REDMOND, OR -- Redmond Mayor George Endicott delievered his annual "State of the City" addres Wednesday, and says Redmond is headed in the right direction. He said the city has recouped the $5 million reserve officials were forced to dip into during the recession, and property tax revenue is up 7% over last year. Endicott says his concern now is to keep spending in check. "Our economy has gotten healthy. The one thing we really need to watch is that we don't get too carried away. Redmond is very conservative, and I'd even use the word 'frugal,' in the way we spend money. So, we need to make sure we remember that we're taxpayers, too."
City Hall is expected to move into the former Evergreen Elementary building in a year and a half. Endicott says that process so far has been smooth. He noted the city is looking for an entertainment company to purchase the current city hall building.
Mayor Endicott also discussed recent business growth in the area, saying he wants to make sure it continues. "The city does not create jobs- You hear a lot of cities claim that. We create an environment to create jobs. Our job is to help all those people that want to have a business, want to serve people, that we make their life easier." He says he expects the development of businesses like Nosler and Medline will continue to bring more job opportunities in the next year.
Despite the good news, he says heroin use in the city is on the rise, while overall crime and other drug-related offenses are moving in a more positive direction. "We've had a steady decrease, it turns out, in crime in Redmond. We are above the national average, but we're gaining on it, and our [police] chief says his goal is to make us the safest city." Another of his of his main safety goals is to improve the South Highway 97 corridor, which has seen several serious traffic crashes in recent months.
Redmond now claims 17% of Deschutes County's total population, up from 12% in 2000.
