Portland, Oregon, Measure 26-209, Gas Tax Renewal (May 2020)

Portland Measure 26-209
Election date May 19, 2020
Topic Local gas tax
Type Referral	Origin Lawmakers
List of Oregon measuresOregon Measure 107Oregon Measure 108Oregon Measure 109Oregon Measure 110Submit

A gas tax renewal was on the ballot for Portland voters in Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties in Oregon, on May 19, 2020.

A "yes" vote supported authorizing the renewal of the city's gas tax for four years at a rate of $0.10 per gallon and dedicating revenues to infrastructure repairs.

A "no" vote opposed authorizing the renewal of the city's gas tax for four years at a rate of $0.10 per gallon, thereby allowing the existing gas tax to expire at the end of 2020.

A simple majority was required for the approval of Measure 26-209. City officials estimated the gas tax would raise $74.5 million over four years. The $0.10 gas tax was first approved in 2016.

Election results

Portland Measure 26-209
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		179,286	77.17%
No		53,032	22.83%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot question

The ballot question was as follows:

“

Shall Portland renew four-year, 10 cents per gallon fuel tax for maintenance (paving, potholes) and safety (crossings, lighting, sidewalks)?

”

Ballot summary

The ballot summary was as follows:

“

Portland’s 10 cents per gallon fuel tax was approved by voters in 2016. If renewed at the same tax rate, this measure is estimated to raise $74.5 million over four years, beginning January 2021. The funding would continue to be dedicated to street repair, maintenance and safety projects, including paving, pothole repair, sidewalk and safety improvements. Specific proposed investments include: Street Repair and Maintenance $25 million for paving, focused on busy and neighborhood streets Safety $6 million for Safe Routes to School projects to improve safety for elementary students $4.5 million to expand Neighborhood Greenways and connect schools, parks, transit, and neighborhood businesses $5 million for traffic signals and crossing beacons $4.5 million for street lighting on High Crash Network $4.5 million for sidewalks and other walkways $1.5 million for small-scale neighborhood safety improvements Community-Identified Transportation Needs $13 million for potholes, gravel streets, and pavement base repair $10.5 million for basic safety improvements Expenditures go through independent financial audits and are reviewed by a public oversight committee that reports annually. Establishes license requirements.

”

Full text

The full text of the measure is available here.

Support

Fix Our Streets Portland led the campaign in support Measure 26-209.

Supporters

• Mayor Ted Wheeler
• Commissioner Amanda Fritz
• Commissioner Chloe Eudaly
• Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty
• Portland Business Alliance

Arguments

• Chloe Eudaly, a member of the Portland City Council and the Commissioner-in-Charge of the Portland Bureau of Transportation, said, "These investments are vital for our community — our commitment to Fixing Our Streets will shape the future of Portland. I urge all voters to cast your ballots this May in support of renewing this gas tax. It is well worth the dimes we pay at the pump, and it will provide us the tools we need to advance safety, equity, and sustainability in Portland’s transportation system."
• Chris Warner, the director of the Portland Bureau of Transportation, said, "We constantly struggle to find adequate funding for basic maintenance and safety. The local gas tax and heavy vehicle use tax has been essential to funding some of the core maintenance and safety needs we have."

Official arguments

The following arguments in support of the measure were included in the 2020 Voters' Pamphlet provided by Fix Our Streets:

“ SAME TAX RATE. BETTER STREETS. This May, vote YES on Measure 26-209 to renew our local gas tax, and continue funding street repair, maintenance, and safety projects across Portland. Because this is a renewal, the tax rate would remain the same as it is today. Just a few dollars a month ensures our streets are safer and well maintained for people driving, walking, biking, and riding transit. VOTE YES for Street Repair & Maintenance Measure 26-209 saves money by funding repair and maintenance projects today and avoiding more expensive rebuilds of worn-out streets later: • $25 million dedicated to paving • $13 million to fund pothole, gravel street, and pavement repair VOTE YES for Safety for Kids, Seniors, and Families Measure 26-209 funds neighborhood safety projects to improve intersections, reduce vehicle speeds, expand neighborhood greenways, and make additional safety enhancements to existing projects: • $4.5 million for sidewalks • $5 million for traffic signals and crossing beacons • $4.5 million for street lighting • $6 million for Safe Routes to Schools • $4.5 million to expand Neighborhood Greenways VOTE YES for the Same Tax Rate Because this is a proposed renewal, the 10-cent per gallon tax rate would remain the same as it is today. The average Portlander would continue to pay just a few dollars a month. And Portland City Council renewed the Heavy Vehicle Tax that ensures freight vehicles are paying their fair share. VOTE YES for Audits & Independent Oversight The program is overseen by the Fixing Our Streets Oversight Committee, and spending is audited annually. Learn more at FixOurStreetsPortland.com ”

