Nine months into his tenure, Tigard Mayor Yi-Kang Hu says he won't back another facilities bond until the city proves it can listen.

In an interview conducted June 23 and published July 8, by Tigard Life, Hu reflected on steering a city of nearly 60,000 residents through a $6.5 million general fund deficit and the stinging rejection of a $150 million bond for a joint police and public works campus.

More than 60% of voters said no on Tuesday, May 19, according to Oregon Capital Chronicle reporting.

"The one lesson we learned from the bond is that we really need to be transparent," Hu told reporter Ben Santarris. "We need to reach out to people, listen to people, get community feedback, and when we work on big projects, like a bond, we need to work with the people, not ahead of the people."

Hu said he knocked on hundreds of doors during the spring bond campaign. Residents asked why the price tag was $150 million, whether it could be cheaper, whether it could be funded differently, and why police and public works needed to share one campus.

He said he had pushed early in the planning process for a citizens' advisory panel but was rebuffed. As mayor, he intends to require one before any new proposal advances.

What comes next on facilities

City staff will hold a first discussion on regrouping over the police and public works problem at the next council meeting. Hu cautioned that any alternative proposal will take many additional months to solidify.

He also pledged he won't support a new bond until the city clearly explains what it plans to do with existing facilities, a question he said mattered to voters.

The original proposal was sized to last 40 to 50 years, Hu said, but a scaled-back version might require voters to approve an expansion in 10 to 15 years.

Budget squeeze and the library cut

The council closed the $6.5 million deficit in spring 2026. One high-profile cut: not renewing funding for a temporary social services coordinator at the Tigard Public Library. Hu defended the decision, saying the library still offers the longest hours in Washington County.

He framed the budget broadly as a balancing act. Residents feel squeezed by the cost of living, he said, while the cost of delivering city services keeps climbing.

New city manager, new stability

The fiscal work falls to new permanent City Manager Brian Rager, confirmed by council vote on Tuesday, July 7. Rager has worked for Tigard since 1996 and served as acting city manager since March after a succession that saw four people in the role over roughly 18 months.

Hu, an attorney who handles food and drug matters, moved to Tigard more than 20 years ago for the equal commute to his legal work in Portland and his husband Abram's work at Intel in Hillsboro. He is Tigard's first Asian, immigrant, and openly gay mayor, appointed Oct. 7, 2025.

For relaxation, he bicycles around town, walks in Cook Park, and splurges on Taiwanese food at Din Tai Fung in Washington Square.

The next Tigard City Council meeting is Tuesday, July 28. Residents can attend in person or watch the livestream on the city's website.