Portland City Council amends arts tax

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PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Portland City Council has corrected what was described as a serious flaw with the school arts tax approved by voters last November. The council unanimously approved an ordinance Wednesday that amends the code to require an income threshold of least $1,000 to pay the $35 flat tax. The council explained in its ordinance that with the wording of the measure, a person who made less than $35 a year would still be required to pay the tax. “No one crafting this tax intended this to be the rule,” Mayor Charlie Hales said in a press release earlier this month. “This is just silly. And we need to move right now to address the law of unintended consequences.”The ordinance takes effect immediately and is expected to cost the city between $277,000 and $700,000 in lost revenue. Those exempt from paying include anyone under the age 18, as well as those whose household incomes fall below the federal poverty line. The deadline to pay this year’s tax was extended from April 15 to May 15. For more information click here. The Arts Education and Access Income Tax was passed to help fund art and music programs in Portland schools. The funds will go towards hiring arts and music teachers for students in kindergarten through 5th grade. The funds will be distributed in a ratio based on one teacher for every 500 elementary students. The money generated will go to six Portland public school districts as well as the Regional Arts & Culture Council. According to numbers from the city of Portland, in 2011, only 58 percent of Portland elementary schools offered music classes, compared to 94 percent nationally, and only 18 percent provided arts classes, compared to 83 percent nationally. -- Faris Tanyos

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