Office of Transportation director Vic Rhodes introduced the idea to the city council the fee back in February in hope of filling a $4.9 million hole in his budget created by stagnant gasoline taxes and eternally degrading roads. The fee, which also would be charged to homeowners, 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 presented at the February work session the results of a city-sponsored survey taken shortly before voters crushed a proposed increase in gasoline taxes last May. The survey showed 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 fee is similar to system development charges, which are charged only to new construction. Similar monthly fee systems already have been established in seven Oregon cities, including Tualatin, Wilsonville, Medford and Ashland. Jim Mark of Melvin Mark Cos., a local real estate development, management and brokerage firm, told GlobeSt back in February that it's easy for businesses to criticize new taxes and fees, but he's still not too keen on the idea of another fee.