Across the Portland area, some local governments are still years behind on basic financial checkups, leaving residents without up-to-date, official answers about how their tax dollars are being spent. Small cities, special districts and a handful of charter schools make up much of the delinquent crowd, and local officials say digging out of the backlog is slow, costly work that is again raising questions about how Oregon enforces fiscal transparency.
State Numbers Show How Big the Backlog Is
As of December 2025, the Secretary of State reported 238 public entities statewide with one or more missing financial reports, a decline from 385 in May 2025 but still well above historical norms, according to the Oregon Secretary of State. The list sweeps in…..