Portland voters renewed a 10 cent per gallon gas tax for an additional four years, according to early returns Tuesday. The tax will go to the Portland Bureau of Transportation to fund street repair and safety projects.
Voters first narrowly approved the tax four years ago, with 52% of voters in favor of it.
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“We're delighted Portlanders across the city voted to continue to invest in our public streets," said Jillian Detweiler, Executive Director of The Street Trust, which endorsed the measure.
It drew the wrath of the Oregon Fuel Association and other groups, which warned that Portland gas stations could be forced to close if drivers sought fuel outside of city limits to avoid the tax.
The program also faced a scathing audit from the independent city auditor.
The audit found two-thirds of street repair projects scheduled to start before 2019 had not, and that the transportation bureau was providing its oversight committee with outdated data. Now, the program says it has found its footing with monthly reports to the committee and a plan to break ground on all projects by the end of the year.
PBOT has said it is expecting the tax will fall $3 million short of generating its $74.5 million goal in four years, citing fewer drivers on the road due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The tax will begin in January 2021 as the existing one sunsets.
