La Grande posts budget notice for 2026-27 fiscal year review

La Grande residents will get their first formal chance to weigh in on next year’s city spending when the Budget Committee meets May 11-13 at 6 p.m. at Cook Memorial Library, 1000 Adams Avenue. The city posted its notice April 21, putting the proposed 2026-27 budget for the city, its urban renewal district, and the general, enterprise and special funds on the public calendar.

The posting is brief, but it marks the start of the budget process that decides where local dollars are likely to go next year. For Union County, that means a closer look at the city services people rely on every day, from staffing and public safety support to streets, utilities, parks and the urban renewal priorities that shape downtown and corridor investment.

The city’s budget calendar shows the proposed budgets were available to Budget Committee members April 22, with a second notice scheduled for April 29. A separate hearing date is set for June 3 for budget public hearing notices and state revenue sharing notices. The Budget Committee is made up of the City Council and seven members of the public, giving local residents a direct seat in the process before final decisions are locked in.

Urban renewal will again be part of the discussion. The La Grande Urban Renewal Agency says it supports downtown growth and revitalization, and a February retreat summary said the agency plans a largely status-quo operational approach for fiscal year 2026-27 while staff develops a five-plus-year sunset plan. That makes this budget more than a routine accounting step. It is also part of the city’s longer conversation about how long the urban renewal district should continue and what it should fund.

That question matters because urban renewal money is already tied to projects. The 2026 Call for Projects accepted applications from March 9 through May 15, and funding depends on approval and adoption of the 2026-27 budget. The packet says one project can receive up to 50% of total costs, capped at $75,000, while a separate business park incentive can reach as high as $425,000 for eligible new construction in the La Grande Business and Technology Park.

Last year’s budget cycle showed how large the stakes can be. The proposed 2025-26 general fund budget carried more than $13 million in estimated revenues and more than $19 million in estimated expenditures, with nearly 63% of the general fund, excluding ARPA money, going to employment costs. The urban renewal budget included $350,000 for call-for-projects funding, $75,000 for facade grants, $500,000 for an agency-initiated project and $425,000 for business park-related project funding, alongside $40,000 transfers each to the Economic Development Department and La Grande Main Street Downtown.

The city’s budget records also show an urban renewal district increment value request of $44,604,028, underscoring how closely redevelopment money is tied to the tax base. With the April 21 notice now posted, La Grande’s next spending plan is officially in public view, and the hearings in May will determine how much of it stays that way.