Portland’s economic health is a smart state investment
The 2025 report, Portland Region’s Impact on State Fiscal Health report from ECOnorthwest, showed that taking legislative action to support Portland’s economic growth benefits all Oregonians. Oregon’s economic vitality and state fiscal health are deeply intertwined with the health and prosperity of its largest metropolitan hub: the Portland tri-county region, comprising Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties. Investments made in the Portland region drive revenue that supports communities statewide, fostering economic resilience and supporting critical services.
The data was clear – after adjusting for population size, the Portland region consistently provides an outsized share of tax revenue across nearly all of the state’s six major revenue streams. Consider the following:
- The Portland region’s residents contribute a 56% premium, per capita, to state tax revenues and Multnomah County contributes the highest amount, per capita, to state coffers of any county in Oregon.
- The Portland region is home to 43% of the state’s residents, 50% of jobs, and 58% of the state’s economic output.
- This is true for Multnomah County, which is home to 19% of the state’s population, while funding 24% of total tax revenue, 22% of the personal income tax, and 27% of the corporate income tax.
- Annual state tax revenue contribution per capita:
- Multnomah County: $5,570
- Portland Tri County Region: $5,440
- Rest of the State of Oregon: $3,580
State Policy Priorities
To ensure the long-term sustainability of the critical symbiotic relationship between the health of the Portland economy and funding for critical state programs, Portland and Multnomah County public and private-sector leaders call on our partners in the Oregon State Legislature to support targeted strategic investments. Together, we have identified key investments that are most critical to support the Portland region’s long-term economic health, thus sustaining the rest of the state.
Support professional sports, arts, and entertainment franchises, organizations, and venues
- Support the We Play for Portland coalition and the Portland Trail Blazers to ensure Portland remains Rip City for future generations of Oregonians and to support the growth of the WNBA. In addition to being the home of the Blazers, the Moda Center is one of Oregon’s largest and most important entertainment venues where millions of Oregonians gather every year. It is also the oldest NBA arena to have never undergone a major renovation.
- In 2025, the Portland Trail Blazers, Timbers, Oregon Symphony, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Portland Art Museum, Sport Oregon, Portland Metro Chamber and others founded the We Play for Portland Coalition to work together to attract more fans, increase support, and revitalize Portland through sports, arts, and culture. While the organizations offer different types of events, they share a deep connection to the city and its public-owned performance halls and sports facilities.
- To fully realize the potential of riverfront major league baseball and the investments made in Portland’s waterfront, we must also ensure a healthy Willamette River. We support a request for $1M in state funding to restore river flow to the Ross Island lagoon. This will address this recurring threat to public health and human activity in the river paving the way to realizing the full economic and cultural impact of a Major League Baseball franchise, a waterfront stadium, the Albina Rose Alliance, and a fully modernized, activated Waterfront. Metro, Multnomah County, and the City of Portland have committed funding to the project.
Invest in the circular economy
- Turn waste into wealth by supporting HB4086 to fund $225K each for four communities to identify and advance a high-potential industrial symbiosis (IS) project that strengthens local industry, creates jobs, and reduces emissions and waste. By the end of the first year, each community will have a clearly defined, feasible capital project concept—complete with partners, preliminary design information, cost range, and funding pathway—ready to compete for design and construction funding.
Defend economic development and work force funding
- Defend Higher Education and Workforce Development. Portland’s recovery depends on attracting businesses investment to create family wage jobs, but the investment to prepare Oregonians for the 21st century economy continues to fall behind. As our region competes with our peer markets, we risk losing ground in training and retaining the skilled workers employers need. It will be far more challenging to grow and recruit businesses to rebuild our economy if we waver in our commitment to job training and workforce investment. Protecting higher education is critical to Portland’s economic future and should be prioritized in budget decisions.
- Oppose HB4134, HB4148 and SB1562 which would direct state and local Tourism and Lodging Taxes (TLT) away from programs that drive economic vitality and growth. This is the worst possible time to undermine the competitiveness of our tourism industry and take investment away from programs that have an economic multiplier effect.
Support funding for the Williams and Russell Business Hub
- Support $15.9M for the Williams & Russell Business Hub in Portland’s Albina neighborhood. The Hub will be a resource for entrepreneurs across the region and include affordable office and retail space for small businesses, professional services for business, and workforce and business planning support.
