City Council Plan Could Raise Portland Property Taxes by Over $300 for Park Upgrades

PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland City Council is considering increasing the current Parks Local Option Levy from 80 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value to between $1.37 and $1,47 per $1,000.

Levy Will Add More Than $300 Annually to Property Owner Bills

If approved, the increased levy will add between $342 and $367 annually to assessment rates paid by local property owners.

The Parks Local Option Levy was approved by public vote in 2020 for five years to generate $47 million annually to fund park operations and maintenance.

However, the levy is set to expire soon, and the City Council’s committee on Climate Resilience and Land Use is listening to public testimony about the proposed increase.

The committee has been told that, on average, Portland parks have more volunteer hours than most cities nationwide. However, financial contributions from nonprofit organizations are 1% compared to as much as 30% in some cities.

The parks levy, paid for by Portland property owners, helps fund community centers, pools, recreation programs, classes, camps, discounts on entry fees for low-income households, maintenance, and trash removal.

City councilors have until 16 July to finalize a decision about increasing the levy payments.