Portland officials decide not to raise tax on heavy trucks

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Portland officials have elected not to raise a temporary tax on heavy trucks, expecting to fall short of the city’s goal to collect $10 million through the tax by 2020.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the Portland City Council voted Wednesday to end its objective of the reaching the $10-million mark, deciding to keep the tax in place at its current rate.

The city’s added surcharge to a state tax truckers pay was enacted in 2016. The size of the heavy truck surcharge was to be adjusted each year to ensure $10 million was collected over four years.

Portland Bureau of Transportation officials say the tax will fall short by about $2 million.

Mayor Ted Wheeler says the decision was “a sensible compromise to reach the goals that the voters adopted.”

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Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com