Oregon Businesses Seek Relief From Tax Measures

Five Portland-area chambers of commerce are also calling on Metro to withdraw a homeless services measure.

On March 16, the governor closed bars and restaurants statewide. Tens of thousands of people have lost their jobs. (Mick Hangland-Skill)

Oregon business groups, facing crushing pressure from COVID-19 impacts, on March 17 proposed 14 steps the state could take to help.

Among the biggest: "Delay implementation of the new corporate activities tax, at least for the first quarter of 2020, so those funds can be diverted to meeting payroll and protecting jobs."

That tax is projected to bring in more than $1 billion a year for schools. Gov. Kate Brown's spokesman, Charles Boyle, says the governor will weigh the request against the need for government services.

Five Portland-area chambers of commerce are also calling on Metro to withdraw a homeless services measure which would tax profits of larger businesses from the May ballot.

"Now is not the time to stack new taxes on local businesses and residents," wrote the CEOs of five chambers of commerce.

Supporters of the measure rejected the idea. "This is a deeply offensive, self-interested move by lobbyists to try to use a health and financial crisis to punish the very people most at risk right now," said Angela Martin of HereTogether, the coalition supporting the measure.

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.