Mayor Potter Pulls His Support From Road Tax

GOVERNMENT 

By Kristian Foden-Vencil

Portland, OR  February 6, 2008 1:37 p.m.

A plan to improve Portland’s roads and help replace the crumbling Sellwood Bridge, suffered a set-back Wednesday. As Kristian Foden-Vencil reports, Mayor Tom Potter pulled his support -- meaning the tax is now headed for the November ballot.

Mayoral hopeful and transportation commissioner, Sam Adams, has made a new road tax one the key tenets of his run.

He’d hoped to get it through the city council with unanimous support. But Mayor Potter now says he wants it to be referred to voters – a move that makes it much less likely to pass. Adams was not pleased.

Sam Adams: “The corrosive influence of special interest lobbyists have taken their toll on this issue. So I propose that the Portland City Council refer the safe, sound and green street initiative to the November general election ballot. It will be subjected to monumental mis-information by the big-oil petroleum industry.”

The proposal would raise city water bills by about $4.50 a month, per household. The $464 million project would go to reduce traffic congestion, expand bike routes and perform routine maintenance.

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