Small         
   Municipalities
       Advocacy     
          Coalition

Rural communities have pressing critical infrastructure needs including water lines, sewer lines, streets, treatment plants and buildings to maintain. Providing basic city services to residents is always the top priority and focus of small cities. Cities must also continually maintain city owned property to a high standard when it comes to playgrounds & public spaces. Employment laws must be carefully followed to ensure that employees are being properly treated, avoid liability, and create a healthy work environment. Financial processes are foundational to safeguarding public trust. Agenda and minutes must meet the letter of the Public Meetings Law to ensure public access to decisions and records of the city's council, boards, commissions, and committees. As a matter of fact, it is difficult to name any aspect of city government that is not steeped in laws and administrative rules.

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Communities with limited resources are forced to make difficult decisions to meet these basic needs and drive their communities forward. Cities carry debt for infrastructure projects, meet payroll, and provide funding to make sure basic services are met.  

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Every year the State Legislature passes new laws, rules, and regulations that make these basic, governmental tasks increasingly more difficult. Cities do not have an adequate voice to express their concerns. State agencies publish confusing notices for hearings and comment periods, but seemingly only as a formality. No one, not even, the League of Oregon Cities can keep up with the changes, monitor the hundreds of bills introduced, or accurately judge the impact of those proposed bills.

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The Divide

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The Urban-Rural divide in Oregon continues to widen every legislative session. The League of Oregon Cities always finds itself embroiled in the differences between large urban cities and small rural cities; each have vastly different values, needs, and wants. The State of Oregon used to take a guided approach with cities and counties. State personnel would assist with program implementation if they cities were interested in those programmatic efforts of the State. However, this approach has dramatically changed over the last ten years. 

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The Solution

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Cities must rally their legislative bodies to build meaningful relationships with State Representatives & Senators as well as officials at the Federal level. The onslaught of changes and requirements are eroding the fabric of small towns by forcing citizens and cities to comply or else. As Mayors and Council members start building relationships, the community can enjoin with local residents to improve engagement with our elected officials at the State.

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No one knows your cities pressing matters better than your local officials and local city staff. 

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No one understands the impacts of certain legislation or regulations better than local city staff and practitioners.

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The only way to make things better is by collective action on behalf of rural communities. We know that interest groups and non-profit organizations are making their voices heard, and it is being done at the expense of our citizens.

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We hope that you will see the need to roll up your sleeves, lift your voice, and join us in our work to restore rural values and to ensure a future that we want to live in.