What is the specific cash match percentage for a city with 6,000 residents applying for a school safety grant?
Short answer
Under Oregon Senate Bill 1585, an incorporated city with a population of 6,000 is required to provide a cash match of not greater than 7% of the project’s total costs for school safety improvement grants. This rate replaces the previous standard requirement of 40% for all applicants.
What the bill or law says
Senate Bill 1585 establishes tiered matching fund requirements for small incorporated cities based on their population size. The law uses the most recent federal decennial census to determine eligibility Enrolled Bill Text, Section 1.
For school safety improvement projects administered by the Oregon Transportation Commission, the bill specifies different caps depending on population brackets. Section 1(3)(b) states that incorporated cities with a population greater than 5,000 but not greater than 7,500 may be required to provide a cash match of not greater than 7% of the project’s costs Enrolled Bill Text, Section 1. Since a population of 6,000 falls squarely within this range, the 7% cap applies.
How it works in practice
Before this law took effect, any applicant for a school safety grant had to provide a cash match of at least 40% of the project’s total costs Enrolled Bill Text, Section 1. For a small city with limited tax revenue, raising 40% of the funds upfront could prevent them from applying for state assistance entirely.
With the new 7% cap, a city of 6,000 residents retains more of its local budget for other needs while still accessing state funds for critical infrastructure. For example, on a $500,000 project to improve pedestrian crossings near a school, the city would now contribute up to $35,000 instead of $200,000. The bill also allows these cities to use the grant money for all phases of the project, including engineering and planning, rather than just construction Enrolled Bill Text, Section 1.
What the source does not answer
The enrolled bill text does not specify whether the 7% figure is a fixed rate or a maximum cap that agencies might lower further through rulemaking. While Section 1(3)(c) allows the commission to reduce the amount an applicant must provide, it does not detail the criteria for such reductions Enrolled Bill Text, Section 1. Additionally, the document does not provide data on how many cities currently fall into the 5,001 to 7,500 population bracket or the total financial impact on the state’s grant funds.