How Gresham is run
Who runs Gresham, 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 Gresham's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Gresham
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
- One-time $10,000 transition bonus
- $500 a month vehicle allowance
- City pays 2.5% of base salary into a 457 deferred compensation account
- Nine months' salary as severance if let go without cause
- 37 days of paid time off a year, plus 80 hours on starting
- City pays medical, dental and vision premiums for her and her dependents
- City pays 50% of the premium for city medical and dental plans
- May join the Oregon PERS pension if eligible
Gresham city staff
697 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 183, Environmental Services (streets, water, sewer, stormwater) 168, Fire 133. FY2026-27 adopted budget. City of Gresham · Jul 1, 2026
The city posts salary schedules by employee group, including management. We found no list of pay by employee. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Gresham 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.
The city's own outlook
The budget says general fund costs for staff, dispatch, technology and equipment are rising faster than revenue, a structural imbalance the city is working on. In FY2026-27 general fund spending exceeds revenue by about $10 million, filled with fund balance. Public safety uses more than 90% of general fund revenue, and the five-year public safety levy will need voter renewal. City of Gresham · Jul 1, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $51.1M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: The budget must carry a general fund contingency of at least 2% of operating spending and an ending fund balance of at least 10% of ongoing operating spending; the ideal ending balance is 18%. City of Gresham · 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 FY2026-27.
Comes from
- Taxes$41.1M · 31%
- Beginning balance$29.6M · 23%
- Utility license fees$24.6M · 19%
- Intergovernmental$24M · 18%
- Charges for services$8.9M · 7%
- Other$2.5M · 2%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$54.8M · 42%
- Fire$43.4M · 33%
- Unappropriated ending balance$17.7M · 14%
- Parks$6M · 5%
- Transfers to other funds$3.2M · 2%
- Contingency$2M · 2%
- Other (economic development, community services, youth and recreation)$3.5M · 3%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
About 25 cents of each property-tax dollar goes to the city ($4.96 of $20.05 per $1,000). These are the rates in the city's audited report, from the Multnomah County Assessor; Oregon's Measure 5 and Measure 50 limits can lower what an owner actually pays.
25¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Gresham
- School District No. 10Parts of the city are in the Centennial and Reynolds school districts instead.7.24 · 36%
- Multnomah County4.93 · 25%
- City of Gresham (permanent rate)3.61 · 18%
- City of Gresham (public safety levy)1.35 · 7%
- Multnomah County Library1.22 · 6%
- TriMet and Metro0.57 · 3%
- Mt. Hood Community College0.49 · 2%
- Multnomah Education Service District0.46 · 2%
- East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation0.1 · <1%
- Port of Portland0.07 · <1%
- Total ($ per $1,000 of assessed value)20.05
FY2024-25 rates for property in the city of Gresham (Multnomah County). City of Gresham · Dec 19, 2025
See what a Gresham house pays, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Gresham is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityGresham Police DepartmentCity of Gresham
- Fire protectionThe cityGresham Fire DepartmentThe department also serves Fairview, Wood Village, Troutdale and Fire District 10.City of Gresham
- Emergency medical servicesThe cityGresham Fire DepartmentCity of Gresham
- 911 and dispatchAnother agencyCity of Portland Bureau of Emergency Communications (BOEC)Gresham contracts with Portland for 911 and dispatch.City of Gresham
- WaterThe cityCity of Gresham (Water Fund)Part of the city is served by the Rockwood Water People's Utility District, which pays the city a 5% utility license fee.City of Gresham
- SewerThe cityCity of Gresham (Wastewater Fund)The city's treatment plant also serves Wood Village, Fairview and parts of Portland.City of Gresham
- Trash and recyclingPrivate companyPrivate haulersPrivate companies collect in defined areas; the City Council sets hauler rates.City of Gresham
- StreetsThe cityCity of Gresham Transportation ProgramCity of Gresham
- ParksThe cityCity of Gresham Parks ProgramCity of Gresham
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 | MedfordOR | BeavertonOR | BendOR | GreshamOR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 86,494 | 97,842 | 107,342 | 111,513 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | $269,517 | Not confirmed | $260,000 |
| Council member pay | No salary | Not confirmed | $30,000 | $28,956 |
| General fund per resident | $2,385 | $1,271 | $1,885 | $1,171 |
| Debt per resident | $1,490 | $3,213 | $5,387 | $814 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $893 | $1,283 | $991 | $1,372 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 6.8 | 5.9 | 7.7 | 6.2 |
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). Beaverton pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Gresham publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted online City of Gresham
- Yes: City manager's contract findable online City of Gresham · May 19, 2026
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineCouncil minutes list each member's yes or no vote on each motion. City of Gresham · May 19, 2026
- Yes: Meeting videos and minutes online City of Gresham
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe Finance Committee's compensation schedule states yearly salaries for the mayor, council president and councilors. City of Gresham · Feb 18, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay publishedThe city posts salary schedules by employee group. We found no list of pay by employee. City of Gresham
Questions to ask your council
- The FY2026-27 budget expects general fund spending to exceed revenue by about $10 million, covered with fund balance. How will the council close that gap in later years?
- Public safety uses more than 90% of general fund revenue, and the $1.35 per $1,000 public safety levy must be renewed by voters. What happens to police and fire staffing if it is not renewed?
- The city's share of the Oregon PERS net pension liability was $153.0 million on June 30, 2025. How will rising PERS rates affect the general fund, where public safety already uses more than 90% of revenue?
- Unassigned general fund balance was $51.1 million on June 30, 2025. How much of it should stay in reserve against the 10% to 18% ending balance targets?
The fiscal year runs July 1 to June 30. The Budget Committee met April 16 and April 28, 2026 to review the proposed FY2026-27 budget, and council adoption was scheduled for June 9, 2026. The council must adopt the budget by June 30. See who is running for council
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