There’s been some anxious energy surrounding Portland’s 10-cent gas tax, which is on the ballot for renewal in the upcoming primary election. The tax funds the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s (PBOT) Fixing Our Streets maintenance program, going toward street paving and safety projects like traffic signals, sidewalk installation and repair, and street lighting. And given PBOT’s precarious financial situation and major maintenance challenges, the bureau can’t afford to lose this income.
PBOT’s budget outlook isn’t as dire now as it was last fall, mostly thanks to a much-needed windfall from the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF). The bureau is also banking on some extra funds coming in from increased parking enforcement and parking meter inflation. But PBOT is still heavily reliant on the gas tax, which bureau leaders expect will take in about $75 million over the next four years.
Considering 77 percent of Portland voters endorsed the gas tax in the 2020 election, it should be a shoo-in for renewal, right? Well, it’s probably going to pass, having netted endorsements from across the political spectrum, including the Oregonian’s editorial board, the Portland Business Alliance, Willamette Week, all five members of Portland City Council, and us at the Mercury. Better yet, a city poll last fall found most Portland voters would say “yes” to the 10-cent-per-gallon renewal.
Regardless, there appear to be growing concerns about the tax, and about our transportation funding system in general. Many of these concerns make sense. For instance, one big concern with the tax is that PBOT’s reliance on it makes it hard for the city’s transportation leaders to fully commit to weaning off fossil fuels, considering the effect that would have on the bureau’s income. It also fails to reap any earnings from the increasing share of Portlanders who drive electric vehicles.
But some perspectives on the gas tax would benefit from deeper investigation.
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