News

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Date ArticleType
10/25/2022 Member News

Lake Oswego Demolition Tax Issue


On November 1st, the City of Lake Oswego will be considering whether to eliminate, continue, or alter a demolition tax on residential buildings. In 2019, the council passed an egregious $15,000 tax on all residential demolitions to help supplement the maintenance of city parks. On an October 18th work session, the tax was discussed by council who voiced unanimous support for its continuation, though it did appear that there was room for adjustments, including eliminating the fee for manual deconstruction, construction of middle housing, or for older homes that may present health and safety concerns. We encourage members to reach out to their city councilors to request that the city at least consider incorporating some of these changes to ensure that their intended policy decisions won’t reduce energy efficiency, diminish affordability, or artificially reduce home values in the area.

Please contact HBA’s Government Affairs team to learn more about testifying. To review the agenda and sign up to testify, click here.