Novick, Fritz and Hales at street fee meeting
Commissioners Steve Novick and Amanda Fritz plus Mayor Charlie Hales look on during the 5 1/2 hours public hearing in May (Andrew Theen/The Oregonian)
(Andrew Theen/The Oregonian)
Sandra McDonough said it's nice that the Portland City Council will likely vote on a $46 million street fund that starts with a 6-year trial run, rather than a tax and fee that lasts in perpetuity, but the CEO of the chamber of commerce said it's not enough to win her support.
"It's definitely better that they're putting that in there," McDonough, head of the Portland Business Alliance said in a voice message earlier this week. "But we still won't support the overall package."
Two weeks away from an expected final vote on the funding plan to raise millions for street maintenance and safety projects, high-profile opponents are not bending in their push to refer the funding plan to voters should the City Council decide not to.
The Portland City Council is expected to take a final vote on the street funding proposal (half income tax on residents, half fee on business owners) on Dec. 10. Portland Commissioner Steve Novick and Mayor Charlie Hales added the sunset proposal after Commissioner Amanda Fritz joined other voices in calling the provision a "reasonable request."
The new amendment means the street fund, if approved, will terminate on Dec. 31 2020. But a future City Council could decide to renew the tax and fee plan.
Novick said the condition of Portland's streets calls for a long-term solution and the City Council doesn't want to give the impression the problem will go away after six years. But Novick said he and Hales were willing to add a sunset provision if it bought "some goodwill" from critics, including the Portland Business Alliance.
But McDonough said the progressive personal income tax is still a mechanism on which the alliance "fundamentally disagrees" with Novick and Hales. "At a minimum, that's something the others should vote on," she said.
Earlier this week, The Oregonian conducted an online poll (not scientific) that showed overwhelming support for a public vote on the matter.
Moore Information, a polling firm, conducted a poll last weekend on the same issue and emailed City Hall reporters with the results. That poll also showed wide support for a public vote. According to Willamette Week, the polling company coordinated the survey with PBA.
Novick said he and Hales are still waiting to here from PBA on a solution to tax residents, other than an income tax, that the chamber would support. The group hasn't expressed concerns with the revised business fee.
"It would be nice if they proposed something," Novick said, "but so far they haven't."
Reading:
Willamette Week: Poll says Portlanders want to vote on street fund
Willamette Week: Paul Romain and City Hall leaders not on same page
OPB News: Portland protests start peaceful but turn ugly
— Andrew Theen