Portlanders may have another tax day: Nov. 4

Several local levies appear slated for crowded fall ballot

By Jennifer Anderson

The Portland Tribune, Feb 8, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (41 Reader comments)

(Left): Adams (Right): Saltzman

Now that city Commissioner Sam Adams’ $464 million street fee proposal appears to be headed for the November ballot, it joins a crowd of other potential initiatives that will compete for voters’ tax dollars.

Local pollster Tim Hibbitts, of Davis, Hibbitts & Midghall, said that, especially in tough economic times like the country appears to be facing, voters sometimes suffer from “ballot fatigue” when faced with a swarm of tax increases — fatigue that might come into play this fall.

“The city is pretty liberal, but when times get tight even liberal voters look at their pocketbooks and say, ‘How much can I afford?’ ” he said. “They might say, ‘Gosh, this one I can vote for, but I just can’t see three or four tax increases.’ ”

So far, the measures appear to be a Portland Public Schools facilities levy that would cost at least $900 million, a Multnomah County public safety levy that could cost $25 million to $30 million year, and a five-year renewal of the Portland Children’s Investment Fund that would cost $14 million per year.

City Commissioner Dan Saltzman said he will ask the full City Council on Feb. 20 to refer the children’s levy to the November ballot. The fund, which serves 16,000 of the city’s neediest children each year, is close to people’s hearts and has no apparent opposition, Saltzman said, but “the biggest challenge is, What else is going to be on the ballot and what’s the state of the economy?”

Voter turnout in November won’t be an issue. Hibbitts said he expects a huge turnout, possibly higher than 80 percent — not because of any of the local issues, but because of the presidential election.

Competition from other initiatives was one of Mayor Tom Potter’s concerns this week when he asked his fellow council members to refer Adams’ street fee to the May ballot.

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