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Washington County outlines county‑centered response to Metro SHS reform, pushes rate changes to 2028
Summary
County staff proposed keeping program control at the county level, protecting an essential homeless services floor, redirecting some Metro administrative funds to affordable housing, and budgeting to a $330 million three‑county rebase; commissioners urged delaying any tax‑rate reductions until 2028 for more revenue certainty.
Washington County Board of Commissioners reviewed county staff recommendations on proposed reforms to the Portland‑area supportive housing services (SHS) tax measure at a Dec. 17 work session, with staff urging safeguards to protect core homeless‑services funding and a measured timeline for any tax reductions.
County staff presented a set of recommendations intended to preserve county control over programming while allowing for regional coordination. "We don't want to shift too far from where we are. We don't want to create a bucket system," said an unidentified county staff presenter (Speaker 5), describing an approach that keeps program flexibility at the county level while aligning services and affordable‑housing investments.
The staff memo proposed several concrete fiscal changes. It recommends leaving the business tax (which staff said accounts for roughly 45% of collected revenue) off the table for changes and…
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