A Multnomah County judge ruled Wednesday afternoon that the way Metro is collecting the new homeless service tax on businesses is legal, clearing the way for collections to proceed as is.
A coalition of businesses, led by the Portland Business Alliance, challenged the Portland-area regional government’s tax calculation method, arguing that it wasn’t in line with the state’s approach to taxing businesses. If courts agreed, certain local businesses would have paid less in taxes and fewer dollars would have been available to fund services for the area’s most vulnerable population.