Bend homeowners may be asked to pay $10-$15 per month on their utility bills to help cover the city’s Transportation System Plan. That’s the preliminary look at rates being considered ahead of a series of public roundtables.
The fee would be charged starting in the summer of 2024.
The city says the fee is needed because everyone relies on the transportation system for things like mail and food delivery, garbage pickup, bus routes and more.
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In a document provided by the City, the first look estimate puts the monthly rate on a single-family residence at $10-$15 per month. A multi-family unit fee would cost $7-$12 per month.
A chart from the City shows the cost would put Bend on par with cities like Lake Oswego, West Linn, Oregon City, Wilsonville and Corvallis.
For non-residential customers, the first-look estimate puts them at $140-$215 per month. Fee structure for those could look at things like economic impact, square footage, number of parking spaces and number of employees.
Bend City Council roundtables are planned for Aug. 9, Sept. 13 and possibly Oct. 11.
The City says roundtable discussions will cover program recommendations from the Transportation System Plan, community priorities, rate tolerance and uses of revenues.
The first roundtable on Wednesday, Aug. 9, will be from 9:30 a.m. – noon at the Pilot Butte Fire Station. Because of limited meeting room space, the public is asked to watch the livestream on YouTube.
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