Demographics

Population
	1990	2000	2005	2006
City of Vale	1,491	1,976	1,990	2,050
Malheur County	26,038	31,615	31,800	31,725

Sources: 1990, 2000 US Census; 2205, 2006 Center for Population Research and Census, Portland State University. 0 indicates data is unavailable.

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Malheur County	9,926 sq miles	3	persons/sq mile	Sources: figures based on 2006 PSU population estimates;
				Oregon Bluebook county square mileage

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Community Age Groups

	1970	1980	1990	2000
Under 5 years	0	115	122	161
5-19 years	0	330	300	517
20-44 years	0	330	438	658
45-64 years	0	788	266	359
65+ years	0	325	326	281
Median Age	31	0	35	32.3

Source: US Census, 0 or N/A indicates data is not available. Median value is the middle value, not an average.

Housing

Total Housing Units	1970	1980	1990	2000	Median Value of Owner-Occupied Housing, 2000
City of Vale	390	550	630	730	$67,300
Malheur County	5,896	9,083	10,649	11,233	$86,900

City of Vale 2000 Housing Breakout:						Also visit Housing and Community Services Web Site:
Vacancy Rate:	9.73%		Median Owner Cost			http://www.hcs.state.or.us/
Owner Occupied:	1,059		(mortgaged):	$665
Renter Occupied:	562		Median Gross Rent:	$411

Source: US Census. Median value is the middle value, not an average.

Economic Development and Employment

Principal Industries of the County(ies):
Malheur County—Agriculture, livestock, food processing

Source: Oregon Employment Department, Covered Employment and Payroll Reports, 1998

Agricultural Products of the Area (Top 3 largest gross farm sales):
Malheur County—Cattle and calves, field crops, vegetable crops

Source: Oregon State University, Extension Economic Information Office

Total Number of Manufacturing Companies in the County:

Malheur County

26

Source: Oregon Employment Department, Covered Employment and Payroll Reports, 1998

Total Number of Manufacturing Companies in the City: 5
Source: City Administration

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Economic Indicators

					Malheur County		Oregon
					2001	2002	2000	2001	2002
Population					32,000	32,000	3,421,399	3,471,700	3,504,700
Labor Force					14,867	14,867	1,802,938	1,793,773	1,840,133
Total Employment							1,715,453	1,679,914	1,701,390
Unemployment					1,252	1,317	87,485	113,859	138,743
Unemployment Rate					8.4%	8.9%	4.9%	6.3%	7.5%
Non-Farm Payroll Employment					12,110	11,840	1,606,800	1,596,100	1,572,500
Total Covered Employment					13,128	12,660	1,607,944	1,596,943	1,573,083
Total Covered Payroll ($ thousands county/ $ millions state)					$304,082	$305,914	$52,701	$53,021	$52,989
Ave. Annual Payroll Per Employee					$23,163	$24,164	$32,776	$33,202	$33,684
Number of Business Units					920	913	108,432	111,353	113,097
Total Personal Income ($ millions)					$566,279	$581,883	$94,999	$98,500	$101,358
Annual Per Capita Personal Income					$	$18,608	$27,649	$28,400	28,792
Assessed Value of Property ($ millions)					$0	$1,446	$198,911	$210,435	$219,878
Residential Construction   Building Permits   Value ($ thousands)					42 $6,229	44 $6,327	19,877 $2,533	21,049 $2,985	22,186 $3,347
Travel Expenditures ($ millions)					$0	$36,400	$6,133	$6,128	$6,208
Travel-Related Employment					0	560	89,800	91,100	90,200

 Preliminary Data
Sources: Oregon Employment Department; Center for Population Research & Census, PSU; U.S. Census Bureau; Bureau of Economic Analysis; Oregon Tourism Commission; Oregon Department of Revenue; Oregon Economic and Community Development Department.

