The fee would generate about $65 million over five years and would pay for maintaining heavily-used streets like the transit mall, paving gravel roads in residential communities and improving school crossings, among other things. The back up his request, Rhodes is presenting at the work session the results of a city-sponsored survey taken shortly before voters crushed a proposed increase in gasoline taxes last May.

The survey shows 70% approving of "a fair alternative revenue source" if the gas tax failed. However, it also showed 46% support for a five cent a gallon hike in the gasoline tax, which garnered only 18% at the polls here in Multnomah County. Moreover, the 300-person survey likely didn't include too many commercial property owners.

The Office of Transportation's capital program manager Mark Lear tells GlobeSt the fee would supplement system development charges, which are charged only to new construction. He also says that similar monthly fee systems already have been established in seven Oregon cities, including Tualatin, Wilsonville, Medford and Ashland.