Tigard has changed over the last decade, and a good part of the credit goes to City Manager Marty Wine, who is leaving Oct. 16. For almost nine years she has worked with three mayors, multiple City Council members and many department heads and staff members to lead the city through growth and challenges.
“I let the City Council know in August that I wouldn’t be renewing my employment contract,” said Wine, who started the job Dec. 1, 2011. “We have done a lot together, but it is time for us to start new chapters.”
According to the city press release announcing her departure, under Wine’s leadership, Tigard established a permanent water supply, improved its financially stability, worked to bring light rail to the city, established the Tigard Triangle Urban Renewal Area, managed growth and development in the city, and strengthened regional partnerships.
Mayor Jason Snider praised Wine, saying, “Together we have set the city on a course for Tigard’s future to be strong. Marty has managed the business of the city well, and the council and I wish her the best in her next chapter.”
Wine said that she is passionate about how local government can have a positive influence on people’s lives, and while she is proud that “great things have happened in Tigard, it is not due to one person. It is a community/team effort.”
One example is downtown Tigard, with Wine noting, “The Downtown Alliance was not in place when I started, and there was no plan to improve the area, but it all came together.” She credited downtown business owners for their leadership and the Tigard Area Chamber of Commerce for getting grants for banners and benches. Wine said she appreciates the gateway art downtown, which is “something that our urban renewal district funded.”
Plans for the Lake Oswego-Tigard Water Partnership, which gives Tigard its own water rights to the Clackamas River instead of purchasing water from the City of Portland, were in the works when Wine joined the city. “The partnership insured Tigard ratepayers’ rates would not continue to go up, it gave the city a secure water supply, and it put infrastructure in place for a generation,” she said.
“The partnerships Tigard has built are really important, and the collaboration with Washington County and cities has only gotten stronger. And Tigard has been nurturing economic development. The business base in Tigard is strong and is getting stronger. There is growth on our western edge in River Terrace, and early next year Tigard will apply to Metro to expand its urban growth boundary to the south and west. There will be continued expansion west of Roy Rogers Road.”
All in all, “there is still a lot ahead for Tigard, although there are fiscal and financial stresses facing all cities,” said Wine, noting that the city only gets 17 cents out of every tax dollar paid.
Tigard, with a population of about 54,000, is the 13th largest city in Oregon, and “any city of 50,000 is going to have problems with crime and homelessness,” Wine said. “And there are some gems in Tigard, such as our parks and trails, but the challenges are keeping up with them. It’s one thing to purchase land, but then you have to develop and maintain it. In 2014 the city adopted a strategic plan to make Tigard a more bikeable, walkable city, and is updating its Transportation System Plan.”
Tigard has about 330 employees, with one-third working in the two City Hall buildings, “and COVID-19 has proven we can work remotely,” Wine said. “With city staff working 10 hours per day Monday through Thursday, that schedule has given us flexibility, which has been a big benefit and proven we can still serve the public.”
Speaking of her time in Tigard, Wine said, “I am really grateful for the experience of keeping the city moving forward in a lot of ways. Tigard is a great city with a talented staff who does great work and cares about the people who live here. And the residents are engaged and involved in their city government. We have 75 community members volunteering to serve on boards and commissions, and seven people are running for City Council.”
Assistant City Manager Kathy Nyland will take over for Wine until a permanent replacement is hired; Wine accepted a job offer in mid-September for the city manager position in the city of Monmouth, located just west of Salem and the home of Western Oregon University.
Monmouth Mayor Cec Koontz said of Wine, “We are fortunate to have found someone of Marty’s talent, experience and reputation for excellence in city administration. She indicated she was interested in a smaller city, a place where she could do interesting work and become more deeply connected to the community. I am proud that she sees that opportunity here in Monmouth. We look forward to having her lead our outstanding city staff into the future.”
Wine is the immediate past president of the Oregon City/County Management Association, and prior to coming to Tigard, she was the assistant chief administrative officer for the City of Renton, Wash., for more than five years. “Almost all my jobs have been public sector, including the one in Renton,” she said.
