County commissioners eye new Blazers arena funding path

Published 9:39 am Wednesday, July 29, 2026

Two Multnomah County commissioners are proposing a new funding path that could appease a major county union in the ongoing battle over the Moda Center’s proposed $600 million makeover.

Commissioners Julia Brim-Edwards and Meghan Moyer, who have called on Chair Jessica Vega Pederson to rethink the county’s planned contribution to the arena’s renovation, proposed tapping an existing rental car tax to fund the county’s whole $88 million capital contribution. That would eliminate a controversial funding source, revenue from the county’s business income tax derived from the Trail Blazers’ sale, from the budget.

The new amendment would keep business tax money in the county’s regular budget, where it could pay for county services. The five-person board of commissioners is set to consider the amendment, along with a slew of other potential changes to the county’s overall contribution to the project, at its Aug. 6 meeting.

Keeping the business tax revenue is “crucial to continuing core county services,” said Bryan Hockaday, chief of staff for Brim-Edwards, “especially as we anticipate another few years of budget constraints.”

It’s important for the county to uphold its promised contribution to the Moda Center, Vega Pederson said in a statement. But there’s a “finite amount of money” that can be drawn from the rental car tax, she said — and the more that’s used for the Moda Center, the less is available to cover the county’s bond payments.

“I want our board to pass a resolution that makes clear our investment must benefit our entire community,” she said, adding that she plans on submitting amendments of her own and supporting some of her colleagues’.

Under current plans, the rental car tax makes up $53 million of the money put toward the arena, and business income taxes cover the remaining $35 million. Separately, county commissioners are also considering putting $13.6 million toward the arena’s maintenance, for a total of $101.6 million.

The Moda Center discussion comes as the county tightened its budget this year and prepared to lay off some 166 full-time positions.

Several members of the county workers’ union, AFSCME Local 88, blasted the arena budget proposal at the July 23 board meeting, saying the county should prioritize paying for its own services and employees, rather than putting money toward the arena.

But Brim-Edwards and Moyer’s efforts to “reset” the county’s role in the renovation is a step in the right direction for union president Jackie Tate. The union’s bottom line, she said, is for none of the arena’s funding to come from sources that could otherwise be used in the county’s general fund.

“I do feel hopeful,” she said. “The county commissioners are trying to slow down the process to get to a fair deal for the county.”

Brim-Edwards and Moyer have filed nearly a dozen other amendments to the county’s plan, including one adding a clawback clause that would ensure a refund for the county if the Blazers leave Portland. An updated version of Vega Pederson’s resolution also included that language.

The pair stressed at the July 23 meeting the need for a deal that will benefit the county, which does not collect property tax revenue or direct income from the city-owned arena.

“Our true negotiation is with the city,” Moyer said, “and the city is giving us a raw deal. This is a bad deal.”

The results of the arena deal are particularly important for Brim-Edwards and Commissioner Shannon Singleton, who has also called for the Moda Center conversations to be slowed, as both are running alongside former Commissioner Sharon Meieran to replace Vega Pederson as county chair.

Aside from the county’s contribution, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson has promised the city will add $120 million, and the state approved $365 million for the project. Meanwhile, Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon said the NBA team won’t help cover the costs.

The county’s commitment, if one is reached during the board’s Aug. 6 meeting, could be folded into the City Council’s final term sheet that’s up for approval Aug. 12.