The Clackamas County Soil and Water Conservation District’s Board of Directors appointed General Manager Tom Salzer to serve as Budget Officer for the fiscal year 2015-2016 budget. The District is required to follow Oregon Local Budget Law in the development, approval, and adoption of the budget, because the District receives a voter-approved property tax levy.
Following is the summary message released on March 22, 2015 by Budget Officer Salzer. The complete budget message and the proposed budget are available as downloads below. The Budget Committee will meet on March 24, 2015 to receive these budget documents.
The 2015-2016 fiscal year begins July 1, 2015 and ends June 30, 2016.
Budget Message Summary
The District is primarily funded by a property tax levy
In 2006, voters authorized a property tax levy to fund our services to Clackamas County constituents.
We are doing the things we promised voters we would do
We are helping people conserve our vital natural resources, and we are investing more funds in on-the-ground conservation actions. The combination of stable funding, dedicated professional staff, solid management, and a deeply engaged Board of Directors allows us to consistently deliver high-quality service within Clackamas County.
We are recognized as a regional leader in conservation
Our work is widely recognized through participation in local and regional forums and by our many partners. Our people participate at all levels in Oregon’s conservation delivery system.
Our financial operations are sound and transparent
Audits of the District have identified no significant problems. Our internal controls help assure the safety of public funds under our stewardship. We operate transparently: meetings of the Board of Directors are public and minutes are published regularly. We also publish monthly financial transactions so our constituents can see where we are spending money.
Budgeting balances revenue and expenditures in order to meet the District’s goals
The budget shows what it costs to operate the District, to deliver services to our constituents, and to invest in long-term conservation actions. It shows how we plan to invest funds in on-the-ground conservation actions that align with the District’s conservation priorities.
We add staff to better serve our constituents
For this proposed budget, we add a conservation planner to increase our ability to serve our farm constituents, and we add an education specialist increase the quantity and quality of information we provide to the public.
We hold the line on other services
In other areas of the budget, we maintain the technical help we provide and our financial assistance program. We focus more on loans this year and we anticipate a new program to help people in the Clackamas River watershed repair failing septic systems.
On behalf of the Clackamas County Soil and Water Conservation District, I’m pleased to present the budget proposed for fiscal year 2015-2016.
Tom Salzer, Budget Officer