Opponent wants much higher gas taxes

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The Oregon Legislature and Governor passed a bill that would have increased the state gas tax to 45 cents from 40 cents this year, which would have made Oregon the 11th highest in state gasoline taxes among the 50 U.S states.  Voters rejected this increase in the gas tax in May of 2026 by 83% voting no, and so, the state gas tax remains at 40 cents and 13th highest in the nation.  

My opponent Gamba is part of a group that proposed hiking the gas tax each year by 5 cents until it reached 80 cents, doubling it by the year 2032.  Here's the link which stems from an original report by the Oregon Public Broadcasting news website:   Progressive Democrats unveil plan for transportation funding driven by doubling of gas tax | News From The States 

In this article, just linked, Gamba is quoted as saying Oregon spends less on transportation per person than other surrounding states.  But a fact check, using Willamette Week news, says Oregon spends about average on transportation per person compared, nationally and against other western states.  Here is Google's Artificial Intelligence fact check of Gamba's under spending claim:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Overview   No, Oregon's spending on roads and highways is about average compared to other states. [1, 2]Spending Levels

• Average comparison: Analyses by groups like the Brookings Institution and the Oregon Department of Justice show that Oregon spends roughly average amounts per capita on roads and highways compared to neighboring Western states (around $630 per resident). [1, 2]
• Misconceptions: Claims that Oregon is a uniquely low-spending state often confuse transportation revenue, taxes, and fees with actual project spending, or fail to account for how other states handle car-related sales taxes through general funds. [1, 2]

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My own view is that Oregon state government is not controlling its costs. Both the Rose Quarter I-5 and Interstate Bridge Replacement projects need to be streamlined, and the billions in tax dollars flowing to them should be cut to just cover maintenance of the existing Rose Quarter I-5 freeway and the Interstate Bridge just simply be earthquake proofed.  Oregon must also look to more competitive bidding for its road maintenance and operations, rather than making these costs fixed at highest rates.

(posted by Elvis Clark September 29, 2026)

Gamba wanted this graph in the document, bemoaning the fact that if only Oregon's constitutional limits on increases in property taxes were abolished, Milwaukie city hall could rake in more property tax proceeds from homeowners/property owners.  Property taxpayers in Oregon, including Milwaukie, pay property taxes based on the assessed value (AV) of their home (the lower gold line in the chart above), but Gamba wants to tax property owners based on the real market value (RMV) of their homes (the much higher blue line).

Hence, if Gamba had his way, your property tax bill would be over 50% per year higher than it is now - you would be taxed on the blue line of the chart above rather than the constitutionally limited gold line. 

(If you are renter, you also probably pay property taxes indirectly, as your landlord typically raises your rent by the amount that he pays in property tax on the apartment or home you are living in.  So, property taxes do not just hit the wealthy as Gamba would have you believe, but most Oregonians pay - and would pay more if Gamba had his way.)

Ironically, once Gamba left his mayoral position to become state representative, the City of Milwaukie discontinued showing the graph above, the one Gamba had insisted on.

(posted by Elvis Clark on September 20, 2026)