An August 2011 crash involving a controversial cop, Jason Lobaugh, has cost the City of Portland even more money. Last Wednesday, March 13, Portland City Council agreed to pay motorcyclist Jason Wallace $50,402.14 for bodily injuries associated with the crash, adding to the nearly $11,000 the city approved in January to replace Wallace's motorcycle. A legal notice filed by Wallace's lawyer accused Lobaugh of running a red light at East Burnside and César E. Chávez without turning on his siren or emergency lights. Lobaugh, whose policing tactics have drawn several tort claims over the years, also has a history of pugnacious remarks about the homeless and police accountability advocates. The combined payout is among the city's most expensive for a traffic crash in the past 20 years. DENIS C. THERIAULT

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The $35-per-earner Portland arts tax, approved by 61 percent of voters last fall, is having some trouble less than a month before checks are due. On Monday, March 18, Mayor Charlie Hales announced a hasty plan to amend the tax over what he called a "silly" flaw: Because there's no minimum income threshold, anyone who made money in Portland last year, even teenagers mowing neighbors' lawns, are technically obligated to pay. Hales wants to clear that up, hopefully before the April 15 deadline to pay up. DCT