Opposition

Opponents

• Taxpayers Association of Oregon

Official arguments

The following arguments in opposition to the measure were included in the 2020 Voters' Pamphlet provided by Taxpayers Association of Oregon:

“ 5 reasons the current 10-cent gas tax was full of broken promises and rampant misuse. A 2019 Audit report shows gross mismanagement of Portland’s current gas tax. 1. Unknown how much the gas tax is going to what was promised 'It was difficult to determine if the Bureau maintained the spending split it promised.' (2019 City Auditor report, page 10) 2. Most projects ran behind schedule with cost delays '…most were behind schedules that the Bureau set after the tax passed.' (2019 City Auditor report, page 3) 3. Inability to properly monitor how gas tax funds were spent '…we found that the committee could not effectively fulfill its monitoring role…' (5/19 City Auditor report, page 7) 4. Current 10-cent gas tax promised to increase safety. Ironically, safety decreased. Portland traffic deaths in 2019 are the highest since the year 1997. (Oregonian 12/20/19) 5. Portlanders pay 20%more for gasoline than the U.S average. We are not getting what we pay for. Our high gas prices cut into our cost of living and quality of life. Vote no on 26-209 until Portland can fix the blatant mistakes of its first 10-cent gas-tax increase. Don’t reward failure. Don’t perpetuate a flawed system. Don’t double down on mistakes and broken promises. No New Gas Taxes until they fix the problems they already have. Taxpayer Association of Oregon urges No on 26-209 —Please follow us at OregonWatchdog.com. We’ve been fighting government waste, fraud, and abuse for more than 20 years. We could use your help. ”

Media editorials

See also: 2020 ballot measure media endorsements

Support

• Portland Mercury said: "It doesn’t matter if you experience Portland streets as a pedestrian, bicyclist, transit rider, or driver: One shared reality for all these commute modes is that too many of our streets are unpleasant, uncomfortable, and downright unsafe. ... Vote yes for the gas tax renewal."

Opposition

Ballotpedia did not identify any media editorials in opposition to Measure 26-209. If you are aware of one, please send an email with a link to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Background

Gas taxes in Oregon

As of February 2020, the federal tax on gasoline was $0.183 per gallon. In addition, the state gas tax rate in Oregon was $0.36 per gallon. Portland has the highest local gas tax with $0.10 per gallon. The average local gas tax in Oregon is $0.03 per gallon.

Fixing Our Streets fund

In 2016 when the first $0.10 gas tax was enacted, the Fixing Our Streets fund was established to distribute gas tax revenue for street maintenance and safety improvements. The fund was established with a 16-member oversight committee, and all projects funded with gas tax revenue must follow the traditional budget process. In 2019, the fund collected $18.8 million in gas tax revenue. The 2019 annual report for the fund listed the following completed projects:

• 300 new ramps for the disabled,
• 58 improved intersections,
• 53 new crosswalks for schools,
• 40 lane miles of new or improved pavement, and
• 370 base repairs to pavement.

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing local ballot measures in Oregon

This measure was put on the ballot through a unanimous vote of the Portland City Council on February 6, 2020.

See also

Local measures

• Local measures in 2020
• Local gas tax on the ballot
• City tax on the ballot
• Multnomah County measures

• Clackamas County measures
• Washington County measures

Oregon

• May 19, 2020 measures in Oregon
• Local ballot measures, Oregon
• Portland, Oregon

News and analysis

• State and local preemption conflicts
• Measures advancing national agendas

External links

Suggest a link

• Search Google News for this topic
• Multnomah County Elections Office website