Tillamook
Tillamook, OR · Business
westlinntidings.com
Editorial: Astoria rejected a housing tax. Now build solutions.
Feelings about Astoria’s housing predicament were laid bare by the campaign for Measure 4-247 and the reaction against it. Measure proponents approached the issue with admirable conviction. Despite Oregonians’ deep aversion to new taxes, nearly four out of 10 Astoria voters supported a levy on owners of homes occupied less than half the year, with exceptions for certain circumstances. That says something about how urgently many residents want action.
opb.org
familydestinationsguide.com
KOIN 6 News
Statesman Journal
Customers push back as PGE seeks 8th straight rate hike
More than a dozen people joined a Nov. 10 Oregon Public Utility Commission meeting to provide testimony on proposed Portland General Electric rate increases . Most attendees spoke against PGE's proposed plan to increase overall rates by 4.8% and residential rates by 3.9%. That would raise costs for the average residential customer by $8.33 per month, according to PGE. The changes would go into effect July 1, 2027, but would first have to be approved by state regulators, likely by June 15. The potential hike makes eight consecutive years of PGE rate increases , according to the Oregon Citizens' Utility Board . PGE has more than 950,000 customers in Oregon. Its coverage area includes Salem, Woodburn, Silverton and much of the Portland metro area. "The working class people in the Portland metro area, we have nothing left to give," said Jennifer Lighthart, who testified and asked that PGE's residential increase request, at minimum, be denied. "It's not right that a company that brings in billions of dollars in revenue every year is begging the normal regular public for money to hit their goals," Lighthart continued. Kathryn Chambers, a Salem resident, said she is a senior citizen who has health issues