Issues of concern facing business:

1. Business Taxes    0.100

2. PERS/Pension Reform    0.068

3. Traffic/congestion 0.063

4. Property Taxes      0.059

5. Land-use Laws/Measure 37        0.058

6. Illegal immigration 0.054

7. Blight – Homelessness/loiterers  0.054

8. Water/sewer costs            0.052

9. Location-based crime (drug dealing, vandalism, theft, shoplifting)     0.051

10. Transportation taxes and services       0.050

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The Oregon Small Business Association worked with a broad coalition to help recruit businesses to oppose the Wood Village Sales Tax proposal being introduced by the mayor.  The language read “The sales tax has been soundly rejected by Wood Village voters nine times.  Adopting a tax so universally disliked by our customers would seriously damage our business and our customers.  We the businesses of Wood Village also support citizen approval for all new taxes.”.  Over 40 business, business owners, business managers and business.  Here is the list of the diversity of businesses leaders and their companies that were involved (note: business listed does not denote business endorsement in all cases, but rather a business leader/executive in that business making a personal statement.)

A & G Precision Parts,  Acro AM/PM, Advanced Metal & Wire Products, All Star Sports Cards, Allied Cash Advance, American Elite Gymnastics, Bankcard Systems NW, Beanarino’s Coffee, Burgess Enterprises, Cascade Fire & Protection, Chevron Foodmart, Connie’s Sign Inc., Crown Business, Dishwork Satellite Co., Dragon Brand Tae Kwon Do, DVS Machinery & Fabrication, Dycon International, EB Games, Emcs Corporation, Enterpart, Exact Order Specialties,Foster Surveying Inc., Gasket Technology, Got Wireless?, Gresham Transfer, Olinger Travel Homes, Mt. Hood Roofing Company, Nails & Beauty, Papa Murphy’s Pizza, Phoenix Machine & Design,PRH General Contractors, Quizinos, Speedy Market & Deli, Stow-a-Way Mini Storage, Stuart Fly Shop, Taco Del Mar, Tonerinx. Inc., Troutdale Sand & Gravel, Vi Thai Restaurant, Wood Mizer, Wood Village Business Park, Yazzi’s Restaurant.

“Stopping the crime wave against property & business”

Fighting crime

Keynote Speaker: Steve Doell is director and lobbyist for Oregon’s anti-crime organization – Crime Victims United.  Doell spoke about how Oregon has been successful at fighting and lowering many crime rates, but left a gap when it comes to property crimes and auto theft.  Many fo these property crime effect business.

Kent Craford of the Portland Water Users Coalition gave a quick analysis of Portland’s new 40% storm water tax proposal.  Craford explained how Portland has some of the nation’s highest water bills despite having access to water supply and gravity fed delivery.

1. Please rate the city/county performance on these issues (A-F)

___ Building permits

___ Available customer parking

___ Land-use permits

___ Fire Marshall Inspections

___ Tax collection

___ Police protection/response

___ Traffic congestion

___ Electricity Rates

___ Water/sewer rates

Other __________________

2. What tax, fee, or surcharge is the most injurious or ineffective?

3. What department or bureau is the least responsive?

4. What department or bureau is the most responsive?

5. What should Portland do to improve it’s relation with small business?

1. Personal Property Tax Relief:

HB 2111 raises the exemption for personal property taxes from $10,000 to $20,000.  This will exempt over 14,000 small business statewide. It save millions of dollars and thousands of hours small business owners spend meeting the requirements.

Status: In House School Funding and Tax Fairness/Revenue Committee and

hearings are being held.

2. Gross Receipt Tax:

House Bill 2827 imposes a gross receipt tax.

Status: In House School Funding and Tax Fairness/Revenue Committee.  No public hearing has been held.

3. Tax relief for Oregon based companies.

HB 2281 changes the way multi-state corporations are taxed, eliminating their payroll and property as factors and focusing exclusively on in-state sales.  This change would benefit Oregon based companies.

Status: In House School Funding and Tax Fairness/Revenue Committee and holding hearings.  Public hearings have been held.

4. Reduce the Capitol gains rate:

SB 67 & HB 2073 would reduce the capital gains rate to 5%.   Currently Oregon has one of the highest capital gains rate in the nation and is a factor in Oregon loosing capital investment.

Status: SB 67 is having hearings in the Senate Revenue Committee

5. Corporate tax Increase:

There is legislation being considered to increase the corporate tax rate to pay for higher education.

Status: No bill number has been assigned.

6. Eliminate the small business owner penalty:

HB 2279 addresses the problems of local governments instituting their own business income taxes.  Business income taxes levied by Portland and Multnomah County allow for owner compensation…but businesses that are personally owned like small businesses are capped at $53,000 on how much owner compensation they are allowed to subtract from the taxable income.  Publicly owned companies are free to claim unlimited owner compensation deductions.  HB 2279 would require local governments to use the state business income standard when applying a business income tax.  This would prevent local business income taxes from discriminating against small business owners.

Status HB 2279 is having hearings in the House School Funding and Tax Fairness/Revenue Committee

7. Business Activities Tax:

House Bill 3942 establishes business activities tax.  Computes tax base so as to approximate gross receipts from business activity in Oregon less purchase.  Most importantly it would tax business whether they make a profit or not.  Reduces personal income tax rates.  Establishes reduced tax rate on capital gains.  Increases personal exemption credit.  Makes earned income credit refundable.  Eliminates corporate excise and income taxes.

Status: House School Funding and Tax Fairness/Revenue Committee, having hearings and Public meetings statewide.

These were someof the original brichures used by the Oregon Small Business Association in the early 1990’s.  Our message is still the same (a) Small Business is the backbone of the economy and (b) Small business needs help!