The complicated and confusing property tax laws in Oregon really tie up cities, municipalities and districts from collecting much needed revenue for improvements or essential services.

George Endicott, President of the League of Oregon Cities says the current tax caps have stymied some cities ability to fund needed services like fire and police.  

"The way it works now is there is a maximum cap on any property tax that a city can collect, a municipality, and there's a different cap on anything school districts can collect. So even if you approve an operating levy, you do a self-inflicted operating levy increase, they still can't collect the money because it exceeds that cap." 

He adds there is also another problem with "compression;" in that if cities need to use the money from an approved levy that goes beyond the cap, they have to take money from another levy funded service to keep it below the cap.

They are asking the legislature to ask voters to revise current measures to allow cities and the like to have more autonomy in tax collection.