Multnomah County · Ballot Measure 26-261

Five year levy: Oregon Historical Society Library, Museum, educational programs

QuestionShall County renew 5-year history museum, library, educational programs levy; maintain $.05 per $1,000 assessed value, oversight, beginning 2026? This measure renews current local option taxes.

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Measure 26-261: Five year levy: Oregon Historical Society Library, Museum, educational programs

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If YES wins

Renews the 5-year local option levy of $.05 per $1,000 assessed property value to support the Oregon Historical Society museum, library, and educational programs. Does not increase the existing tax rate.

If NO wins

Levy expires. OHS would no longer receive the ~$3.88M–$4.37M/year in Multnomah County levy funds; funding for free admission, school groups, and operations would need to come from other sources (state, private donors, admissions).

Ballot summary(verbatim from official pamphlet)

In 2021 voters approved a five-year local option levy of $.05 per $1,000 assessed property value to support the Oregon Historical Society (OHS). Renewal of this levy will continue support to the OHS's museum, library, educational programs, and fund the following without increasing taxes: educational programs; free admission to school groups and Multnomah County residents; preservation of important Oregon treasures and artifacts; support for four County historical societies (East County Historical Organization, Gresham Historical Society, Troutdale Historical Society, Crown Point Country Historical Society). Levy continues rate of $.05 per $1,000 assessed property value, and replaces the 2021 levy. A home assessed at $250,000 pays $12.50 a year. An independent citizen oversight committee will review expenditures. Annual audits will be conducted and made public.

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The arguments — both sides

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YES · 3 arguments in favor

Argument · YESfurnished by Kari Chisholm, Yes for Oregon History

Yes for Oregon History: access, preservation, education

For over a century, the Oregon Historical Society has served as the safeguard for Oregon's rich history. Measure 26-261 will help preserve what makes our home unique, without raising the tax rate. Renewing the levy will allow OHS to continue free admission to all Multnomah County residents and school groups, free public lectures and educator workshops, original exhibitions showcasing Multnomah County's diverse cultures, preservation of millions of documents, photographs, and artifacts, and support for four local Multnomah County historical societies in East Portland, Gresham, Troutdale, and Crown Point.

13 signatories

Tobias Read, Oregon Secretary of State
Julia Brim-Edwards, Multnomah County Commissioner
Vince Jones-Dixon, Multnomah County Commissioner
Shannon Singleton, Multnomah County Commissioner
Meghan Moyer, Multnomah County Commissioner
Keith Wilson, Mayor of Portland
Dave Ripma, Mayor of Troutdale
Tiffany Koyama Lane, Portland City Councilor
Eric Zimmerman, Portland City Councilor
Barbara Roberts, former Governor of Oregon
Ted Kulongoski, former Governor of Oregon
Lisa Reynolds, State Senator
Rob Nosse, State Representative

Argument · YESfurnished by Kari Chisholm, Yes for Oregon History

Teachers and education leaders: OHS supports students

By fourth grade, Oregon students have begun learning local history, including about the Indigenous people who have lived here since time immemorial, European and American explorers, and settlers from across the continent. With Measure 26-261, Multnomah County school groups can continue to visit the Oregon Historical Society and access their amazing online resources for free. OHS has supported teachers and educators by providing professional development opportunities and standards-aligned, classroom-ready resources. By seeing artifacts firsthand, students can relate to our state's visionary leaders.

3 signatories

Heather Gomez, Oregon Trail Elementary
Wim Wiewel, President Emeritus, PSU and Lewis & Clark College
Portland School Board members Christy Splitt, Virginia La Forte, Michele DePass

Argument · YESfurnished by Kari Chisholm, Yes for Oregon History

Historians: OHS holds the largest collection on the Oregon Country

The Oregon Historical Society's research library is essential for our state's artists, researchers, students, and teachers. OHS holds the largest collection in the world pertaining to the Oregon Country: 85,000 artifacts, 45,000 books and publications, 20,000,000 photographs, 25,000 maps, 20,000 cubic feet of manuscripts, thousands of reels of motion picture film, 2,800 oral history interviews, and 46,894 items in OHS Digital Collections.

3 signatories

Janice Dilg, independent historian
Katrine Barber, Professor of History, PSU
Catherine McNeur, Professor of History, PSU

NO · 3 arguments in opposition

Argument · NOfurnished by Deanna Kallen, Libertarian Party of Multnomah County

Libertarian Party of Multnomah County: a 'temporary' tax that won't end

The Oregon Historical Society provides valuable cultural programming, but it makes little sense for a private statewide society to be significantly funded by Multnomah County voters. The Multnomah County subsidy was proposed in 2011 as bridge funding until state funding was restored. Kerry Tymchuk, Executive Director of OHS, promised it would be temporary: 'If we have to ask for it again, then we haven't done our job' (Oregonian 3/7/11). Too often, 'temporary' taxes become permanent. The Portland Art Museum, Oregon Symphony, and OMSI get by just fine on memberships and donations. OHS is a private institution, shielded from public records and open meetings laws. Why should taxpayers fund OHS when we have no say in its operations?