5 Largest Employers, Public and Private as of December, 2002

Employer—Product/Service	Number of Employees
Oregon Trail Mushrooms—Mushrooms	155
Malheur County—Government	130
Eagle-Picher Minerals, Inc.—Diatamaceous Earth	68
George’s Shop & Rock—Trucking and Sand & Gravel	28
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Source: City Administration

Oregon Employment Labor Market Information

This link takes you to the Oregon Employment Department, Labor Market Analysis database. County information can be obtained here. http://olmis.emp.state.or.us/—Click on Regional Information.

Local and Regional Economic Development Organizations

City of Vale—http://www.ci.vale.or.us/	541-473-3133
Malheur County Economic Development—http://www.malheurco.org/	541-881-0327
GEODC Greater Eastern Oregon Development Corporation	541-575-2786
Economic & Community Development Department Regional Development Officer—http://econ.oregon.gov/	541-575-1050

Source: City Administration, local chamber of commerce, Oregon Economic and Community Development Department

Education/Workforce

Public and Private Schools K–12

Public School District:
Vale School District 84
403 “E” St W
Vale, OR 97918-1599
Phone: 541-473-3291
Fax: 541-473-3294
Web site: http://www.vale.k12.or.us/


Staff and Enrollments:
District Certified Staff: reported October 2000—68
Total District Enrollment: reported October 2001—1,055

Other Schools in the School District (Private, Parochial)
To see if there are private and/or parochial schools in this district please visit http://www.ode.state.or.us/pubs/directory/

Source: Oregon Department of Education

Oregon Community Colleges and Public Universities

For a list of public and private educational institutions in Oregon visit http://www.oregon4biz.com/ed.htm.

Workforce

Oregon Economic and Community Development Department Workforce Advocate 503–986–0207, or visit http://www.oregon4biz.com/workforce.htm. Locate local workforce assistance at http://www.worksourceoregon.org/.

Financial Information

Financial Institutions

Commercial Banks: 2   Savings and Loans: 0   Credit Unions: 1

Source: City Administration

Taxes

Sales Tax Oregon has no general sales tax.

Property Tax
Property—Who pays? Owners of real and business personal property, according to the assessed value of taxable residential, commercial, farm, industrial, utility and timber property.

County assessors use permanent rates set for all taxing districts in fiscal year 1997–98, when taxes were significantly reduced with a statewide average 17 percent cut in tax levies. Certain types of levies are outside this reduction. The tax rates cannot exceed $15 per $1,000 of real market value. For 1997–98, all property was valued by county assessors at 90 percent of the July 1, 1995, levels. For subsequent years, assessed values are limited to a 3 percent annual growth rate. Construction since July 1, 1995, is valued at the average rate of similar properties in the area. Business personal property requires annual filing. One–third payment is due by November 15. If fully paid by November 15, a 3 percent discount is allowed. Special exemptions, tax relief programs and deferrals are available. For more information contact the Malheur County assessor’s office at 541–473–5117.

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Tax rates are representative of the largest tax code in the city. The rates are expressed as tax liability per $1,000 of assessed property value.

	Malheur County
Average Compressed Tax Rate 1997-98	$12.62
Average Compressed Tax Rate 1998-99	$12.51
Average 1999 Housing Value	$52,414
Ave Res Property Tax Paid on Ave House 1997-98	$645.47
Ave Res Property Tax Paid on Ave House 1998-99	$655.70
Average School rate 1998-99 . . . . . . . . $6.73
Average Non-School Rate 1998-99. . . . $11.32
Average City Rate 1998-99 . . . . . . . . . $7.68

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Business Taxes
Property—see above

Income—Corporations doing or authorized to do business in Oregon pay excise tax. Corporations not doing or authorized to do business, but having income from an Oregon source, pay income tax. For more information contact the Oregon Department of Revenue, 955 Center St., NE, Salem, OR 97301, 503–378–4988, http://www.oregon.gov/DOR/.

