Oregon City Utility Fees Initiative (2018)

Oregon City Utility Fees Initiative
Election date November 6, 2018
Topic Utilities and Taxes
Status Not on the ballot
Type State statute	Origin Citizens
List of Oregon measuresOregon Measure 102Oregon Measure 103Oregon Measure 104Oregon Measure 105Oregon Measure 106Oregon Measure 101 (January)Submit

The Oregon City Utility Fees Initiative was not on the ballot in Oregon as an initiated state statute on November 6, 2018.

The measure would have prohibited a city from levying a fee, tax, rent, or other charge on utilities for using its rights-of-way in an amount that exceeds the city's costs of administrating the use for which the fee, tax, rent, or charge is levied.

Text of measure

Full text

The full text of the measure is as follows:

SECTION 1. The People declare that: (1) Utilities' occupancy of the streets, highways and other public property within the cities of this state is a matter of statewide concern; (2) Consistency in regulating utilities' occupancy of the streets, highways and other public property within the cities of this state ensures that ratepayers are treated fairly; (3) Consistency in regulating utilities' occupancy of the streets, highways and other public property within the cities of this state is necessary to achieve this state's economic development goals; (4) This Act provides appropriate compensation for the cities of this state for costs associated with regulating utilities' occupancy of the streets, highways and other public property of the cities of this state; and (5) This Act recognizes utilities' rights to occupy the streets, highways and other public property of the cities of this state. SECTION 2. (1) Notwithstanding ORS 221.415, a city may not impose a license fee, privilege tax, rent or any other charge on a utility for the use of the city's rights of way in an amount that exceeds the city's actual costs directly related to administering the use for which the license fee, privilege tax, rent or other charge is imposed. (2) "Utility" means and includes: (a) a public utility as defined in ORS 757.005; (b) a people's utility district organized under Chapter 261; (c) an electric cooperative organized under Chapter 62; (d) a heating company that furnishes heat but not electricity or gas to its customers; (e) a communications services provider, including a telecommunications utility or competitive telecommunications provider as those terms are defined in ORS 759.005, an unincorporated associate providing intrastate telecommunications services or a provider of Voice Over Internet Protocol service; (f) a local government or local service district, as those terms are defined in ORS 174.116; and (g) a public body, as defined in ORS 174.109.

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing the initiative process in Oregon

Jason Williams filed the proposal with the Oregon secretary of state on March 21, 2017. Oregon requires that 1,000 signatures be submitted before a ballot title is drafted.

Petitioners were required to collect 88,184 valid signatures to get their initiated state statute on the ballot. Signatures for initiatives needed to be submitted four months prior to the election on November 6, 2018, which was July 6, 2018.

Proponents of the measure did not submit signatures before the signature deadline.

See also

2018 measures

• 2018 ballot measures
• Utilities on the ballot
• Taxes on the ballot

Oregon

• Oregon ballot measures
• Oregon ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• Initiative 20