Sweet Home City Council adopted the city’s $43.9 million budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year and approved a contract to begin a sidewalk project on Mountain View Road during its regular meeting on Tuesday, May 26.
According to the budget message, presented by City Manager Jason Ogden, the 2026-2027 budget was developed in alignment with the city’s focus on essential services, daily operations and the advancement of council priorities.
Some of those goals include restoration of Weddle Bridge, pedestrian improvements along Mountain View Road, development of Quarry Park, advancement of the Willow-Yucca Local Improvement District, updates to the wastewater treatment plant, and funding for the Commercial Exterior Improvement Program.
Deputy City Manager Cecily Pretty explained two recommended changes to the budget document.
First, $250,000 from the Weddle Bridge budget had accidentally been moved to the Path Program, so the city would like to move the funds back to Weddle Bridge. Second, a request that all unappropriated SDC funds be moved to contingency so the city can access them in case they need it for the Willow-Yucca LID project and any other capital projects.
The total amount of unappropriated SDC funds between water, sewer, storm, transportation and parks totalled $3,635,000. When moved, it fills the contingency fund to a total of $4,085,000.
“When we move money into contingency, we still have to come back to the City Council to actually move those into any kind of appropriations for any professional services or capital projects that are to be done,” Finance Director Matt Brown explained. “This just makes those funds available if projects become available with the LID project or any capital improvement projects that may be eligible for SDC use.”
Pretty said this is a strategy the city has used the last couple of years in order to give the city funding flexibility. Otherwise, left unappropriated, the money cannot be used for those projects.
Mountain View Multi-Path
The council approved a contract between the city and Oregon Department of Transportation to begin the preliminary engineering phase of the Mountain View Multi-Use Path project in the next fiscal year.
The multi-use path – a widened sidewalk – will be constructed on Mountain View Road between Ames Creek Road and 22nd Avenue because it has been identified as a high pedestrian area near the junior high school that needs improved safety and accessibility.
“We see kids walking there all the time,” City Manager Jason Ogden told the council. “It would be great to have a sidewalk there.”
Since the city did not have the capacity to fund the project independently, in 2024 it applied for and received a promise of funding through ODOT to complete the project to the degree it can based on available funds in the amount of $1,950,000.
The city must pitch in an estimated $200,265 toward the project, which has already been figured into the city’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) budget. The project is expected to take four years to complete.
“We have a massive $200,000, roughly, on $1,950,000; that’s a pretty good investment,” said Councilor Ken Bronson, who attended the meeting remotely.
In other business, the council:
- Adopted a response and action plan concerning weaknesses identified in the 2023-2024 audit, namely: account reconciliations and audited financial statements were not submitted on time, due mainly to the finance director leaving the position at the time.
- Adopted a laptop lending policy for the public library. Library Director Megan Dazey explained the library received a $39,160 grant for technology upgrades which included the stipulation that some of the funds be used to purchase lendable laptops for library patrons.
- Councilor Angelita Sanchez asked for clarification concerning the Park & Tree Committee’s desire to purchase t-shirts with the city logo. Ogden said the city needs to be good with the budget and be fair across all committees. If one committee is allowed t-shirts, then the city is obligated to allow all committees to have t-shirts, he said. As such, the city is not willing to purchase t-shirts. However, if someone is willing to fund t-shirts for everyone on the committee, Ogden is open to that idea.