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Lake Oswego:
Located in the northwestern corner of Clackamas County, Lake Oswego is
ideally situated close to Oregon’s major metropolitan areas--just
eight miles south of downtown Portland and 45 minutes north of the
state capitol in Salem.
Lake Oswego is primarily a residential community (population 34,280),
but there is some commercial development and light manufacturing. The
city’s largest employers include the Lake Oswego School District,
Safeco Insurance, the City of Lake Oswego, Gage Industries, Inc. and
Micro Systems Engineering, Inc. Most of the businesses are located
downtown near the Willamette River, which is the city's eastern
boundary, or on the west end in Lake Grove near Interstate 5.
In the 1990 U.S. Census, the median household income in Lake Oswego
was $57,499--nearly twice the income of other Portland suburbs. The
average housing values were also higher--$142,600 compared to $59,200
in Portland.
Lake Oswego’s original neighborhoods reflect a glimpse of England,
with English Cottage and Tudor Revival homes designed by architect
Richard Sundeleaf between 1920 and 1940, but most residents live in
new developments designed to accommodate busy urban lifestyles.
The City has 17 neighborhood associations and more than 12 citizen
advisory boards. The Lake Oswego City Charter establishes a
council-manager form of government, which vests policy authority in a
volunteer City Council and administrative authority for day-to-day
operations in an appointed, professional City Manager (Douglas
Schmitz). The Lake Oswego City Council consists of a mayor and six
councilors who serve four-year terms.
Lake Oswego has full-service police and fire departments, a
heavily-used library and an award-winning senior center. The City also
provides planning, engineering, water, sanitary sewer and surface
water systems. In addition, there is a City-owned water sports center
on the Willamette River, two public swimming facilities on the
405-acre Oswego Lake, a self-financed, 18-hole public golf course and
an indoor tennis center.
The city’s primary sources of revenue are property taxes, sales and
services, franchise fees and intergovernmental agreements. The primary
expenditures are public safety, parks and recreation, debt service,
redevelopment, library and general administration.
The schools in Lake Oswego rate among the best in the country. More
than 80% of the high school students attend college. The Lake Oswego
School District operates two high schools, two junior high schools and
nine elementary schools. There are several colleges in or near Lake
Oswego--Lewis & Clark College and its affiliate Northwestern School of
Law, Marylhurst University, and Portland Community College (Sylvania
campus). |
