Strategic Plan

Mission (the City’s purpose for being)

To foster a safe, thriving, and welcoming community for all.

Vision (our shared idea of the future)

Gresham is a vibrant, inclusive and resilient community where everyone can share in economic prosperity, enjoy connection and belonging, and live a high-quality life.

Guiding principles (expectations for City decision-making and service delivery)

• Diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Stewardship of resources
• Authentic engagement
• Innovative and adaptive
• Trustworthy and accountable

Strategic priorities (our focus)

• Financial sustainability
• Community safety
• Thriving economy
• Housing for all
• Community vibrancy

Goal (where we’re headed)

Gresham’s different revenue sources provide the City organization with a fair and stable foundation that adapts to change and challenges. This is to deliver consistent and new services to support the community’s needs and desires now and into the future.

Objectives (what we’ll focus on to get there)

• Implement a Financial Road Map that supports budget needs long-term, responsible care of City resources, and the vision and goals of the Strategic Plan.
• Put in place a plan to share more financial information with the community. Celebrate the City’s accomplishments while communicating the costs to keep basic services.

Success measures (how we’ll know we’re successful)

• Meet the City’s Financial Road Map revenue targets each year. Measured annually.
• Achieve the highest rating from a yearly third-party financial audit. Measured annually.

Gresham Financial Road Map

Goal (where we’re headed)

Gresham is a safe and resilient place. The City works to reduce risk, harm and violence and meet the community’s needs. And, in partnership with the public, produces solutions around crime prevention and intervention.

Objectives (what we’ll focus on to get there)

• Explore creative ways to supply community safety that maintain core service levels, adapt to community needs, and public safety best practices.
• Develop a public safety relationship with the community to build rapport and trust.
• Improve livability and increase the community’s sense of safety and security.
• Enhance safety around the city’s streets, parks, neighborhoods, and transportation networks. Use crime prevention design to reduce harm and improve safety for all.
• Strengthen the City’s ability to withstand natural disasters and deal with climate change and water resources. Develop and carry out plans to respond to and recover from future threats and challenges.

Success measures (how we’ll know we’re successful)

• Decrease in the crime rate. Measured annually.
• Decrease in traffic, bicycle and people on foot accidents, injuries and deaths. Measured annually.
• Increase the community’s level of trust in City government; via a future community survey. Measured every two years.
• Increase in community’s feelings of safety; via a future community survey. Measured every two years.

Goal (where we’re headed)

Gresham creates greater opportunities for economic well-being and shared wealth for all.

Objectives (what we’ll focus on to get there)

• Promote economic growth by supporting business owners, creating partnerships, and developing a strong local workforce.
• Develop creative ways to keep existing businesses and recruit new ones with a focus on the diversity of business owners.
• Use data, research and engagement to better understand the needs of Gresham’s diverse business community. Provide culturally relevant resources. Celebrate and enhance the cultural richness of our business community.
• Lay the groundwork for economic opportunity and mobility for all by prioritizing long-term planning to support future development.
• Develop and start an equitable poverty reduction and prevention plan to address the root causes of poverty and improve overall community wealth.

Success measures (how we’ll know we’re successful)

• Increase in average wage or salary. Measured annually.
• Increase in new jobs. Measured annually.
• Increase in jobs providing a living wage. Measured annually.

Goal (where we’re headed)

Everyone in Gresham can live in a secure and reliable place they call home, and no one experiences housing uncertainty. All Gresham community members can access housing that meets their changing needs and wants.

Objectives (what we’ll focus on to get there)

• Provide resources to those experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity through collaboration and partnership with other government agencies, nonprofits and the private sector.
• Promote and support housing development that is affordable to the Gresham community across all housing types.
• Serve as a community partner to support housing stability by providing access to tools and resources.

Success measures (how we’ll know we’re successful)

• Decrease in percentage of people experiencing chronic homelessness. Measured annually.
• Decrease in percentage of households paying more than 30 percent of income on rental housing. Measured annually.

Goal (where we’re headed)

Community members and visitors come and find a wide choice of activities and opportunities to enjoy recreation and nature. We celebrate Gresham’s many cultures and vibrant neighborhoods. Community events bring us together and build a shared sense of belonging.

Objectives (what we’ll focus on to get there)

• Support and host community events that nurture community pride, celebrate diversity and build Gresham’s reputation as a destination city.
• Support and increase a mix of recreational, arts, and cultural programming for youth and adults to foster community well-being for everyone.
• Promote connection for community members, both social and physical, to meet everyone’s needs regardless of physical ability, language, digital access, etc.
• Prioritize long-range planning that supports designing and building quality community gathering spaces, public or private. Create welcoming and inclusive environments with amenities for all.
• Maintain the quality of Gresham’s natural resources and increase public access to parks and natural areas for recreation and enjoyment.

Success measures (how we’ll know we’re successful)

• Increase in the number and variety of amenities available to the community. Measured annually.
• Increase in the number of City-hosted or City-sponsored community events. Measured annually.
• Increase in the percentage of households that live within a half-mile distance from a developed neighborhood or community park. Measured at the beginning and end of the Strategic Plan cycle, every three years.
• Increase the participation in City recreational programming. Measured annually.
• Increase in community members’ sense of belonging; via a future community survey. Measured every two years.