By Garlynn Woodsong | Chair, CNA LUTC
This election isn’t a national presidential election, so some folks may be tempted to tune out. I would like to encourage you instead to engage, pay attention and make your voice count.
Here’s a run-down of ballot measures that may impact Concordia neighbors.
Measure 26-200 imposes campaign finance contributions and expenditures, and requires campaign communications to identify funder, within the city.
Measure 26-201 imposes a 1 percent surcharge on Portland retailers with more than $1 billion in total annual revenue and Portland annual revenue more than $500,000. It would create the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund for Clean Energy Projects (renewable energy, building efficiency upgrades, green building design, tree canopy expansion); clean energy job training efforts for traditionally underemployed/disadvantaged workers; and future innovation efforts.
Measure 26-199 issues bonds to fund affordable housing in the metro region. If Measure 102 is also approved, these bonds could be used to enter into public-private partnerships to deliver more housing units than would otherwise be possible using the same amount of bond proceeds.
Measure 102 allows cities and counties to use bonds to fund privately-owned affordable housing. This is a companion to Measure 26-199, which would issue those bonds within the metro region. This is Metro’s effort to “do something” about housing affordability in the Portland region.
Measure 103 permanently exempts a wide range of transactions from any taxes and fees. It was devised as a way to prevent the city, or any other local Oregon jurisdiction, from enacting a tax on soda pop to help to pay for the additional medical expenses imposed on public healthcare by regular soda pop consumption. It has since broadened in scope, however, and now also proposes to block taxes or fees on a broad range of transactions, including Oregon’s bottle deposit fee, the fuel tax and restaurant meals. While it is described as banning a grocery tax, it is broadly written and does much more than that.
Measure 104 expands the Legislature’s three-fifths supermajority requirement from taxes to fees or taxloophole-removal efforts. This would make it much more difficult to do the business of government, which includes setting taxes and fees, and make it possible for the minority party to expand its veto power and thus its influence in the state capitol.
Measure 105 repeals Oregon’s sanctuary state laws, which currently limit the ability of local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. Oregon’s 31-year-old sanctuary state laws were enacted originally to ensure that citizens and non-citizens alike would feel free to report crimes and testify in court to assist law enforcement in arresting and prosecuting crimes more serious than immigration violations.
Measure 106 prohibits public funds from being spent on abortions. No matter how you vote, please vote Nov. 6!
Garlynn Woodsong lives on 29th Avenue, serves on the CNA Board and is an avid bicyclist. He also is a dad who is passionate about the city his son will inherit. He is the planning + development partner with Cascadia Partners LLC, a local urban planning firm. Contact him at LandUse@ConcordiaPDX.org.