayor.gov. Also provided on the website are instructions on how to participate in the meeting remotely. All are invited to participate in this April 18, 2023, public hearing. For questions or comments, contact Carolyn Johnson at cjohnson@coosbay.org or 541-252-2861.
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Flower Baskets for Mom
 Are you looking for the perfect gift for Mother's Day? Parents of the Marshfield High School's (MHS) Class of 2023 are offering flower baskets that would make a great gift. All proceeds benefit the MHS Senior All Night Party, which follows the Graduation Ceremony.
Orders must be placed and paid for by April 21 and will be available for pick-up on May 3 from 3-6 p.m. at Blossom Gulch School. Click below to order.
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With the federal tax filing deadline approaching, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum is warning Oregonians to be on the lookout for scams and other fraud related to taxes and tax filing.
“During tax season, identity theft cases increase as scammers use stolen information to file fake tax returns and steal people’s refunds,” Rosenblum said. “Oregonians should always be on the lookout for scam artists trying to steal their personal and financial information.”
Most tax scams are just one variety of what are known as government imposter scams. These imposters pose as representatives of a government agency like the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or Social Security, or of a business or charity.
“Unfortunately, imposters have clever ways to get you to trust them so they can steal your personal information and money,” added AG Rosenblum. “Don’t fall for it!”
When the attempt to defraud comes via a letter, text, or email, scammers usually use official-looking materials such as the IRS or Oregon Department of Revenue logos. When the scammer tries to reach a taxpayer over the phone, they will attempt to take advantage of the instinct to cooperate with someone with an official-sounding title or reason for calling, and will often ask for personal information, ask you to send money right away, make threats, or try to keep you on the phone.
Oregonians should know that local, state, and federal government agencies will never ask consumers to send money or make payments via a wire transfer, pre-paid gift card or by purchasing cryptocurrency.
If you believe you are being scammed, hang up the phone, do not click on links in a text or email, and – if you’re worried – contact the agency directly via the phone number or email address listed on their official website. Do not use any of the contact information in the suspicious communication.
“As we enter the final weeks of the 2023 tax season the Oregon Department of Revenue urges taxpayers and tax professionals to be on the lookout for bogus calls, texts, emails, and online posts from scammers trying to steal your personal and financial information,” said Joanna Robert, Communications Director for the Oregon Department of Revenue. “You can find out more about how to protect yourself from tax season scams on the IRS website.”
If you believe you have been the victim of a tax scam, or want to report a suspected scam, file a complaint with the Oregon Attorney General online at www.oregonconsumer.gov.
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 Please join the South Slough Reserve Stewardship crew on Saturday, April 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. removing invasive weeds, planting native plants, removing litter, and sprucing up trails on the South Slough Reserve. We will begin with an introduction to the Reserve and our stewardship model.
Everyone will divide into smaller groups and caravan to various parts of the Reserve to work. This is a family-friendly event where we can give back to the earth in a fun volunteer effort! We will also provide snacks and drinks although you should bring a water bottle as well. Meet at 61907 Seven Devils Road, Charleston, OR. Register below to participate.
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