The Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District (THPRD) told Washington County commissioners that a proposed OSU Extension and 4-H taxing district would deepen the property tax squeeze already costing the park district nearly $1 million.
In a letter dated Oct. 19 and submitted at the Board of County Commissioners' Oct. 20 meeting, THPRD Board President Tya Ping asked the county to consult special districts before backing the new taxing entity. The letter, included in the draft meeting minutes, said THPRD "only recently became aware of this proposal" and that special districts had been left out of the county's outreach.
The board's concern centers on property tax compression, the mechanism under Oregon law that forces overlapping taxing districts to compete for a capped pool of revenue. Adding another district to the mix would shrink the slice available to existing services, THPRD argued.
The numbers are stark. In 2024, THPRD lost $17,500 to compression, about 0.04% of its property tax base. Two years later, that figure has ballooned to $907,687, or 1.43% of the district's property tax revenue, according to the letter. The THPRD letter cited the League of Oregon Cities, which has said compression "forces taxing jurisdictions to compete for a limited pool of funds."
THPRD serves more than 270,000 residents across roughly 50 square miles of unincorporated Washington County and Beaverton, operating 122 parks, eight swim centers and six recreation centers, according to Cedar Mill News.
The proposed OSU Extension district would levy up to 5 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value to fund 4-H youth programs, Master Gardener services, nutrition education and small-farm support. Washington County currently provides $500,000 for Extension staffing and programs, well short of the $4.5 million organizers say is needed annually, Cedar Mill News reported in June. The goal is to place the new district on the May 2027 ballot.
The county's draft Oct. 20 letter supporting the proposal was addressed only to mayors and city councilors. THPRD's letter called that a gap, noting that THPRD, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue (TVF&R) and other property-tax-supported districts would also feel the financial impact.
THPRD did not reject the idea outright. The letter said the Extension district "is worth exploring, but timing and impact matter." It urged the county to pursue property tax reform before layering on new taxing entities.
The draft BCC minutes do not record any commissioner response to the letter at the Oct. 20 meeting. Commissioners Nafisa Fai, Pam Treece, Jason Snider and Vice Chair Jerry Willey were present.
Residents can track upcoming BCC agendas at the county's CivicWeb portal for any action on the OSU Extension district proposal.
