Relying on loans intended to eliminate blight and increase the tax base within the Urban Renewal District (URD), members of the Pendleton Development Commission (the city council), have elected to use those loans to provide grants for businesses whose welfare has been adversely affected by the COVID-19 virus. That’s only within the district. Denying assistance to those outside the district amplifies the discriminatory nature of the URD program. If any grant funding were made available to those outside the district, it would have to come from the city’s general fund, and that’s not happening.

Our governor has wisely informed all state departments to expect a 17% reduction in budgets due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In planning our city’s next budget, rather than err on the side of caution, our city management has elected to maintain the status quo and base expenditures on past history. This means some department budgets will actually see budget increases despite plunging revenue forecasts.

Reduced revenue from the convention and recreation centers, no revenue from a proposed gas tax, the fact that no city employees have been furloughed, and using terms like “status quo” and “past history” just doesn’t seem to pencil out. I guess they’re basing our future on increased “pot” revenue.

We all heard the announcement that the airport will be receiving that $16.9 million. They mentioned the debt owed the other city funds would be all repaid and the airport operating totally in the black. Funny how they failed to mention all that red ink created to install new airport water system will still be repaid by those increased water rates that residents have been complaining about. You can rest easy though, the mayor has assured us that our rates are just fine, so don’t expect any relief.

It seems that if a business is not willing to relocate to the downtown area or the airport, city officials are simply not interested in providing any support to those effected by COVID-19. Residents would be better served if city officials would quit frittering away taxpayer funds in support of ineffective organizations like the downtown associations that spring up from time to time, and concentrate on addressing issues like the Edwards Apartments. Better yet, give Saj Jivanjee the heave-ho for the failure of the Pendleton Heights project to come to fruition. It’s especially shameful the way this project, now near a decade old, continues to be mishandled by our elected officials.

Don’t forget to vote.

Rick Rohde

Pendleton