How Roseburg is run
Who runs Roseburg, 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 Roseburg's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 11, 2026.
Who runs Roseburg
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
- Either party may end the arrangement (mutual release clause)
- City Manager residency requirement waived
- Keeps his PERS police and fire status
Roseburg city staff
178 full-time-equivalent positions, including General fund 161, Water fund 17. FY2026-27 adopted budget (total positions). City of Roseburg · Jun 8, 2026
The city posts a pay scale for non-represented employees and its bargaining agreements. We found no city-published list of pay by employee. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Roseburg 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 message projects general fund revenues to fall $0.98 million to just over $32.6 million, due to a one-time change in tax rolls. Spending is budgeted at $39.78 million, so the ending fund balance falls, but it stays above $10 million, or 25.2% of budget, above the 20% target. City of Roseburg · Jun 8, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $17.5M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: Keep general fund reserves of at least 20% of expenditures. City of Roseburg · Dec 22, 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$20.8M · 42%
- Beginning fund balance$17.2M · 35%
- Licenses, permits and fees$4.4M · 9%
- Interdepartmental charges$4.4M · 9%
- Intergovernmental revenue$817,347 · 2%
- Interest$800,000 · 2%
- Other$1.4M · 3%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$10.7M · 22%
- Fire$10.2M · 20%
- Unappropriated ending fund balance$9M · 18%
- Public works$4.7M · 9%
- Transfers to other funds$3M · 6%
- Parks and recreation$2.5M · 5%
- Finance and management services$2.1M · 4%
- Other (city manager, community development, library, court, capital, contingency)$7.6M · 15%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
About 58 cents of each property-tax dollar goes to the city ($8.48 of $14.67 per $1,000). Oregon's Measure 5 and Measure 50 limits can lower what an owner actually pays.
58¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Roseburg
- City of RoseburgPermanent rate of $8.4774. The city has no bond levy.8.48 · 58%
- School districts5.02 · 34%
- Douglas County1.11 · 8%
- 4H Extension Service0.06 · <1%
- Total ($ per $1,000 of assessed value)14.67
FY2024-25 rates for property in the city of Roseburg (Douglas County). City of Roseburg · Dec 22, 2025
See what a Roseburg home costs each year, line by line →Who provides your services
Not everything in Roseburg is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityRoseburg Police DepartmentCity of Roseburg · Jun 8, 2026
- Fire protectionThe cityRoseburg Fire DepartmentThree fire stations in the city.City of Roseburg · Jun 8, 2026
- Emergency medical servicesThe cityRoseburg Fire DepartmentCity of Roseburg · Dec 22, 2025
- WaterThe cityCity of Roseburg water utilityCity of Roseburg · Jun 8, 2026
- Storm drainageThe cityCity of Roseburg storm drainage utilityCity of Roseburg · Jun 8, 2026
- StreetsThe cityCity of Roseburg Public WorksCity of Roseburg · Jun 8, 2026
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of RoseburgCity of Roseburg · Jun 8, 2026
- LibraryThe cityRoseburg Public LibraryCity of Roseburg · Dec 22, 2025
- AirportThe cityRoseburg Regional Airport (City of Roseburg)City of Roseburg · Jun 8, 2026
- Municipal courtThe cityRoseburg Municipal CourtCity of Roseburg · Dec 22, 2025
- Building permitsThe countyDouglas County Building DepartmentCity of Roseburg · Jun 8, 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 | Klamath FallsOR | MilwaukieOR | RoseburgOR | West LinnOR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 22,111 | 22,114 | 23,693 | 26,567 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $226,455 | Not confirmed | $199,884 | $220,600 |
| Council member pay | $600 | $3,684 | No salary | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $10,153 | $3,241 | $2,102 | $2,829 |
| Debt per resident | $2,465 | $2,426 | $89 | $1,328 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $801 | $961 | $1,078 | $705 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 7.2 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 5.2 |
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). Klamath Falls and Milwaukie and West Linn pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Roseburg 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 Roseburg
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineCouncil minutes in the agenda packets list how each councilor voted on each motion. City of Roseburg · Sep 2, 2026
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe city's council page says the Mayor and Council are non-salaried, volunteer positions. City of Roseburg
- Partly: Employee pay publishedThe city posts a non-represented employee pay scale for FY2026/2027 and bargaining agreements. We found no list of pay by employee. City of Roseburg
Questions to ask your council
- Unassigned general fund balance was $17.5 million on June 30, 2025, after $2.6 million of one-time ARPA money moved into the general fund. How much of that balance will the FY2026-27 budget use?
- The FY2026-27 budget plans a $9.03 million unappropriated ending balance in a $49.8 million general fund. How will the city keep reserves above its 20% target in later years?
- Police and fire are budgeted at $10.7 million and $10.2 million in FY2026-27, while property taxes bring in $20.8 million. How will public safety costs be paid for as they grow?
- The city's share of the Oregon PERS net pension liability was $25.5 million on June 30, 2025. How will rising PERS rates affect the general fund?
The fiscal year runs July 1 to June 30. The Budget Committee met starting May 6, 2026. The City Council held the budget hearing and adopted the budget on June 8, 2026. See who is running for council
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