Study finds enterprise zone agreements largely posted but calls for clearer reporting on long‑term rural zones

Business Oregon and consultant Smart Incentives presented the enterprise zone transparency study required by House Bill 2009, telling the Senate Finance and Revenue Committee that agreement posting has improved but gaps remain, especially for long‑term rural enterprise zones.

The study — prepared by Smart Incentives in consultation with Business Oregon and the Legislative Revenue Office — found that, since House Bill 2009, written extended agreements are being posted on local sponsor websites as required. However, the report identified two key gaps: (1) the long‑term rural enterprise zone (LTREZ) reporting on the Oregon Open Data Portal is less detailed and standardized than standard enterprise zone reporting, and (2) state roles and responsibilities for transparency between Business Oregon and the Department of Revenue remain unclear.

Ellen Harpel, founder of Smart Incentives, said standard enterprise zone outcome reporting on the Open Data Portal is robust and was highlighted by outside advocates as a national example of transparency, but that LTREZ reporting typically consists of annual composite PDFs from counties with varying detail. Harpel recommended three options: post LTREZ agreements and add project-level data to the Open Data Portal; establish a schedule for plain‑language summary reports or evaluations of enterprise zone outcomes; and clarify the roles of Business Oregon and the Department of Revenue for transparency and data sharing.

Art Fish of Business Oregon told the committee the agency has worked with county assessors to improve reporting but that variability across counties and statutory confidentiality limits at the Department of Revenue make data collection labor intensive. Fish said a streamlined, standardized portal or online submission form with required fields could reduce errors and staff burden and improve data quality for state reporting.

Committee members asked how the portal data would be used in the six‑year review and whether further legislative action is needed. Senators praised the portal work but expressed interest in plain‑language summary reports that assemble diverse data sources — Open Data Portal exports, county reports, property-tax statistics and GASB disclosures — into an accessible evaluation of costs and benefits when enterprise zones are reconsidered for renewal.

The study also noted that enterprise zone statutes intentionally permit local variation (for example, local conditions attached to agreements). That flexibility can complicate statewide standardization but can also generate additional community benefits that may warrant clearer disclosure.

Business Oregon and Smart Incentives identified practical next steps: require LTREZ agreements to be posted (they are public records and Business Oregon already receives copies), add standardized LTREZ fields to the Open Data Portal, and consider legislative fixes to permit targeted Department of Revenue disclosures to Business Oregon for transparency and evaluation purposes. The committee held the item as an informational presentation; no committee vote was required.