How Fairview is run
Who runs Fairview, what it costs, and where your money goes
The city manager, council pay, the budget, your property tax bill and who provides each service, from Fairview's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 11, 2026.
Who runs Fairview
A City Manager appointed by the council serves as chief administrative officer and oversees six directors, including a contracted police chief. The City Council, the mayor and six councilors, sets policy and adopts the budget.
What they are paid
Fairview city staff
36 full-time-equivalent positions. FY2026-27 adopted budget. City of Fairview · Jun 3, 2026
The budget posts monthly pay ranges by pay class for non-represented and represented staff. We found no list of pay by employee. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Fairview in the red?
Cities must pass a balanced budget, so "profit" and "deficit" mean something different here. The useful questions: does the city's everyday money (the general fund) cover its everyday costs, how much does it keep in savings compared with its own target, and how big are its pension and debt bills.
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $4.1M (2024-06-30). The city's own target: The city keeps a general fund emergency contingency of at least 5% of operating expenditures and an operating fund balance of at least 25% of operating expenditures. City of Fairview · Aug 27, 2026
Why we skip the "budgeted deficit": many cities plan to dip into savings, then spend less than planned. The audited result tells you what really happened.
Where the money comes from and goes
The general fund only: the city's everyday money for FY2026-27.
Comes from
- Charges for services (mostly public safety fees and charges to other city funds)$4.9M · 41%
- Property taxes$3.1M · 25%
- Beginning balance carried in$1.4M · 12%
- Intergovernmental (state shared revenue, county business income tax)$1.3M · 10%
- Franchise fees$1.2M · 10%
- Other (licenses, permits, rent, interest)$242,100 · 2%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police (Multnomah County Sheriff's Office contract)$3.7M · 30%
- Fire, EMS and 911 dispatch (Gresham and Portland BOEC contracts)$2.5M · 21%
- Contingency$1.9M · 15%
- Finance$1.2M · 10%
- Community development$673,300 · 6%
- Parks$577,300 · 5%
- Other (IT, administration, HR and city recorder, transfers, non-departmental)$1.7M · 14%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Fairview is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe countyMultnomah County Sheriff's OfficeCity of Fairview · Jun 3, 2026
- 911 dispatchAnother agencyPortland Bureau of Emergency Communications (contract)City of Fairview · Jun 3, 2026
- WaterThe cityCity of Fairview Public WorksWater comes from city wells and the city's water treatment plant.City of Fairview · Jun 3, 2026
- StormwaterThe cityCity of Fairview Public WorksCity of Fairview · Jun 3, 2026
- ParksThe cityCity of Fairview Parks Program101 acres of park land at 21 sites.City of Fairview · Jun 3, 2026
- Building plan review and inspectionsAnother agencyCity of Gresham (contract)City of Fairview · Jun 3, 2026
Compared with similar cities
The cities in this state closest in population that we cover. Read it for scale, not as a ranking: cities provide different services.
| Per city | Sweet HomeOR | NewportOR | FairviewOR | Cottage GroveOR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 10,308 | 10,383 | 10,762 | 10,851 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | $170,000 | Not confirmed | $192,741 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | $3,600 | Not confirmed | No salary |
| General fund per resident | $760 | $2,315 | $1,132 | $1,113 |
| Debt per resident | $1,001 | $4,099 | $1,021 | $2,069 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $216 | $710 | $241 | $1,197 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 6.5 | 16.6 | 3.4 | — |
Figures as shown in each city's section, divided by its population. Years differ by state, and pension figures are measured differently in each state (each city page says how). Sweet Home and Fairview and Cottage Grove pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Fairview publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- No: Audited financial report filed on timeThe latest posted audit covers the year ended June 30, 2024, with an auditor's report dated August 27, 2026. The FY2024-25 audit is still underway. City of Fairview · Aug 27, 2026
- Yes: Adopted budget posted online City of Fairview · Jun 3, 2026
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineThe 2024 appointing resolution says the agreement will be attached once finalized. Only a 2026 amendment removing its end date is posted. City of Fairview · Oct 16, 2024
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes onlineCouncil meetings stream on the city's YouTube channel, and agendas, packets and minutes are posted on the city's site. City of Fairview
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentWe found no document stating council or mayor pay in the budget or council records. City of Fairview · Jun 3, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay published City of Fairview · Jun 3, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The audited report for the year ended June 30, 2024 carries an auditor's report dated August 27, 2026. When will the FY2024-25 audit be finished?
- The city is working to move fire and EMS to a special district. How would that change what residents pay in fees and property taxes?
- The city owed $11.0 million on June 30, 2024, most of it borrowed for the urban renewal agency. How will that debt be repaid if urban renewal revenue falls short?
The fiscal year runs July 1 to June 30. For FY2026-27 the Budget Committee approved the proposed budget May 11, 2026, and the City Council held the budget hearing and adopted the budget June 3, 2026. See who is running for council
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Every number here was checked by hand against the linked document. Cities publish on different schedules, so years differ between sections; each figure says which year it describes. Spotted something wrong or out of date?
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