Historic Defeat of a Capital Gains Tax Measure
Category: Government Affairs
Location: Lake Oswego, Ore.
Size: Local Association: 601+ members
Year: 2023
The HBA of Greater Portland and a coalition of partners developed a campaign to successfully defeat a Capital Gains Tax measure to fund additional lawyers for an existing eviction prevention program. The measure would have created a new tax on county residents of all incomes. The HBA took a lead role in developing messaging that articulated how this would not only hurt low-income home owners and renters, but also disincentivize the development of new housing production by adding a new tax liability on small contractors and low-volume home builders.
The HBA and its partners at the Portland Metro Chamber, Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors and more than a dozen individual business groups formed a PAC called Building Our Future Together, which set in place the necessary infrastructure required to raise funds, gather endorsements, hire campaign staff and buy advertising for the ‘No’ campaign. Due to Oregon’s short timeframes for qualifying and enrolling ballot measures, the coalition had less than four months to set up the campaign.
