The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) Governance Steering Committee started off 2021 with a small, but significant shift. The committee, now named the AOC Governance and Revenue Steering Committee, has created a specific landing place for revenue measures, bringing AOC in line with best practices and mirroring the committee model in place at the state level. 

The committee, co-chaired by Tillamook County Commissioner David Yamamoto and Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal (appointed during the January AOC Board of Directors meeting) and vice chaired by Lake County Commissioner James Williams, will cover a range of issues during the 2021 Session including the AOC priorities of property tax reform, courthouse replacement and renovation, and transient lodging taxes.

The 2021 Oregon Legislative Session is expected to be focused largely on COVID-19 and wildfire relief efforts. In the revenue arena, many measures are being proposed that focus on property tax relief for victims of both natural disasters and the pandemic. The AOC Governance and Revenue Steering Committee as well as AOC’s Legislative Committee unanimously voted in support of HB 2341, SB 464, and HB 2247. Other property tax relief bills will be vetted through the AOC committee process as the session progresses.

While revenue will be a hot topic of the 2021 Legislative Session for AOC, the Legislative Affairs team will continue to monitor and engage on general governance issues as well. Before the start of the 2021 Legislative Session, the Oregon House Speaker created a new legislative committee, the House Committee on General Government.  The committee is chaired by Representative Marty Wilde (D-Eugene) with Representative Leif (R-Roseburg) and Representative Lively (D-Springfield) serving as vice chairs. AOC will be engaged with the committee on measures related to good governance, administrability, and accountability.

For any questions related to the governance or revenue policy, please contact AOC Legislative Affairs Manager, Tyler Janzen.

Contributed by: Tyler Janzen | AOC Legislative Affairs Manager