How Forest Grove is run
Who runs Forest Grove, 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 Forest Grove's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 11, 2026.
Who runs Forest Grove
A city manager hired by the council runs the city day to day. The council sets policy, adopts the budget and sets the tax rate.
What they are paid
- Vehicle allowance of $3,686 a year in FY2024-25, in place of a city car
- Council reviews performance yearly and then sets salary and vehicle allowance by resolution
Forest Grove city staff
193 full-time-equivalent positions. FY2025-27 adopted biennial budget. City of Forest Grove · Jun 9, 2025
The budget lists salary ranges by job title. We found no list of pay by employee. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Forest Grove 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
Unassigned general fund balance: $9.2M (2025-06-30). City of Forest Grove · Dec 19, 2025
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 FY2025-27.
Goes to (FY2025-27)
- Police$19.7M · 32%
- Fire$14.1M · 23%
- Administrative services$10.8M · 17%
- Library$3.5M · 6%
- Parks$2.5M · 4%
- Engineering$2.5M · 4%
- Aquatics$2M · 3%
- Other$6.6M · 11%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Forest Grove is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityForest Grove Police DepartmentCity of Forest Grove · Jun 9, 2025
- Fire and emergency medical responseThe cityForest Grove Fire DepartmentThe Forest Grove Rural Fire District pays a share of operating costs under an agreement with the city.City of Forest Grove · Jun 9, 2025
- ElectricityThe cityForest Grove Light & PowerServes customers in the city and in an unincorporated service area.City of Forest Grove · Jun 9, 2025
- WaterThe cityCity of Forest GroveCity of Forest Grove · Jun 9, 2025
- StreetsThe cityCity of Forest GroveCity of Forest Grove · Jun 9, 2025
- LibraryThe cityForest Grove LibraryCity of Forest Grove · Jun 9, 2025
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 | West LinnOR | Forest GroveOR | WilsonvilleOR | TualatinOR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 26,567 | 27,252 | 27,833 | 28,139 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $220,600 | $195,168 | $216,000 | $224,211 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $2,829 | $2,269 | $1,768 | $1,724 |
| Debt per resident | $1,328 | $295 | $1,347 | $1,050 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $705 | $1,318 | $698 | $936 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 5.2 | 7.1 | 7.3 | 5.9 |
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). West Linn and Wilsonville pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Forest Grove publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe adopted 2025-27 biennial budget book is posted in the city's online Archive Center. City of Forest Grove · Jun 9, 2025
- No: Council votes recorded member by member onlineThe city's agenda portal posts agendas and packets. We did not find minutes with member-by-member votes. City of Forest Grove · Oct 11, 2026
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentWe did not find council pay in the audited report or the adopted budget. City of Forest Grove · Jun 9, 2025
- Partly: Employee pay published City of Forest Grove · Jun 9, 2025
Questions to ask your council
- The city's own closed retirement plan was 71.74% funded, with a $30.4 million net pension liability, in the FY2025 audited report. How long will it take to close that gap, and what does it cost the general fund each year?
- Police ($19.7 million) and fire ($14.1 million) make up more than half of the $61.8 million in general fund appropriations for 2025-27. Some police and fire positions are paid by a local option levy. What happens to them if the levy is not renewed?
The fiscal year runs July 1 to June 30, and the city now budgets for two years at a time. The Budget Committee approved the 2025-27 budget on May 28, 2025, and the council adopted it on June 9, 2025. The Budget Committee reviewed the mid-biennium update on May 12 and 19, 2026, and the council took up the resulting appropriation transfers on June 8, 2026. See who is running for council
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