ARTICLE
Numbers were close the eve of November 2, but voters agreed: Oregon City may borrow money for water infrastructure improvements. This past summer, HBA endorsed two interrelated OC water ballot measures and wrote a supportive letter to the editor, joining two Commissioner letters, written by Denyse McGriff and Adam Marl, along with a letter from HBA-fellow Water Environment Services Advisory Committee member. While residents voted down Measure 3-578, which would have authorized the city to temporarily increase water rates beyond the 3% cap allowed by charter, HBA looks forward to working with the City of Oregon City on next steps to complement the success of the borrowing measure, 3-576. Balanced funding solutions are critical to addressing OC’s aging, cracked and inadequate water network. These funding solutions will allow water projects to be completed earlier, preventing spendier maintenance issues and saving existing and future ratepayer dollars over time. To learn more about HBA's involvement in Oregon City, contact Roseann Johnson at roseannj@hbapdx.org.