The Marion County Board of Commissioners meets Wednesday to consider approving the county’s 2023 federal agenda.
The federal agenda guides the county in this year’s lobbying to the federal government for funding and policy changes.
The document estimates it would cost a total of $88.95 million for county projects in the Santiam Canyon, including $70 million for developing wastewater systems in Detroit, Idanha, Mill City and Gates. The rest would help pay for improvements to the Canyon’s Northwest Natural pipeline, restoring its public safety radio system and redeveloping county parks.
The federal agenda estimates the county would need a total $92.3 million for road projects, which include rebuilding the Aurora-Donald Interchange and replacing seven Marion County bridges.
It also calls for $9 million to equip every officer of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office with body-worn cameras.
The board will also consider adding $866,000 to a contract with the Oregon Health Authority for operating public health services, such as disease prevention and education, through June. The new contract would total about $20 million.
There will also be a public hearing Wednesday to consider changes to Marion County’s urban and rural zone codes.
Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.
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Meeting details: The commissioners meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday in the Senator Hearing Room at 555 Court Street N.E. Anyone can sign up to give public comment in-person at the meeting. The meeting is streamed live on YouTube.
Ardeshir Tabrizian has covered criminal justice and housing for Salem Reporter since September 2021. As an Oregon native, his award-winning watchdog journalism has traversed the state. He has done reporting for The Oregonian, Eugene Weekly and Malheur Enterprise.
