Since summer we’ve been having conversations with both legislators and the press about ending Oregon’s property tax breaks for warehouses and distribution centers. Clearly it’s working, we expect to bring changes to these enterprise zone programs in the coming legislative session with HB 3011.
In an Oregonian article Mike Rogoway points out that “…Amazon has collected more than $15 million in property tax savings on its warehouses in the Portland area and Salem since 2019. Other warehousing and transportation companies have saved an additional $4 million.”
“Whatever economic benefits the warehouses provide Oregon, the tax incentives were unnecessary to bring them to Oregon, says Jody Wiser of the watchdog group Tax Fairness Oregon.”
Further, says Deborah Field, co-owner of a Northeast Portland print shop called Paperjam Press.“I feel like our consumers, at least in Portland, really get it that they need to shop small or we’re not going to be around,” Field said. So it’s confounding to her that the state’s leaders don’t seem to feel the same way.
The bill makes modest other changes to Oregon’s enterprise programs and requires greater transparency.