Portland City Councilor Dan Ryan announced Oct. 31 that he is voting against the five-year Parks Levy appearing on the November ballot.

“I love our parks, but this levy asks Portlanders to pay for inefficiencies the bureau hasn’t fixed,” Ryan wrote on Oct. 31. “The parks bureau can and should generate more of its own revenue instead of relying again on taxpayers. Until we see real institutional change, it’s not fair to keep coming back to voters for another tax increase. I’m voting no.”

Ryan is the only person on the 12-member council to publicly oppose the measure, which the entire council—including Ryan— sent to the November ballot in a unanimous vote this summer. The five-year renewal of an existing property tax levy increases the rate of taxation from 80 cents to $1.40 per $1,000 o

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