Metro puts natural areas levy on ballot
Created on Wednesday, 09 January 2013 07:00 | | 
The Metro Council voted Tuesday to place a five-year levy to maintain its natural areas on the May 2013 ballot.
The proposed rate is 9.6 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, which would raise around $10 million annually and cost the owner of a $200,000 home slightly less than $20 a year.
Metro owns about 16,000 of natural lands and open spaces.
The vote came despite a request from 19 mayors for more time to study the potential impact on their budgets. They include Hillsboro Mayor Jerry Willey, who says the group does not intend to fight the measure.