Unemployment Insurance—Employers pay this. For 2002, new employers are assigned a fixed rate of 3 percent of taxable wage base. Tax rates for existing employers are based on employers' experience and range from 1 percent to 5.4 percent of taxable wage base. Taxes are paid quarterly and are due by the end of the month following the quarter. In 2002, the tax is paid on the first $25,000 of wages paid to each employee. The rate schedule in effect depends on the balance in the Trust Fund as of August 31 each year and the amount of revenue needed to maintain the balance at a level adequate to pay benefits. For more information contact the Oregon Employment Department, 875 Union St., NE, Salem, OR 97301, 503–947–1488, web http://www.employment.oregon.gov/.

Utilities, Railroad, Weight-mile—Who pays? All railroads and investor-owned utilities operating with the state pay an annual fee. For-hire and private motor carriers operating into, within and through the state pay weight-mile taxes. Rates—limit of .25 percent of gross operating revenues of investor-owned utilities; .25 percent charged on 2002 revenues. Limit of .35 percent on gross operating revenues of railroads; .267 percent charged in 2002 revenues. Applications, plate fees and per-mile rates dependent on declared combined weight of vehicle. For more information contact the Oregon Public Utility Commission, 550 Capitol St., NE, Suite 215, Salem, OR 97301–2551, 503–378–6611, web http://www.oregon.gov/PUC/; Oregon Department of Transportation, Rail Section, 555 13th St., NE, Salem, OR 97310–1333, 503–986–4125, web http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/RAIL/; Oregon Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Transport Branch, 550 Capitol St., NE, Salem, OR 97301–3871, 503–378–6699, web http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/MCT/.


Incentives
Oregon's Business Incentives.

Other incentives: Enterprise Zone


Miscellaneous
Motor Vehicle Licensing, Driver Licensing, Fuels—Who pays? Owners and operators of motor vehicles. Oil companies importing fuels. Truckers using Oregon highways. Fees—Registration fees, driver license fees and renewals (contact the Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services division 503–945–5000, web http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/DMV/

Hunting and Fishing Licenses—contact Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, PO Box 59, Portland, OR 97207, general information 503–872–5268, licenses/tags/permits 503–872–5275, web http://www.dfw.state.or.us/.

Amusement Device Tax—An excise tax is imposed upon every person who operates an amusement device in Oregon. An amusement device is a video lottery game terminal. More information from the Oregon Lottery Commission, 500 Airport Rd SE, Salem, 97301, web http://www.oregonlottery.org/.

Emergency Communications (9–1–1) Tax—Telephone companies providing local exchange access services in Oregon Collect this tax from their customers. The tax, which is $0.75 per line per month, is reported and paid quarterly. More information from the Oregon Department of Revenue, web http://www.oregon.gov/DOR/.

Hazardous Substance Fee—Paid by possessors of nonpetroleum hazardous substance. More information from the Oregon Department of Revenue, web http://www.oregon.gov/DOR/.

Petroleum Load Fee—Paid by petroleum suppliers and importers to Oregon. More information from the Oregon Department of Revenue, web http://www.oregon.gov/DOR/.

Timber Severance Tax—Paid by timber owners on harvested timber’s value. More information from the Oregon Department of Revenue, web http://www.oregon.gov/DOR/.

Forest Products Harvest Tax—Paid on timber cut from any land in Oregon. More information from the Oregon Department of Revenue, web http://www.oregon.gov/DOR/.

Dry Cleaning Tax—Paid by operators of dry cleaning facilities. More information from the Oregon Department of Revenue, web http://www.oregon.gov/DOR/.

Alcoholic Beverages—Manufacturers and/or import wholesalers of malt beverages and wines pay a privilege tax. Manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers of distilled spirits, malt beverages and wines pay license fees. Employees who serve alcoholic beverages pay for service permits. For more information contact the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, PO Box 22297, Portland, OR 97222, 503–872–5000 or 1–800–452–6522 (in Oregon), web http://www.oregon.gov/OLCC/.

