Portland City Council on Nov. 20 held a first reading of an ordinance to amend the city’s business license law so the Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) can receive selected business license tax information for compliance work. Councilor Smith pulled the item from the consent agenda to press for clarity about what would be shared and the privacy risks.

Jonas Berry, the city's chief financial officer, told council the change aligns local code with recent state law and limits disclosures. "So the only information shared, with BES, is the business name, address, phone number, and the industry code," Berry said, adding that BES may not share that information beyond its compliance function. Berry also cited Oregon Revised Statutes 314.835 and House Bill 4031 as the legal context that extended privacy protections to local governments.

Councilor Smith said she requested the item be pulled "because I felt that anytime we consider expanding the city's access to private tax data or other private information, we owe it to the public to be clear on what the proposal does and does not do." Councillor Zimmerman, the committee chair, reported the item "passed out of committee with all 4 present voting in favor." Rebecca, the clerk, confirmed no members of the public had signed up to testify after the item was removed from consent.

The ordinance was taken as a first reading; council moved the matter to a second reading for a future meeting so members and staff can finalize any remaining questions. If councilors raise amendments later, state and council rules governing vote thresholds for amended measures will apply.