2008 Woodie Awards
Home > News
New income tax might be repealed
If federal funds continue, the board of commissioners may discard the recent tax increase
by Calvin Hall | News Reporter
The Lane County Board of Commissioners may repeal the controversial county income tax if the federal government follows through with bills that would re-authorize federal payments to counties.
The commissioners asked staff to prepare amendments that would repeal the income tax after it was announced that a renewal of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000, worth $400 million, was included in an emergency supplemental appropriations bill.
The board is scheduled to review the options for the tax Wednesday afternoon, including the amendments that would repeal the income tax if the federal funding becomes available. The board will also discuss the possibility of referring the income tax to voters, said board spokeswoman Amber Fossen.
The board enacted the 1.1 percent tax on Feb. 21 anticipating that the federal government would not renew SRS, which provided about $220 million to Oregon's dependent counties, including $47 million to Lane County.
SRS helped fund schools, roads, criminal justice and public health in place of timber forest logging revenue and property taxes. Oregon received most of the funding because much of the forest land is owned by the federal government. The act expired in September 2006, leaving the county looking to cover funding for programs such as public safety and public health.
Before the income tax was enacted by the board, the county faced laying off about 250 public employees.
Reps. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., and Greg Walden, R-Ore., helped get the funding included in the emergency bill, which may be introduced next week. DeFazio and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced bills that would re-authorize the county payments program until 2013.
Lane County Budget Manager Dave Garnick said he will present two budgets to the county Budget Committee for the next fiscal year, one including the $47 million worth of federal funding and the other one without it.
"We're basically moving forward under the assumption that we might get it, but we're preparing the budget as if we're not going to get it, Garnick said.
The commissioners asked staff to prepare amendments that would repeal the income tax after it was announced that a renewal of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000, worth $400 million, was included in an emergency supplemental appropriations bill.
The board is scheduled to review the options for the tax Wednesday afternoon, including the amendments that would repeal the income tax if the federal funding becomes available. The board will also discuss the possibility of referring the income tax to voters, said board spokeswoman Amber Fossen.
The board enacted the 1.1 percent tax on Feb. 21 anticipating that the federal government would not renew SRS, which provided about $220 million to Oregon's dependent counties, including $47 million to Lane County.
SRS helped fund schools, roads, criminal justice and public health in place of timber forest logging revenue and property taxes. Oregon received most of the funding because much of the forest land is owned by the federal government. The act expired in September 2006, leaving the county looking to cover funding for programs such as public safety and public health.
Before the income tax was enacted by the board, the county faced laying off about 250 public employees.
Reps. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., and Greg Walden, R-Ore., helped get the funding included in the emergency bill, which may be introduced next week. DeFazio and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced bills that would re-authorize the county payments program until 2013.
Lane County Budget Manager Dave Garnick said he will present two budgets to the county Budget Committee for the next fiscal year, one including the $47 million worth of federal funding and the other one without it.
"We're basically moving forward under the assumption that we might get it, but we're preparing the budget as if we're not going to get it, Garnick said.
Be the first to comment on this story