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At a work session and subsequent public hearing last fall, several Oregon City Commissioners challenged a 2016 state land use bill and expressed their enthusiasm for home rule and voter-approved annexations. Senate Bill 1573 requires cities to annex territory upon petition by all its landowners, without a vote. The bill specifically requires jurisdictions like Oregon City to follow this law, despite the city’s Annexation Code and Charter, which require voter-approved annexation. The Commission voted 3-2 to direct staff to follow its mandatory voter-approval annexation policy, in direct violation to the SB 1573. The Commission has stated it will return to the issue after the Oregon Court of Appeals releases its decision regarding the cities of Corvallis and Philomath, which challenged the bill and lost in circuit court in 2017. SB 1573 is critical to meeting Oregon City’s expected housing needs. Since the passage of SB 1573, 202 acres have been non-emergency annexed in Oregon City, all without voter approval due to a former Commission that agreed to follow state law. To learn more about HBA’s involvement in Oregon City, contact Roseann Johnson at roseannj@hbapdx.org. Next Article Previous Article