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TAX INFORMATION <br />The Certificates will not be exempt from the limitations of'~leasure 5 and Measure 50. <br />The property tax is used by Oregon cities, counties, schools and other special districts to raise revenue to partially <br />defray expense of local government. The State of Oregon has not levied property taxes for general fund purposes <br />since 1941 and obtains its revenue principally from income taxation. <br />Property ta~c administration governed by the Oregon Constitution, the State's ta~cation laws and regulations of the <br />Dept of Revenue, includes the process of assessment, equalization, levy and collection of taxes. A taac limitation <br />measure ("Measure 50") that affects property tax collections was approved by the voters in the May 1997 special <br />election. The Oregon Legislature recently implemented legislation for the new constitutional provisions of Measure <br />50. This new implementing legislation will change the property tax administration system substantially, including <br />changes to levy rates, assessments and equalization. <br />Property Tax Limitation <br />'The Oregon Constitution places certain limits on property tax rates for general purposes. The Constitution does not <br />limit property tax rates for general obligation bonds, for capital construction and improvements approved in <br />accordance with voting requirements or used to refund certain outstanding general obligation bonds (see "Exempt <br />Bonded Indebtedness" herein). <br />Measure 5 <br />Article XI, Section l lb (commonly known as"Measure 5") of the Oregon Constitution contains various limitations <br />~ on property taxes levied by local jurisdictions. Approved by the voters state-wide in November 1990, Measure 5 <br />placed certain limits on property tax rates and made modifications to the sysiem of property ta~c administration then <br />in place. The limitations resulting from Measure 5 will remain in place despite the passage of Measure 50, (See <br />"Measure 50" herein) which was designed as an addition to, rather than a replacement for, Measure 5. <br />The Constitution calis for taxes imposed upon property to be sepazated into two categories: one to fund the public <br />school system and community colleges and one to fund government operations other than the public school system. <br />Combined property tax rates for non-school government operations are limited to $10.00 per $1,000 of Real Market <br />Value per County-assigned tax code area. Similarly, combined property tax rates for the public school system are <br />limited to $5 per $1,000 RMV for each ta~c code area. <br />Measure 5 does not limit property ta~c rates for general obligation bonds approved by a majority of the voters in <br />accordance with certain requirements (see "Exempt Bonded Indebtedness" herein) or used to refund certain <br />outstanding general obligation bonds. The Certificates do not qualify as exempt bonded indebtedness. The <br />collection of property taxes is subject to the limits of both Measure 5 or Measure 50. <br />Measure 50 <br />Ballot Measure 50 ("Measure 50") was approved by Oregon voters at the state-wide special election ballot on <br />May 20, 1997. Measure 50 repealed a previously approved property tax reduction measure known as Measure 47 <br />("Measure 47") and replaced it with new ad valorem properiy tax limitations. Measure 50 retained, with certain <br />modifications, many of Measure 47's key features, including a reduction of property taxes and a limit on the growth <br />in annual assessed valuation. Senate Bill 1215, which provided implementing language for Measure 50, was signed <br />by the Governor on July 14, 1997. Specific provisions include: <br />"Rollback" Provisions. Measure 50 reduced property taxes imposed statewide by approximately 17 percent from <br />~ fiscal year 1997-98 leveis unless certain exemptions applied. (See "Exemptions" below.) Measure 50 also rolled <br />back the "real market value" of each unit of property for the tax year 1997-98 to its 1995-96 value, less ten percent. <br />34 <br />