PORTLAND, Oregon (COIN) – A poll conducted this summer found that nearly half of Portland respondents believe the city is “pretty seriously off track” – but officials said this was the first time since May 2020 that the number was this low.
For the survey, conducted July 17-25, FM3 Research interviewed 664 locals who are likely to vote in May 2025. Portland Parks and Recreation released the Results on Tuesday.
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While 47% of respondents said the city was on the “wrong track,” that number has dropped since November 2023, when 61% of Portlanders believed the city was on the “wrong track.” Survey results show that in February 2022, the highest number of respondents, 78%, said the city was “pretty seriously on the wrong track.”
The results also show that 39% of Portland residents said in July 2024 that the city was “generally on the right track” – an increase from the 26% of survey respondents who agreed in November 2023. About 14% of voters said they didn’t know.
The latest poll focuses primarily on whether respondents would support an increase in Portland’s parks levy.
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The current deliveryapproved in November 2020, sets a property tax of $0.80 per $1,000 of assessed value – raising about $47 million annually over five years to “appropriately maintain neighborhood parks, improve access and safety, provide equitable recreation programs, and proactively care for natural areas and urban forests.”
With the levy set to expire next year, officials are now hoping voters will approve a similar tax next spring.
“We are committed to providing decision makers with sound information about what is important to Portland residents,” said Deputy City Administrator Sonia Schmanski said in a statement“This research helps our elected officials develop investment strategies that reflect community values.”
About 64 percent of respondents said they would vote for a $1.60 levy after receiving more information about how it would be financed.
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When asked if they would support a $1.80 Portland Vibrant Communities levy that would also cover the arts and replace the arts tax, about 61% of respondents said yes.
In addition, nearly 80% of respondents said that city parks are very or extremely important to their quality of life. Another 77% of voters said they were at least somewhat satisfied with the services provided by PP&R.
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