Tobacco Products—Cigarette and tobacco products distributors are required to purchase tax stamps for cigarettes or pay a percentage of the wholesale price on other tobacco products. More information from the Oregon Department of Revenue, web http://www.oregon.gov/DOR/.

Transit Payroll Tax–paid by employers in the Tri-Met (Portland area) and Lane Transit District (Eugene) for mass transit systems. Administered by the Department of Revenue, web http://www.oregon.gov/DOR/.

Many local governments in Oregon collect other taxes, such as hotel-motel taxes. Contact the city or county in which you are interested for more complete information about taxes in that area.

Source: Oregon Department of Revenue, “A Summary of Taxes,” January 2002; County information–County Assessor’s Office

Community Services and Resources

Public Safety/Emergency Services

Fire Station(s) serving community: Vale FD, Vale Rural Fire Inc
Number of paid and volunteer firefighters: 15*
Rating by Insurance Services Organization (ISO): 6-0-0*
Comments: *Unreported since 1996; last reported numbers from the city.
Source: Oregon State Fire Marshal, Oregon Fire Service Resource Directory 2000

Police Department: Vale Police Department
Number of paid and reserve officers: 5


Nearest Hospital and distance: Holy Rosary Medical Center, 14 miles in Ontario
Regional Hospital and distance: Holy Rosary Medical Center, 14 miles in Ontario
Emergency services to community: Ambulance Service & Air Life of Oregon
General Clinic(s): 1

Source: City Administration

Communications Resources

Local Newspapers: Malheur Enterprise

Regional Newspapers: Argus Observer, The Oregonian, The Idaho Statesman

Radio Stations: City receives Ontario and Boise, ID, stations

TV Stations: City receives Boise, ID, stations

Available Cable Television: Cable One

Telephone Service Provider(s): Malheur Bell (Ontario)

Local Internet Service Provider(s): Yes
Number of Internet Service Providers: 2
Source: City Administration

Library System
Nyssa Public Library, Ontario Public Library

Source: City Administration

Planning Service/Regulatory

Regulatory System	Year Acknowledged	Year Last Revised	Year of Periodic Review	Comments
Comprehensive Plan	1985	1998	2004
Zoning Ordinance		1985
Building Permit System				State of Oregon Uniform Bldg Codes
Subdivision Ordinance		1985
Strategic Plan

Territory Covered by Zoning
Municipality Yes     County Yes
Source: City Administration

Industrial Lands
Does the Community seek industrial development? Yes
Access Statewide industrial lands database—http://www.oregonprospector.com/
Source: Economic and Community Development Department

Special Districts and Associations (ports, water, sewer, etc.)
Name of Special District and the Oregon Revised Statute it was created under:
Pioneer Nursing Home Health District, ORS; Valley View Cemetery District; Warmsprings Irrigation District; Vale Irrigation District, Vale School District

Special Districts Association of Oregon—727 Center St., NE Salem, OR 97301, 503–371–8667 or 800–285–5461 http://www.sdao.com/
Source: City Administration

Infrastructure/Transportation

Water Supply

Operator: City of Vale
District: N/A
Source: Ground Water; Wells
Supply: Capacity (MGD)–1.10; Pressure (PSI)–50.00

Current Water Utilization on Meter Size (MGD): 0.70 MGD
Water Costs per thousand gallons: Base rate per/thousand = $28.22 base + $1.00/usage over 3,000 gallons
Water Costs for Total Consumption of Residential: Based on 7,000 gallons =

Age of Water System: 1932

Water System Comment(s): No System Development charges; Hook up fees for actual time and materials. City plans to drill more wells in order to meet expected increased demand by 2017.

