Oregon’s property tax system is known for being complex, but a new tool from the Multnomah County Budget Office is making it easier to explore and understand.
The Property Tax Scenario Lab is an interactive web tool designed to bring transparency and public engagement to Oregon's unique property tax landscape. The tool is designed primarily for local researchers, policymakers and community advocates, giving them crucial information and guidance as they weigh policy reforms and their potential impacts. It lets users run "what if" scenarios to see how policy changes would play out in real dollars, local taxing districts, and individual neighborhoods.
Oregon's property tax rules are shaped by constitutional caps like Measure 5 and Measure 50, which limit how much revenue jurisdictions can collect. To make these complex rules easy to model around, the tool automatically translates policy inputs into customized maps and graphs detailing scenario results.
“Whether you’re an expert or just curious about how our tax system works, this tool removes some of the mystery that surrounds it. It lets you experiment with different scenarios and instantly see real-world outcomes,” said Jeff Renfro, the County’s economist. “It lowers the barrier to understanding Oregon’s property tax system and shows the direct impact of proposed policy changes.”
What you can simulate with the tool
Users can adjust different settings to test out custom policy ideas:
- Experiment with tax rules: See what happens when changing Assessed Value calculations or how tax limits are applied.
- Adjust tax rates: Simulate the financial impact of adding, removing, or adjusting local levies and permanent rates.
- See tax caps in action: Watch how different policy choices trigger or relieve constitutional tax caps (known as Measure 5 compression).
- Look into the future: Pick a future tax year to see where local revenues and rates might head.
- Test market changes: Create custom annual growth rates for Real Market Value (RMV) and Maximum Assessed Value (MAV).
To explore the tool and start running your own simulations, visit the Property Tax Scenario Lab website.
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