Oregon has a shortage of workers for these jobs

Oregon’s Got Jobs

The state has a bunch of job openings in healthcare, manufacturing, and childcare. According to a recently released “Oregon Talent Assessment” report, there’s a shortage of workers. It’s part of an effort by the state to help grow the economy, with a focus on key industries — healthcare, information technology, construction, and wood products manufacturing. The state’s economy is doing well, though, growing by upwards of 30% since 2019, as measured by its gross domestic product. [OPB]

Fewer Portlanders for 3rd Year in a Row

Happy Valley and Hillsboro grew while Lake Oswego and Portland continued to see population declines in the year ending July 2023, according to new U.S. Census data. Portland’s population has declined for three years. [Willamette Week]

• Related: The decline has slowed. But Portland has roughly 24,000 fewer people than in 2019. [Oregonian 🔒]

Misspending Affordable Housing Money

On the Friday news roundup, the city of Portland used money intended for affordable housing incentives to cover the cost of administering the program, according to a city audit. [City Cast Portland 🎧]

Sometimes the local ballot measures require some extra homework before you can finish off your ballot. So here’s some help in getting up to speed on the issues before voters in all three metro area counties:

🌊 Columbia River Levee Bond (Measure 26-243)

The $150 million bond measure could help protect against flooding from the Columbia River. Currently there are some "27 miles of levees, pump stations, pipes, drains and wetlands,” the Oregonian reports. And they’re in need of upgrades. The new property tax would be $29 a year on the average Multnomah County home.

📖 Read Up on the Issue

• “Columbia River levee system could get overhaul if bond measure passes” [OPB]
• “Multnomah County voters will weigh property tax increase to fix aging flood protection system” [Oregonian]

🌳 Tualatin Hills Parks Levy (Measure 34-337)

Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District is asking voters to fill a $16 million shortfall with a new tax — of $152 a year for the average home in the district. It would help maintain current service levels and cover 50 full-time and 250 part-time maintenance staff and recreation instructors.

📖 Read Up on the Issue

• “Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District, facing shortfall, will ask voters to fund operations” [Oregonian]

🚗 Portland Gas Tax Renewal (Measure 26-245)

The best plug for keeping the city’s 10-cents a gallon tax on gas is that it will help fix some of the potholes. The gas tax has generated $150 million for city street projects since 2016, but the Portland Bureau of Transportation will need additional funding in the future to dig out from a backlog of problems.

📖 Read Up on the Issue

• “Portland gas tax renewal goes to voters in May” [OPB]
• “Portland officials neglected street paving for decades. Now your tires pay the price.” [Willamette Week]

🐘 Metro Zoo Bond Renewal (Measure 26-244)

A Metro measure would ask voters to renew a property tax that would raise $380 million for zoo renovations, such as a new penguin habitat that is more accessible for wheelchairs. For a home in the three Metro counties, it would amount to $34 a year on $400,000 of assessed value — though property tax bills would remain the same, because voters approved a similar measure in 2008.

📖 Read Up on the Issue

• “Portland-area voters will see new $380M zoo bond on May ballot” [OPB]
• “Voters will decide whether to fund improvements to Oregon Zoo” [Oregonian]

✏️ Portland Teachers Levy Renewal (Measure 26-246)

The Portland school district is asking voters to renew a property tax that covers the cost of 660 teachers. The tax bill is about $550 per year for the average home — and would remain unchanged, because this renews a previous levy.

📖 Read Up on the Issue

• “Portland Public Schools seeks levy renewal to pay for 660 educators” [Oregonian 🔒]

🏠 North Plains (Measure 34-327)

The city of North Plains has voted to double in size, by adding 850 acres to its urban area, as a way to make the city more financially stable. Opponents including some farmers oppose the plan to put the issue on the ballot. (There’s still an open legal question before Oregon’s courts about whether such measures will be allowed in the future.)

📖 Read Up on the Issue

• “Ballot fight over North Plains expansion will resonate statewide” [Oregonian 🔒]

An LGBTQ+ Clinic’s Scandal, Outside Money Floods the Election, and Mismanaged Affordable Housing

On the City Cast Portland podcast’s Friday news roundup, there’s the trouble a Philadelphia activist’s lie caused at a local therapy office. Also, money is coming from who-knows-where in Oregon’s upcoming elections, and the latest audit looks into the city’s affordable housing mandate.