Battleground
Battle Ground is a high growth community that is the
social and commercial hub for central and north Clark County,
Washington. The City was incorporated on June 11, 1951 and operates
under a Council-Manager form of government.
Battle Ground is a
full-service City serving a population of approximately 17,150. The
City provides municipal services such as police, fire, planning,
building, streets, parks and recreation, and utilities (Water, Sewer,
Storm Drainage). The City operates on a biennial budget of
approximately $53 million and has about 86 full-time employees.
The City Manager is responsible for the operations of the City and is
appointed by the City Council. The Mayor and City Council are
responsible for establishing public policy. They have the fiscal
responsibility for the City including: budget authority, power to set
fees and charges, levying of taxes, and issuance of debt consistent
with provisions of state laws. The citizens of Battle Ground elect the
seven Councilmembers and, biennially, the Council selects one of their
members to serve as Mayor.
About Our Name
The
origin of the City's name comes from a battle which never took place.
In 1855, some Klickatat Indians escaped from Fort Vancouver. Captain
Strong headed up the army in charge of bringing the Indians back to the
fort. Upon meeting up with the Indians, the Indian chief, Chief Umtuch,
promised Captain Strong that the Indians would return to the fort.
There are different versions of what happened next, but Chief Umtuch
was killed. Captain Strong allowed the Indians to bury the chief. He
returned to the fort with the Indians' promise to return. The Indians
did return, and for not forcibly bringing them back, Captain Strong was
presented a petticoat for bravery and courage. This area later became
known as "Strong's Battle Ground".
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