Bend residents weigh in on city’s planned new transportation fee

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) - Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler and other city leaders met with community members at Summit High School on Wednesday to discuss a planned Transportation Utility Fee.

The Transportation Utility Fee is a recurring payment collected from residents and businesses because of their impact to the transportation system.

The city says roads need regular maintenance for safety and quality of life, and gas tax revenues aren't keeping up. But some residents who attended the town hall held by three neighborhood districts are concerned about the addition of the fee to their utility bill. 

As currently proposed, the new transportation fee added to utility bills would amount to:

• $15 for single-family units
• $12 for multi-family units
• $215 for non-residential accounts such as small businesses

A vote by the public to approve passing the cost to residents is not required. The City of Bend expects to start collecting the fee in late 2024. The annual expected revenue is $15 million.