Voters with power!

But not in Lake Oswego

In most cities this would not happen.  City councils do not like to give up their power to create urban renewal districts.  Is it just the trouble of a vote?  The loss of complete control?  Or a distrust of the ability of citizens to come to the "right" decision?

Creation of, expansion, or spending on urban renewal in Lake Oswego's urban renewal districts can be decided by a vote of the residents - a real vote, not just an advisory one - if the City Council made a change in the City Charter.  Why hasn't this happened?

Why do citizens have to take power away from government and reclaim it for themselves?  Shouldn't this be the norm?

Tigard City Council approves urban renewal plan for Triangle

Tigard Times, December 14, 2016. By Mark Miller

The council's actions Tuesday paved the way for a May election on whether to create an urban renewal district for the Tigard Triangle and expand an existing area downtown.

Tigard took a major step Tuesday toward holding votes in May that would bring almost 586 more acres of land in the city into urban renewal areas. 

The Tigard City Council voted to accept an urban renewal plan for the Tigard Triangle — an area bounded by Highway 99W to the north, Highway 217 to the west and Interstate 5 to the east — as well as a "substantial amendment" to its one existing urban renewal plan, which covers the city center. 

The Tigard Triangle Urban Renewal Area would be nearly 548 acres in size, dwarfing the City Center Urban Renewal Area. The amendment that received the council's nod Tuesday would expand the existing urban renewal area by about 37.7 acres. 

In Tigard, voters must approve urban renewal plans and substantial amendments, defined as an expansion by more than 1 percent of the total area of an urban renewal district, before they take effect. The soonest that vote could happen is in May.