NEW: Street Fee Options To Be Referred To Voters In May

Email to a friend Permalink

Wednesday, January 07, 2015

Joanna Evoniuk, GoLocalPDX Contributor

The Portland City Council will refer funding options for the Portland street fee to voters in May, according to the Office of Mayor Charlie Hales. 

“We’ve held scores of public hearings and committee meetings,” Mayor Charlie Hales said in a media statement. “We’ve heard what Portlanders have to say: Yes, to fixing streets. And yes, to taking it to a popular vote. But there is considerable disagreement about the most-acceptable way to pay for this community responsibility. So we will ask voters to pick the solution that is most palatable from an array of options.” 

A hearing at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 8, will lay out proposal details for voting options. The most likely options will include an increased gas tax, a progressive income tax and a local-option property tax levy, according to the mayor’s office.  

The city will then ask voters on the May 2015 ballot which option they prefer. The mayor's office said there could be between three to six choices on the ballot. The winning option will be scheduled for adoption by the city council. 

A nonresidential fee for maintenance and safety will be adopted by the council, but not until the public choice for the residential portion becomes law. 

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.

Email to a friend Permalink