Commissioner Adams Closer To New Tax Proposal
City of Portland Transportation Commissioner, Sam Adams, is a little closer to presenting his new City-wide gas tax and street maintenance fee proposal to City Council (Read the related back story here). After spending much of September hosting open houses around the City to get individual opinions on how the new monies would be spent, Adams will be discussing the new plan in a series of seven Town Hall meetings over the next two weeks.
The proposed street maintenance fee, as outlined by Adams, would be in the form of a tax levied against residential properties at an amount of $4.50 a month per home, and a tax on businesses of between $27 and $700 a month depending on the amount of vehicular traffic the business generates and the size of the property. This fee could be reduced if residents and businesses take on more eco-friendly practices like riding Tri-Met more often, and offering carpooling programs. The proposal will also include a $.03 gas tax increase across the city. Combined, the gas tax and maintenance fee is forecasted to raise $485 million for Portland area roads and bridges over the next ten years.
If the City Council approves Adams' new plan it could be put to voters as early as the May 2008 election. For more information read the article in the Portland Tribune.
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