Oregon Special Session will address statewide transportation funding

Oregon’s legislature has scheduled a special session for August 29th to address major transportation-related funding and tackle the shortfall facing the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), as well as counties, and cities. Hood River County Commissioners and staff have actively participated in these discussions, recently testifying to support a funding package that continues to support the entire transportation system - state, county, and city.

Snowplowing and emergency operations only available for 12-hour shifts, often stopping before 4 p.m

During the last legislative session, two significant transportation funding packages were proposed but neither passed. HB 2025, also known as the 2025 Transportation Reinvestment Package (TRIP), was a transportation funding package that aimed to raise $11.7 billion Statewide over the next 10 years through a combination of new and increased taxes and fees. This included a gas tax increase, adding per-mile fees for electric vehicle owners, and other transportation-related tax and fee hikes. It would’ve maintained the traditional funding split of 50% for the state, 30% for counties, and 20% for cities. Additionally, a portion of the county allocation would have been taken from more populated counties and distributed to smaller populated counties, known as the Small County Allotment. The total increase in funding for Hood River County was expected to be an additional $1 million annually for the Road Fund starting in 2026 and increasing to an additional $1.8 million annually by 2030.

In contrast, HB 3402-3, proposed a fuel tax increase of $0.03 per gallon which would’ve been allocated solely to ODOT, without providing additional funds to local agencies. Cori Wiessner, the Hood River County Public Works Director, testified against HB 3402-3 advocating for state funding to support the entire transportation system. “Hood River County is trimming its budget and reaching into its reserves to deliver an inadequate level of service to our community,” she said. If a package similar HB 2025 is not passed, the Hood River County must consider additional cuts to staffing and service levels.

County Commission Chair Jennifer Euwer offered written testimony to the Joint Committee on Transportation

“Then and now, the need has only exacerbated as we have faced difficult budgets due to increasing costs and federal claw backs,” said County Commission Chair Jennifer Euwer in her written testimony to the Joint Committee on Transportation. “As a rule, the county has had to defer needed safety improvements and routine maintenance work. Roadway construction cost inflation has more than doubled, while revenue has grown by less than half since the last statewide transportation package was passed in 2017.”

The TRIP framework proposed to dedicate 90% of the new revenue, totaling $1.9 billion per biennium, to safety, operations and maintenance. Of that new revenue, 50% is dedicated to cities and counties. Statewide, counties manage the largest portion of Oregon’s public road system, overseeing 41% of it, with over 32,000 miles of roads and 4,000 bridges. Hood River County maintains 210 road miles, 27 bridges, and over 3,500 culverts, a vibrant network that supports access to homes, businesses, recreation, our County’s multi-million-dollar agricultural industry and our county, state and federal forest lands.

Chip seal to maintain roadways. Current funding limits the ability to pave or repair roads in poor condition.

County leaders support a comprehensive transportation package that provides additional funding to state, counties, and cities. Without a comprehensive funding package, Hood River County will consider further budget cuts that affect routine road maintenance and staffing.

“Regardless of the outcome of the special session, there will be an ongoing need to address basic maintenance and infrastructure improvements moving forward,” said County Administrator Allison Williams. “For our County residents, this conversation will continue, and the County looks forward to your thoughts and input.”

An excerpt from Public Works Director Cori Wiessner’s testimony:

Public Works Director Cori Wiessner

Current funding levels for Hood River County roads and bridges are inadequate. Persistent underfunding has led to:

• Ceasing paving throughout our system and relying on chip seal efforts to maintain roadways and further degrading our roadway system
• No funding opportunities for replacement or repair when roads fall into the “poor” rating
• Snowplowing and emergency operations that are only available for 12-hour shifts, often stopping before 4 p.m
• Longer response times to manage incidents, emergencies, and regular maintenance such as potholes and vegetation management
• Inability to adequately manage our assets including regulatory signage, guardrails, and culverts

Declining fuel consumption and increasing costs require Hood River County to use over 20% of its reserve of road funding in the next fiscal year just to maintain less-than-basic services and roadway conditions. The road funding can only be used on County maintained roads and dipping into the reserves is unsustainable.