The Portland City Council unanimously approved a new tax Wednesday to help pay for the upkeep of roads and safety projects.

The temporary tax will apply only to big trucks - those weighing more than 26,000 pounds - and it's expected to raise about $2.5 million a year.

Portland Commissioner Steve Novick, who oversees the Bureau of Transportation, rushed to secure City Council approval one week before voters are asked to approve a separate gas tax projected to raise $16 million annually.

By passing the so-called heavy vehicle use tax on Wednesday, Novick took away a key argument used by gas-tax opponents: that the gas tax isn't fair because it exempts vehicles that use diesel.

The heavy-vehicle tax would run four years before requiring City Council renewal. It would apply to trucking companies that do business in Portland, including those located beyond city limits but that serve Portland addresses.

The tax won't go into effect until this fall, however, and Novick said he's willing to listen to alternatives from truckers who don't like the concept.

"The important thing is that the trucking industry pay its fair share," he said, "not the particular mechanism."

-- Brad Schmidt

503-294-7628

@cityhallwatch