Subcommittee holds public hearing on Construction Contractors Board budget; agency seeks fee ratification and $1.5 million for licensing-system replacement

The General Government Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee opened a public hearing Thursday on Senate Bill 5,509, the appropriation bill for the Construction Contractors Board, with agency leaders outlining a budget built largely on contractor licensing fees and seeking approval to replace an aging licensing system.

The hearing matters because the CCB is almost entirely funded by fees paid by contractors, and the agency said it needs both the fee changes already adopted by its board and a one-time IT investment to sustain service levels including licensing, enforcement and dispute resolution.

Angela Perrotta, a budget and policy analyst with the Department of Administrative Services Chief Financial Office, told the subcommittee the governor's recommended budget for the CCB is about $23.3 million for the 2025-27 biennium and reflects an 8.7% increase driven largely by a one-time licensing-system investment and limited-duration staffing. Perrotta said the board is an "other funds" agency primarily funded by contractor licensing fees and that the agency also receives a portion of its revenue from complaint-processing and administrative fees.

Chris Huntington, administrator of the Oregon Construction Contractors Board, described the agency's operations and the rationale…