Compliance Issues: None

Water debt repayment included as part of tax assessment? No

Date of Current Master Plan:

Plans for Upgrading or Expanding:
Source: City Administration

Wastewater Treatment System

Operator: City of Vale          Age of Wastewater Collection System: 1954
District: N/A

System Design Capacity (MGD): 26.10 MGD     System Utilization (MGD): 14.10 MGD
Collection System Fees: $25.20/mo singe fam*    Hook-up or Connection Fee: based on actual time & materials
Access Fee or System Development Fee: None

Comment(s) on Wastewater System: Lagoon system comprised of two cells only one of which has ever been used. Designed to handle population of 3,900.

Compliance Issues: Under MAO with Oregon DEQ for lagoon rehabilitation Scheduled reconstruction 2004

Date of Last Facility Plan:

Plans for Upgrade/Expansion:

Storm Drain: Yes    Storm Water Discharge Fee:
Fees or issues related to storm drains: No fee assessed.
Source: City Administration

Utilities

Telecommunications

Is there access to broadband infrastructure? Yes If yes, check all that apply: Microwave Fiberoptic Is there route diversity? Yes

Access Monthly Fee Other Fee T1 Yes DSL No Cable No

For Oregon Telecommunications information and resources, visit http://www.oregon4biz.com/inn.htm.

Natural Gas—Provider: Cascade Natural Gas
Lines and Feed:

Rate Structure: Cost per therm: Residential: $.677060, minimum $3.00 Commercial: $.576860, minimum $3.00 Industrial: $.537050, minimum $12.00

Plans for Upgrade/Expansion:


Electrical—Provider: Idaho Power
Lines and Feed:

Rate Structure Residential: First 300kwh $.038623/kwh, 300kwh + $.058279/kwh

Commercial: @12kw and 1,500kwh/month $78.00; @100kw and 30,000kwh/month $1,287; @ 500kw and 150,000kwh/month $6,393

Industrial: @1,000kw and 400,000kwh/month $13,100; @ 5,000kw and 2,500,000kwh/month $75,715

Plans for Upgrade/Expansion:

Solid Waste Management: City of Vale Sanitation Department

Permit Status:

Utility Expansion Plans: Yes

Utilities Source: City Administration; PGE information supplied by PGE. Note: We update utility rates periodically. Actual rates may change more often than that. For the most current rate for any carrier please consult the Public Utilities Commission web site at http://www.puc.state.or.us/commsion/default.htm Click on the Statistics 200x label (x being the most recent year).

Transportation

Highways Hwy 26 NW/E route, local access; Hwy 20 E/W route, local access   Transportation Access Fee: $0

Community Air Service Yes	Miller Memorial Airport	If no local service, list closest Air Facility
Air Passenger Service: No
Airport Freight Service: No		Boise, ID 76 miles
Air Service Comments: Navigation Aids: NDB; Runway Dimensions: 10/28: 2,200' x 40' (gravel, good condition); 17/35: 3,872' x 65' (gravel, good condition); local charter service available

Rail Service: Yes Oregon-Eastern Railroad
Freight Service: Yes    Passenger Service: No
If no local service, list closest Rail Service: Passenger Service: Pasco, Salt Lake City

Marine No



Transportation issues which might confront development, such as non-attainment air shed, etc.:

Public Transportation Comment:

Bus Service Available in the Community: No Amtrack Bus Service
Scheduled Bus Service Available: Yes    Buses Per Day:
Local Charter Services: No 
Distance to Nearest Bus Service: Ontario, 16 miles

Trucking Service
Scheduled Freight Carrier Services: Yes  EOFF, Yellow, May, Parsons
Overnight Express Parcel Service Available: Yes Fedex, Roadrunner, Airborne Express, UPS, Post Office
Overnight Express Mail Service Available: Yes
Transportation Comments:

For more information relating to transportation topics please visit the Department of Transportation web site. Airports (maps and general information) http://www.tripcheck.com/About/airport.htm; Bicycle and Pedestrian Route information http://www.tripcheck.com/About/bicycle.htm; Public Transportation, bus and rail http://www.tripcheck.com/About/busrail.htm.

Source: City Administration, local chamber of commerce (proprietary information)