New arts tax, but new way to collect it still in the works
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PORTLAND, Ore. - When voters approved the Arts Tax for Portland schools in November, the measure included collecting the tax for 2012, but building that single-tax system from scratch hasn't been easy.
The tax is due April 15, but you can't pay it yet even if you wanted to.
The new $35 worker tax will put arts and music teachers back in every Portland elementary school, but for some Portlanders the new tax is a surprise.
"I hadn't heard about the arts tax," said one resident.
More might be surprised that the $35 tax is retroactive to last year.
If you want to, you can pay by check once the city sends out a form in the mail. But before that happens, the city will send out a notice to each household encouraging people to pay the arts tax online.
But don't look for artstax.net to pay online just yet. Right now, it'll just redirect you to the city's Revenue Bureau website. The city's been working on the site since the day after Election Day. But it's not ready yet.
"The database, and the website, and the applications that tie those together – that development takes some time," said Thomas Lannon, director of the Portland Revenue Bureau. "And we want to make sure we get it right the first time so that we're not asking people to go back online or to correct any problems down the line."
According to the Revenue Bureau, the Arts Tax payment site should up and running by March 4. It hopes most people pay the tax online, saving resources and restoring school arts programs at the same time.
The bureau expects most people to pay the tax online, because it says three out of four homes in Portland have Internet access.
While payment forms will be mailed April 1, if you pay online before then, the city won't have to send one.
This story came to us as a news tip. If you have a story for us, send us an email at newstips@katu.com.
This is $3 dollars a month..
How about we look at the administration costs...Â
Anyone ever go by the Mult.  County Educational Service District offices on Ainsworth and Airport way ??
Then say Oh That's where my money is goingÂ
Hey Portlander's..........you're seeing the results of electing agendized politicians that want to socially engineer the city to their ideas and values. And it's going to cost YOU !!
So Portlanders voted themselves to be taxed so thier children could act out episodes of Glee in school. What morons.
I moved out of the city six years ago and now live just outside the Multnomah County line. It was crap like this that drove me out of the city to begin with and I wouldn't move back for any reason. None.
@You're Kidding...RightIf there was an option to press the "Like" button more than once in response to your post;
Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like Like
We've concluded Portlanders will give anything to the gov't.
Portland wants to tax the taxpayers a tax for arts, demands it, sets up an on-line account but you can't pay it because you have to be billed first, and they want it retroactive to last year?Â
AH! Tax dollars at work! NOT!
No actually this is a very stupid tax.One it is against the Oregon constitution.Two the money is not going to go towards teaching the arts.It will go into the general fund and will be used for whatever.Donât get me wrong, but if you want your little Jimmy or Becky to be an artist then getthem some lessons on your own with you own money. I may have to pay to teach them to read and text, but I donât have to pay to teach them to paint, draw, sing, or play an instrument.Those are nice things. You want them for your little Jimmy or Becky, pay for them yourself.What is next, another tax to teach home economics.Then another tax to teach wood shop.All very good things to know, but quit nickel and diming us with these separate taxes.We fund our schools with property tax, if you donât like how that money is spent then talk to the legislators and make sure those items you feel are important get funded.In actuality if someone has a talent and likes to do something (like paint or draw) they do it.I suspect little Jimmy or Becky will leave that clarinet in the hall closet after about 2 years just like my guitar (but then I didnât ask you to pay for it).There are some many more important items that we need to spend our money on, like the streets that little Jimmy and Becky need to travel on to get to school. I donât plan to pay this tax, ever.If it goes into collections, fine.I just read that Portland is owed 40 mil in unpaid parking fines, if they canât collect them, good luck on getting this from me.I plan to make it cost more to collect than they will ever get. If you think it is a great idea, then you pay it.
I'd bet my lunch money that within ten years this tax is doubled............ even more if they pile on other things to pay for from this tax.
Just wondering....... are Multnomah county residents still paying that temporary tax from 8-10 years ago?
and now the translation for those of you in Multnomah county.......
I'd bet my lunch money that within the next decade your investments will be doubling...... or possibly more if the city wants to add other investment opportunities to this current investment.
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If the people of portland were smart, they wouldnt pay the tax.
Wonder where this money is actually ending up.......
@Jeepers ......bike lanes !
Next will be a tax to teach the children to read and write
This tax may very well be unconstitutional. It will be challenged in court.
BTW, the schools part of this is B.S. A lot of the money is going to rich people playgrounds like the opera.
I'm not paying a penny till this goes through the courts.. Art tax, are you freaking kidding me...Â
This is the first city I've ever lived in where illiterate people actually get a diploma, and they have an are tax.. Wow !
Oh the irony! Whenever you are considering posting a comment that includes such words as moron, stupid, dolt,  illiterate, or anything of the like, it is VERY important to proof read your statement so you do not to end up as the example to your point.
always nice to hear from the english comp nazis
To me, it looks as though he needs a comma after 'Oh'. I could be wrong, but I also think I see an unnecessary extra spacing after 'dolt,'. As an added bonus, they even included a comma before 'or'.
As for me, I don't care. I just like poking a finger at those that do the same.
They are taking my poker machine money
Gotta love mail in ballots. They always seem to get my money
Hey Charlie- repeal this.
The new I tax - we need to repeal
OK one I didn't vote for this.  With the way my son was treated in the public school system i don't support them in anyway.  Remember that teachers when you decide to miss treat someones kid, they have parents who vote and they grow up to vote as well. And we took him out of school, he is going to collage and doing much better, went from way below his grade average to all most collage lvl in three months.  So, do i support this, no.  And never did.
Lol, portland dummies voting for feel good measures, then "oh, what!!!! this is gonna cost me money??"Â Well NO SH@# SHERLOCK, read the measure.
Any wonder the suburbs are growing like crazy...Be smart, move out of fantasy land.
@trololol Mother Fers always jacking my money for nonsense. If I payed taxes I'd be madder. Â