Editor:
Sweet Home’s city government has five departments.
Each department head runs their respective department and reports to the city manager. The city manager then reports to the City Council.
The City Council’s responsibility is to make decisions on how the entire city is run – from the sewers, to the streets, to the Police Department, the library, and economic development. All our decisions are filtered through our motto adopted two years ago: “To do the most good for the most people for the longest period of time.”
Sweet Home city councilors serve many hours; reading material, asking questions of the city manager, sitting on or heading committees, testifying at the state level, and attending meetings outside the city.
For compensation for these hours, councilors receive $75 a month. The council is diverse, coming from different backgrounds, professions, groups, etc. While we may disagree on things, we respect one another.
Each of the councilors loves Sweet Home and invests hours of their lives to serve the city.
I was honored to be appointed to this group in 2017. The city had just purchased the new City Hall building and hired a new city manager.
Like many of you, up until that time, I learned what I knew regarding city matters from the newspaper, social media, and driving around town. From these sources, some of the questions I had included: Why did we need a new City Hall? Was it necessary to get a new city manager? Why are the streets in such disrepair? Why does the Police Department have such a nice building and the City Hall is so run down?
After being appointed, I realized my questions could have been easily answered by walking into the City Hall and simply asking. The City Hall employees are well-informed about city happenings and would have been able to answer these questions thoroughly.
Instead of asking the questions, I have now seen first-hand the disrepair of the City Hall. I have seen water leaks, smelled mold, heard about people being trapped in the City Hall elevator, experienced the rundown annex, and witnessed the dysfunctional layout of the building.
I am surprised someone wants to rent this building once the city leaves, but they are going into it knowing full well its condition. Now, I no longer question the need for a new building. Part of the city running well as a unit is to have a facility that works for the employees and the public.
The city manager reports to the City Council and his job is to propose plans on how to meet the City Council’s goals and to get the city to run as a unit. Having worked and served in many positions, in many states, in many spheres, I have met leaders who have led state agencies, national companies, and international organizations.
Sweet Home scored big when the council hired our current city manager. Ray Towry’s level of integrity is remarkable. His leadership skills and his efforts to help city employees work as a team are impressive. His vision for the city is inspiring. His door is always open to the city councilors.
If we have a question regarding what is happening, we can walk in and ask or give him a call. Sweet Home values a strong work ethic. His is top-notch. He desires what is best for the city.
The five departments the city manager oversees are: Public Works, Community and Economic Development, Finance Department, the Police Department, and the Library.
Planning to meet the City Council’s goals involves the heads of each of these departments. All department heads meet weekly with the city manager. Their job, besides running each department, is to create plans on how to meet council’s goals.
Apart from the city manager, the department heads know more about the city and are involved in more details than anyone else. Their leadership and examples are valuable and key in how the city functions.
Each department of the city is important. The Public Works Department may not seem important until there is a sewer leak, a water main break, or a street needing repair.
One of my early questions was, “Why are the streets in such disrepair?”
I have learned that one reason is that any funds used for street repair come from the General Fund. In my time here, I have learned that the head of the Public Works Department is a man of integrity who is doing amazing things with his crew and the budget he has.
The Community Economic Development Department may also seem unimportant until people begin to discuss new businesses coming to town, why certain businesses are allowed to be in town, etc. (By the way, if you have these same questions, I invite you to ask them of the city.)
This department manages these issues as well as handling building permits, fence permits, inspections, etc.
Sweet Home has had a difficult time keeping someone in this position. Things truly are running more smoothly in the last couple of years and the city is working on further improvements in this area.
The Finance Department spends hours ensuring the city is in compliance with state and federal laws, working on payroll, all insurance types (health, vehicle, liability, etc.), processing water payments, franchise issues, etc.
The staff that work in this department do time-intensive, detailed work and field questions from the public. They have been busy in the last year, with the new department head putting all information on computers.
Until last year, many things were still done long-hand. This department head does things with excellence, is brilliant, and professional.
Due to state laws enacted in late 1990s, Sweet Home is one of only two municipalities in Oregon trapped in a particular tax system.
One of the jobs of the City Council, manager, and department heads is to figure out how to keep Sweet Home running under this system. Due to this situation, the Library and the Police Department are funded through levies.
During the levies’ first decade, the Police Department and Library levies paid for these departments’ administrative services. In recent years, this has not been the case, although they still receive these services.
The City’s General Fund has been subsidizing these departments’ administrative costs at no expense to their budgets for years. As the General Fund covers these costs, the funds that would normally be used for projects, parks, and repairing streets are depleted and these things go undone.
Presently, the other departments pay for administrative services they receive from City Hall. These services are calculated based on percentages of use or actual use, depending on the item.
Annually, the Budget Committee is formed from the seven City Councilors and seven volunteers from Sweet Home.
Finding these volunteers is sometimes difficult (applications to be a part of this committee are available on the city’s webpage).
Four Budget Committee meetings occurred after being publicized in the newspaper, on social media, and on the city’s website, per state law.
The committee unanimously decided that in order to keep the city running as a unit and to meet the council’s motto, all departments should cover the costs of the administrative services they receive. The committee also approved every request made by the Police Department and Library.
I hope this letter has helped to bring some understanding to how the city functions and what the City Council’s ultimate goal is: “To do the most good for the most people for the longest period of time.”
Susan Coleman
City Councilor
Sweet Home