How La Grande is run
Who runs La Grande, 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 La Grande's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 11, 2026.
Who runs La Grande
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
- $300 a month vehicle allowance
- $15,000 signing bonus, repaid in part if he resigns within three years
- Severance of three months' salary and benefits, plus one month per year of service, up to 12 months
- City-paid medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance
- Vacation accrual credited with six years of service
La Grande city staff
173 full-time-equivalent positions, including General Fund 95, Public Works Service Fund 34, Water Fund 12, Sewer Fund 11, Street & Road Fund 10, 911 Emergency Fund 5, Building Inspections Fund 4, Motor Pool Fund 2. FY2026-27. City of La Grande · Jun 4, 2026
The budget lists positions by department and fund. The manager's contract refers to a management compensation plan, but we did not find a posted salary schedule or pay by employee. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is La Grande 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: $9.6M (2025-06-30). City of La Grande · Jan 28, 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
- Beginning fund balance$7.9M · 36%
- Property taxes (current)$6.9M · 31%
- Ambulance collections$1.2M · 5%
- Administration charges to other funds$616,676 · 3%
- Hotel-motel taxes$610,000 · 3%
- Electric franchise fee$475,000 · 2%
- Interest income$400,000 · 2%
- Other$4M · 18%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Unappropriated ending balance and reserve$5.5M · 25%
- Police and dispatch$4.4M · 20%
- Fire and EMS$4.4M · 20%
- Council, manager and personnel$2.5M · 11%
- Parks, aquatics, recreation and urban forestry$1.8M · 8%
- Planning, economic development and building maintenance$934,905 · 4%
- Finance and municipal court$927,661 · 4%
- Library$875,266 · 4%
- Other (contingency and transfers)$755,000 · 3%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
The city's permanent rate is the largest part of the bill. The urban renewal share funds the city's urban renewal agency, which the council governs.
44¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of La Grande
- City of La Grande7.0951 · 39%
- La Grande School District #1 (operating)4.4141 · 24%
- Union County2.8296 · 16%
- La Grande School District #1 bond1.6205 · 9%
- La Grande Urban RenewalCollected for the La Grande Urban Renewal Agency.0.8248 · 5%
- InterMountain Education Service District0.5872 · 3%
- La Grande Cemetery0.2689 · 1%
- Vector control (permanent and local option)0.1828 · 1%
- 4-H / Extension0.1545 · <1%
- Union County Weed local option0.12 · <1%
- Total ($ per $1,000 of assessed value)18.0975
2025-26 rates for a home in the city of La Grande (Union County code area 0101). Union County Assessor · Oct 23, 2025
Who provides your services
Not everything in La Grande is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityLa Grande Police DepartmentCity of La Grande · Jan 28, 2026
- Fire and ambulance (EMS)The cityLa Grande Fire DepartmentCity of La Grande · Jan 28, 2026
- WaterThe cityCity of La Grande Public WorksCity of La Grande · Jan 28, 2026
- SewerThe cityCity of La Grande Public WorksThe city runs the wastewater treatment plant.City of La Grande · Jan 28, 2026
- StormwaterThe cityCity of La GrandeCity of La Grande · Jan 28, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity of La Grande Public WorksCity of La Grande · Jan 28, 2026
- LibraryThe cityCook Memorial Library (city department)City of La Grande · Jan 28, 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 | GladstoneOR | OntarioOR | La GrandeOR | St HelensOR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 11,865 | 11,957 | 12,985 | 14,450 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $150,972 | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $2,319 | $1,534 | $1,701 | $801 |
| Debt per resident | $624 | $280 | $148 | $2,341 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $583 | $875 | $397 | $834 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 4.7 | 4.7 | 13.3 | 4.8 |
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). Gladstone and St Helens pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What La Grande publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe city posts the FY2026-27 proposed budget and a budget analysis report with adopted amounts on its City Budget Information page. City of La Grande
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineCouncil minutes list each member's yes, no or abstain vote, as for the FY2026-27 budget adoption. City of La Grande
- Partly: Council pay stated in a public documentThe adopted budget shows $6,120 a year in salaries for the 7-member Mayor & Council department. We found no per-member amount. City of La Grande · Jun 4, 2026
- No: Employee pay publishedThe budget lists positions by fund and department. We did not find a posted salary schedule or pay by employee. City of La Grande · Jun 4, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The FY2026-27 budget removed two long-vacant police positions. Under what conditions would the city restore them?
- The city's share of the state pension (PERS) liability was $5.16 million at June 30, 2025. How will rising PERS rates affect the general fund forecast?
The fiscal year starts July 1. The Budget Committee held hearings on the proposed budget May 11-13, 2026. The council held its public hearing and adopted the FY2026-27 budget on June 3, 2026. See who is running for council
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