Our Community

General Information

There are over 100 licensed businesses in Lakeside, including a motel, café’s, RV resorts, taverns, a grocery store, towing and automotive services, a rock shop, second hand stores, etc.  We have a post office service and an excellent public library complete with Internet service. The county Park is nearby with day use and camping facilities.

Major events during the year begin on Mother’s Day Weekend with our Crawdad Festival which has drawn over 10,000 to our area.  The Independence Day Celebration is held at the County Park and includes vendors, a car show, and a fabulous fireworks display over the lake.  Other summer activities include cardboard boat races and free fishing days for kids. The annual community tree lighting ceremony is the first Saturday in December.

Several resorts are in the surrounding area that accommodate RV and/or tent campers.  Wildlife species found in the area include elk, deer, beaver, raccoons, opossum, river otters, muskrats, nutria, red and gray foxes, bear, cougar, majestic bald eagles, osprey, blue heron, and several species of duck.

Tenmile Lake has 42 miles of shoreline, and encompasses 3,000 surface acres of fishing and water sport fun.  Many Pro Bass tournaments are held at the lake.  A marina is available to rent small boats, or you can enjoy the fishing dock and try your skills at catching largemouth bass, steelhead, black crappie, yellow perch or rainbow trout.

In the early 1940’s, Lakeside was a known retreat for Hollywood’s rich and famous.  The South Coast has the largest and widest range of sand dunes in the Pacific Northwest.  ATV and dune buggy rentals are only minutes away, or take a walk along the ocean beaches.  A ten-minute drive north of Lakeside, visitors can charter boats for a deep-sea fishing experience.  Other activities on the local beaches and bay include crabbing and clamming.  For more information, please call the City of Lakeside, M-F 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at 541-759-3011.

Per the 2013 Census  the current population of Lakeside is 1,705 (up from 1,371 in 2000).   

FINANCIAL

The City of Lakeside is a municipality that does not receive money from property taxes except for the library. The city operates out of 7 funds on a cash basis accounting.

The city has a General Fund that receives limited funding from several sources including rental income from the 5 hangars on our small grass airport (we took over the airport in May 2006 as a repository for wastewater treatment effluent) and rent from the Community Complex building from the Meals Program that gives the seniors a place to receive a hot lunch twice a week and have social gatherings.  Additional sources of income include the cemetery, interest revenue, building fees, business licenses, miscellaneous rental income, a transient tax (RV and motel), alcohol and cigarette taxes, franchise fees from garbage, Cable TV, Telephone, license fees, permits, and Coastal Management Grant.

State Tax Street Fund for repairing our streets: income includes interest revenue, highway use tax, miscellaneous revenue including “Adopt A Light” and Street Use Permits, power franchise, and miscellaneous small grants.  

Wastewater Treatment Fund which is our major enterprise also includes STEP and STEG systems as well as regular sewer connections. Income is received from Interest earnings, miscellaneous revenue, our sewer assistance program and general sewer service.  

Sewer Construction Fund - the city recently completed a 5.4 million dollar expansion and upgrade to the sewer plant; those monies were made available through grants and loans from USDA.

Library Fund - our library circulated 23,698 books in 2006-2007.  Revenue is generated from interest income, Ready to Read Grant, miscellaneous revenue, Trust Account Interest, and special levy revenue which comes from your property tax

Enterprise Fund which is part of the sewer fund for repairs.  Income is generated from interest earnings and 25% of hookup fees.  

SCA Paving Grant – Revenue is generated from Oregon Department of Transportation Small City Allotment Grant.  Formerly, the most allotted to each city was $25,000; the legislature recently increased that amount of $50,000.    

The city operates on carryover money until we receive money from the above sources throughout the fiscal year.  Money from the other 6 funds can’t be used in our general fund.