Representative Mark Gamba told Clackamas jurisdictions on Jan. 13 that the region must find a durable way to fund road maintenance, not simply revert to past approaches.

"What I'm doing is what I hope to be a first step in creating a new system," Gamba said, describing a proposal that would require ODOT to produce an empirical set of maintenance standards and then calculate a per-mile charge to fund preservation. The goal, he said, is to separate maintenance funding from larger "new shiny things" so preservation is protected by a stable revenue mechanism.

The comments came amid heightened concern about the stateC2B4s short-session response to a gubernatorial transportation announcement and a recent shooting that drew lawmakers to caucus and briefings. Several county and city officials asked that accountability language and provisions enacted last year be retained if the Legislature considers reversing parts of the 2025 transportation package.

Commissioner Diana Helm, speaking for Clackamas County, urged avoiding a repeat of prior battles over tolling: "I wish that ODOT would just get their act together and the governor would listen to those of us who have spoken very loud about tolling." Local leaders repeatedly urged that any repeal be narrowly limited to the ballot-referred tax measures rather than wiping out accountability or existing technical programs such as the road-user charge already established in statute.

Gamba described two bills: one to set maintenance performance targets and calculate what a per-mile charge should be to meet that standard; the other, the Revenue Forecast Modernization Act, to change how the state reports and budgets kicker estimates so lawmakers can plan against a conservative baseline. He argued the state must set clear, empirically driven service levels for interstates, collectors and arterials, and then determine annual funding needs.

Local elected officials generally acknowledged the need for new revenue tools but pressed for transparency and limits on what funds would pay for. Mayor Joe Buck of Lake Oswego supported an approach that separates preservation from new capital projects while noting the affordability trade-offs for residents.

Next steps: Gamba said the legislation aims to create the technical data and process so cities and counties can jointly decide acceptable pavement and bridge standards and their fiscal implications. The C4 group asked staff to continue coordinating with legislators on language that preserves accountability while avoiding measures that would reintroduce tolling without broad regional support.