How North Bend is run
Who runs North Bend, 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 North Bend's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs North Bend
A city administrator appointed by the council manages the city day to day. The council, a mayor and six councilors, passes laws, adopts the budget and supervises the administrator.
What they are paid
- $750 a month vehicle allowance
- Four weeks of paid vacation a year
- City pays both the employer and employee PERS contributions
North Bend city staff
74 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 23, Fire 12, Library 8, Wastewater 7. FY2026-27 budget. City of North Bend · Jun 23, 2026
The budget posts hourly pay ranges by job title. The administrator is paid by contract. We found no list of pay by employee. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is North Bend 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 city's five-year forecast shows general fund spending above revenue every year, with the gap growing to $1.08 million in FY2031-32. It projects the fund balance at $2.6 million in 2030, the point where the city may not have enough to run from July until property taxes arrive in November. The FY27 budget assumes voters raise the Public Safety Fee from $15 to $20 a month. City of North Bend · Jun 23, 2026
Savings
Unassigned general fund balance: $3.4M (2024-06-30). City of North Bend · Mar 25, 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
- Property taxes$5.2M · 44%
- Beginning balance carried in$4.4M · 37%
- Franchise fees$1.5M · 12%
- State-shared revenue (liquor, marijuana, cigarette taxes, revenue sharing)$365,822 · 3%
- Interest$151,400 · 1%
- Other$337,700 · 3%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Transfer to Public Safety Fund (police and fire)$4.8M · 40%
- Unappropriated ending balance (kept, not spent)$4.5M · 37%
- Citywide shared costs, contingency and other transfers$698,899 · 6%
- Parks$675,959 · 6%
- Finance$406,193 · 3%
- Public Works$403,178 · 3%
- Administration$369,006 · 3%
- Other (City Hall, City Council)$162,583 · 1%
Who provides your services
Not everything in North Bend is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityNorth Bend Police DepartmentCity of North Bend · Jun 23, 2026
- Fire and EMSThe cityNorth Bend Fire DepartmentA fire-based EMS department staffed by career and volunteer firefighters.City of North Bend · Jun 23, 2026
- SewerThe cityNorth Bend Wastewater DepartmentCity of North Bend · Jun 23, 2026
- StormwaterThe cityCity of North BendCity of North Bend · Jun 23, 2026
- StreetsThe cityNorth Bend Street DepartmentMaintains over 55 miles of paved roadway.City of North Bend · Jun 23, 2026
- ParksThe cityNorth Bend Parks and Facilities DepartmentNine city parks and several boat ramps.City of North Bend · Jun 23, 2026
- Swimming poolThe cityCity of North BendCity of North Bend · Jun 23, 2026
- WaterAnother agencyCoos Bay-North Bend Water BoardOwned jointly and equally by the cities of Coos Bay and North Bend. Each city appoints two board members.City of North Bend · Mar 25, 2025
- Building and planningThe cityNorth Bend Public Works DepartmentCity of North Bend · Jun 23, 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 | North BendOR | Lincoln CityOR | IndependenceOR | Sweet HomeOR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 9,966 | 10,117 | 10,195 | 10,308 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not current (2023) | $154,510 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $1,201 | $2,469 | $978 | $760 |
| Debt per resident | $309 | $1,434 | $3,236 | $1,001 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $790 | $1,551 | $704 | $216 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 7.5 | 16.1 | — | 6.5 |
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 pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What North Bend 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 North Bend
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe FY27 budget states that council members are paid a $25 stipend per meeting. City of North Bend · Jun 23, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay publishedThe budget lists hourly pay steps by job title. We found no list of pay by employee. City of North Bend · Jun 23, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The five-year forecast shows general fund spending above revenue every year, with a gap of $1.08 million by FY2031-32. What new revenue or cuts will close it?
- The FY27 budget assumes the Public Safety Fee rises from $15 to $20 a month. What changes for police and fire if voters do not approve it?
- The latest audit posted covers the year ended June 30, 2024. When will the FY2024-25 audit be published?
The fiscal year starts July 1. The budget committee met May 18 and 19, 2026 to approve the proposed budget. The council held the budget hearing and adopted the FY2026-27 budget on June 23, 2026. See who is running for council
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