1 signatories

Libertarian Party of Multnomah County

Argument · NOfurnished by Jason Williams, Founder, Taxpayers Association of Oregon

Taxpayers Association of Oregon: fund OHS by cutting corporate welfare

We support more funding for the Historical Society — but we have a better idea than raising property taxes. We favor eliminating corporate welfare and wasteful spending, then using the savings to fund OHS. Examples of tax dollars going to luxury hotels and private companies include $74M for the Hyatt Convention Center hotel, $16M for the Nines luxury hotel, $30M for a private Hillsboro baseball stadium, and $20M for Hollywood films. Funding OHS with existing tax dollars (by cutting waste) is preferable to raising property taxes, which makes owning a home even more unaffordable.

1 signatories

Taxpayers Association of Oregon

Argument · NOfurnished by Jason Williams, Founder, Taxpayers Association of Oregon

Taxpayers Association: fund police before ancillary projects

Downtown Portland visitor foot traffic is down 75% — a million fewer visits. Portland has the nation's #2 top property/vandalism crime rate and #5 highest auto theft rate. Nearly 50,000 vehicles have been stolen over the past decade. If you vote for Measure 26-261, you must also vote for ways to restore Portland police and Multnomah police to full functional levels. Otherwise, you are raising taxes to fund something people are unwilling to visit. The best thing we can do for OHS is create a safe downtown so it can flourish.

1 signatories

Taxpayers Association of Oregon

Explanatory statement

Founded in 1898, the Oregon Historical Society (OHS) maintains a museum and public research library in downtown Portland, preserves the largest collection of historical materials about the state of Oregon, and offers programming on the people, places, and events that have shaped Oregon. OHS is the primary historical society for Multnomah County. Each year, approximately 40,000 people visit OHS's Portland facilities, including about 5,000 schoolchildren and college students. In 2024, OHS opened Rivers, Roses, and Rip City, the first permanent exhibition dedicated to the history of Portland. Funding from the renewed levy will maintain OHS's current public operating hours of 47 hours per week for the museum and 32 hours per week for the research library; support the preservation and curation of current exhibits; fund the development of new educational programming and scholarships; and allow OHS to continue offering free museum admission to and tours for all Multnomah County residents and K–12 school groups. Levy funds will also support operations at four East Multnomah County historical societies — East County Historical Organization (ECHO), Gresham Historical Society, Troutdale Historical Society, and Crown Point Country Historical Society. The cost of the levy renewal will remain at $.05 (five cents) per $1,000 assessed property value, beginning 2026 through 2031. The owner of a home assessed by the County at $250,000 will continue to pay $12.50 a year for this levy. Accountability: The Multnomah County Chair appoints an independent citizens' oversight committee to review all levy expenditures. The Levy Oversight Committee ensures funds are spent as approved by voters. Multnomah County selects an auditor (paid for by OHS) to conduct annual public audits. This levy will fund approximately one-third of operations at OHS. Other funding comes from grants, private donations, admissions, and other earned revenues.

Estimated financial impact

The levy will produce an estimated $3.88 million for fiscal year 2026-2027; $4.00 million for 2027-2028; $4.12 million for 2028-2029; $4.24 million for 2029-2030; and $4.37 million for 2030-2031. This is an estimate based on the best available information at the time.

Year	Estimated revenue
2026-2027	$3.88 million
2027-2028	$4.00 million
2028-2029	$4.12 million
2029-2030	$4.24 million
2030-2031	$4.37 million

Candidates on this ballot who signed in favor

Oregon State Representative · 42nd District (inner SE and NE Portland)

Rob Nosse

Sources

↗Multnomah County Elections — County Voters' Pamphlet· Multnomah County Pamphlet, p. M-38 (Ballot Title, Explanatory Statement)· captured 2026-05-12 ↗Multnomah County Elections — County Voters' Pamphlet· Multnomah County Pamphlet, pp. M-39 to M-42 (Arguments in Favor)· captured 2026-05-12 ↗Multnomah County Elections — County Voters' Pamphlet· Multnomah County Pamphlet, pp. M-43 to M-44 (Arguments in Opposition)· captured 2026-05-12