Elevate economic development as a core state priority
- Support HB 4084 and Governor Kotek’s Oregon Prosperity Agenda: The Portland Metro Chamber and our partners strongly support Governor Kotek’s leadership formally acknowledging the need for change and stronger public-private partnership across the state. Reversing Oregon’s downward economic trajectory will require a focused, strategic policy approach that addresses the root causes of our persistent economic barriers. The Governor’s commitment to tangible change and engagement with the business community is encouraging and necessary to ensure a vibrant economic future for the Portland Metro Region and the entire State of Oregon.
- Business Recruitment: Direct Business Oregon to use existing strategic planning resources to develop and implement a coordinated business recruitment plan with specific KPIs across the state as a core part of the agency’s strategic plan for the coming years. Align with local economic development plans such as the Prosper Portland Advance Portland.
- Business Incentives: Support business incentives introduced in 2026 and work with key legislators and stakeholders to develop a robust package of incentives for legislative adoption in early 2027. State, regional, and local incentives should be coordinated and aligned.
- Advanced Manufacturing: Support the regional advanced manufacturing jobs legislation currently under development, which will seek to expand the use of Research & Development Tax Credits, establish a local option capital property tax holiday for building or modernizing new advanced manufacturing facilities, and adjust Enterprise Zone requirements.
- Opportunity Zone Designation: Work with the City of Portland to secure designations of priority Opportunity Zones in Portland during the required Gubernatorial Designation Process.
- Federal Tax Code: Preserve the full value of financial tools that drive private investment in Portland.
Housing production and shelter
- Defend state investments in housing production, housing related infrastructure, and shelter operations.
Protect the existing funds in the Moderate-Income Revolving Loan Fund. - Support City adoption of a local ordinance to allow the City to apply for MIRL funds and the City’s grant request in early 2026 to support Broadway Corridor.
- Align the underlying policies for all State and Local housing production incentives.
- Oppose legislation that will add unfunded mandates or increase legal liabilities to local affordable housing programs.
- Continue to support the largest shovel ready housing and place development projects in Oregon: Broadway Corridor, OMSI District, and Albina-Rose Alliance.
- SDC Payment Timing Reform: Require System Development Charges (SDCs) for residential construction to be paid at the point of impact, upon issuance of Certificate of Occupancy, rather than upfront during construction.
- Continue to empower the Housing Accountability and Production Office: Provide resources and direction to HAPO that will allow the Office to track local jurisdiction’s progress toward housing targets, fee burden on new development, and turnaround time for new residential permits. Consider enforcement mechanisms for municipalities that fail to meet housing targets despite development interest and activity. To avoid muddling policy objectives, HAPO should be removed from the Department of Land Conservation and Development and placed under the direct supervision of the Governor’s office.
Expand buildable land supply
- Support amendments to SB 1537 to allow municipalities to take advantage of the UGB expansion opportunities intended in the original bill.
Encourage and support development of essential economic infrastructure
- Electricity, natural gas, and liquid fuels, as well as transmission lines, pipelines, roads, bridges, rail, and marine infrastructure are critical to recruit new and maintain existing businesses. Without these critical energy supplies and infrastructure, economic development will be stymied, and investments will be made in other regions.
- Support and encourage critical infrastructure – maintenance, improvements, and new construction to support new and existing businesses.
- Support the diversification of energy supplies to meet future demand and protect against supply disruptions.
Participate in defending these key energy and infrastructure investments against challenges.
Maintain community livability
- Work with cities and business to reform or replace HB 3115 to align with the Supreme Court Grants Pass v Johnson ruling to allow local governments to more effectively reduce the impacts of unsanctioned camping.
- Advocate for ODOT to reinstate their IGA with the City of Portland for the cleanup of ODOT-owned lands and rights of way in Portland and to allocate a minimum of $2M per year to the work.
- Support efforts to address Portland police officer staffing needs to strengthen emergency response times and enhance community public safety.
- Defend investments in behavioral health, public safety, and shelter.
Reduce administrative burden on business
- Businesses and industry associations across the state continue to ask for the state to help reduce duplicative and onerous processes to make it easier and less expensive to do business in Oregon. The Oregon Competitiveness Agenda provides a roadmap for this critical reform work.
- Defend Oregon’s health systems and hospitals from additional regulations and mandates that continue to drive unsustainable growth in operational costs.