Bill Monahan, a former Tigard city manager now running for mayor, wants the city to audit its 20-year-old City Center Urban Renewal Program, arguing it cannot deliver on promises made to voters.
In an opinion piece published Friday, Sept. 11, on Tigard Life, Monahan wrote that the program appears "administratively top-heavy and unlikely to complete major capital projects soon."
He urged the city to plan for the program's scheduled 2035 closure rather than seek another voter-approved debt increase.
Tigard voters first approved the program in May 2006 through Measure 34-114, which authorized tax increment financing for downtown improvements and capped debt at $22 million.
Voters expanded the program by 37.7 acres in 2017. In 2021, they raised the debt ceiling by $20.8 million to $42.8 million. That measure also extended the program's timeline to 2035.
The 2021 vote passed with about 64% support, though turnout was under 26%.
The ballot statement promised the additional funds would support new downtown streets, Universal Plaza Phase 2, a parking facility, trail improvements along Fanno Creek and the Tigard Heritage Trail, affordable housing, pedestrian safety upgrades and land acquisition for mixed-use development.
Monahan wrote that none of the planned new streets appear to have been built or scheduled.
He called Universal Plaza Phase 2 "hard to justify while some Phase 1 features remain inoperable."
The city has not publicly addressed that characterization.
Citing the June 30, 2025, financial report, Monahan wrote that nearly 28% of available City Center capital project funds go to administration.
He described that as more than triple the share spent on administration for Tigard Triangle urban renewal projects.
He also wrote that the program diverts more than $217,000 in property taxes from the city and more than $827,000 from other taxing agencies each year.
Monahan acknowledged the program has had some success, including improvements to Main Street, new housing, storefront upgrades and new businesses downtown.
Monahan served as Tigard's city manager from 1994 to 2005 and later as Milwaukie's city manager from 2010 to 2016.
He is challenging appointed incumbent Mayor Yi-Kang Hu. The general election is Nov. 3.
No response from the city or Hu's office regarding Monahan's claims appeared in public records as of publication.
The Town Center Development Agency, which oversees Tigard's urban renewal programs, is composed of City Council members. No TCDA board meeting addressing the City Center program's future has been publicly scheduled. Residents can find the agency's meeting calendar and contact information on the city of Tigard's website.
