Washington County staff brief commissioners on final-state legislative session: transportation package, housing preservation and budget impacts

Erin Dwyer, Washington County senior government relations manager, told the Board of Commissioners during a work session that the Oregon Legislature is in a late-session “sprint” and that staff would provide a rapid overview of policy and budget developments.

Dwyer said a transportation package (referred to in the presentation as House Bill 2025) moved quickly through hearings and is expected to come to committee and floor votes this week. She said the Legislative Revenue Office projects the package would generate about $1,800,000,000 per year beginning in 2029 and about $2,000,000,000 annually in a later year referenced in the presentation (date in the transcript was garbled and not specified). “We know we need money,” Dwyer said, noting the county testified in committee and Commissioner Fey provided in-person testimony using the board-approved talking points.

Dwyer also reported progress on the county’s housing-preservation priorities. Two bills that were part of the county’s preservation package were described as signed into law in the presentation. One measure (identified in the presentation as “Senate Bill 973”) was described as extending notice requirements for tenants when a property’s affordability contract ends, to give tenants more lead time before units shift to market-rate rents. Another measure (referred to in the presentation as “Senate Bill 32”) requires the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department to maintain an up-to-date public dashboard of…