Sherwood City Council Recap | August 4, 2026

SHERWOOD, Ore. — The Sherwood City Council met Tuesday, August 4 for its regularly scheduled meeting following a work session.

Mayor Tim Rosener and Councilors Keith Mays, Doug Scott, Taylor Giles, Dan Standke, and Renee Brouse were present. Council President Kim Young was absent.

There was no public comment.

The next council session is scheduled for Tuesday, August 18.

Transient lodging tax

There was a first reading of three public hearings. These included amending the Sherwood Municipal Code to increase the city’s transient lodging tax, expand membership of the Youth Advisory Board, and establish a commercial public safety fee.

The city’s local lodging tax applies to visitors to local hotels or transient lodging like Airbnbs. In 2019, Sherwood adopted a transient lodging tax of 3%. This amendment would increase this tax to 5% on October 1, 2026, and to 6% on October 1, 2027.

The increase is expected to generate about $107,000 in additional revenue the first year, and $160,000 in the following years. According to ORS 320, the funds may be used for city services, tourism promotion or tourism-related facilities, and related administration costs.

“It’s one of the ways cities can raise taxes on tourism,” Mayor Rosener said. “We’re not like other states like Washington, we don’t have income tax, so it’s helpful.’ 

There was no public comment. The second reading is slated for September 1.

Youth Advisory Board

The purpose of the Youth Advisory Board is to educate, engage, and empower young residents by providing a meaningful platform for involvement in local government and community initiatives.

Currently, there are seven fixed members of this board, but the amendment proposes increasing membership to a range up to 12 members. It also proposes clarifying quorum to half of membership plus one, and adjusting terms from one or two years up to three years or two months after the member completed high school.

Finn McEvoy is a member of the Youth Advisory Board.

“I think this is a great change in regard to broadening the board to be 12 members because I think that allows for more diversified perspectives, and allows for more groups to be heard,” McEvoy said.

A second reading is slated for September 1.

Commercial public safety fee

Establishing a commercial public safety fee on non-residential properties in Sherwood is intended to provide dedicated funding for police services.

According to City staff, Sherwood faces ongoing challenges in funding public safety services due to limitations on property tax revenues and police service costs rising with personnel, equipment, and operational needs. This approach focuses the new fee on business properties that generate significant demand for police services while avoiding an additional charge on residential utility customers.

No rate is currently set. The amount of the Commercial Public Safety Fee, any category-based rate differentials, any minimum charge, any maximum cap on ESUs or total fee, and any related methodology shall be set by City Council resolution. Money in the Commercial Public Safety Fund shall be used for the purposes of City police services as determined each year during the budget process.

“We do see a lot of police activity in our commercial districts dealing with shoplifting,” Rosener said. “We're trying to be thoughtful about where we're generating revenue based on the need.”

The new fee would take effect January 1, 2027. There was no public comment, and a second reading is slated for September 1.

Public contracting rules

There was a second reading of a public hearing on amending the City’s public contracting rules. The changes are intended to shift Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance requirements to contractors and help insulate the City from liability.

Although the code was last updated in May 2023, changing thresholds in Oregon law and regulatory requirements under ADA may make an update prudent in order to enhance administrative efficiency and reduce liability.

The amendments raise small procurements to $25,000 (from $10,000) and intermediate procurements to $250,000 (from $150,000) in accordance with updated state statutes. Also, the city manager may execute contracts under $250,000 without city council approval.

There was no public comment, and the city council approved the amendment.

Consent agenda

In other news Tuesday, the city council reappointed three people to the Sherwood Cultural Arts Commission: Jane Parisi-Mosher, Lester Nishimura, and Elizabeth Flores.