Prineville to receive more power, new personal income tax bracket proposed and undocumented immigrants in Oregon pay $81 million in taxes.
BPA releases plan to fix Prineville power problem
Prineville faces a power crunch due to data centers from Apple and Facebook. The Bonneville Power Administration says the overwhelmed system isn’t due to a lack of electricity but a lack of infrastructure capacity. BPA plans to upgrade the city’s electrical substations to more than double the region’s capacity, the Oregonian reports. The plan is also an attempt to meet the demands of a secretive project known as Project Falcon, which is considering a Prineville location that brings 300 new jobs with it.
Personal income taxes could increase if corporate tax fails
As legislators continue to discuss ways to close the $1.6 billion deficit, a few bills have made their way to committee to serve as groundwork for debate, the Oregonian reports. One such bill would add a new tax bracket for earnings above $250,000. Rather than the 9.9% rate set for earners who make more than $125,000, those higher earners would pay 13% tax.
Oregon undocumented immigrants pay $81 million in taxes annually
A report by the Oregon Center for Public Policy found undocumented immigrants pay about $36 million in property taxes, $30 million in personal income taxes and $15 million in sales and excise taxes, Willamette Week reports. If the 116,000 undocumented Oregonians received legal status, they would pay up to $119 million more annually, the report finds.
Shleifer Furniture building donated for temporary homeless shelter
The Columbia Shelter, opened in January during a bout of severe whether, will move from O’Bryant Square to the building on Southeast Grand, the Portland Tribune reports. The Shleifer building was donated for the temporary shelter by the building’s co-owners, Beam Development and Urban Development + Partners, which will restore the building at a later date.
OB Original Blog: Salem prepares Oregon State Hospital site for development
The demolition of five buildings, including the Santiam Building made famous by the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, is expected to be complete by the end of June. Although Salem is optimistic about potential development on the property, not everyone is pleased with the outcome.
Nike awards $250,000 to 26 local projects
The awards were distributed through the Nike Community Impact Fund, which allows Nike employees to participate in the process, the Portland Business Journal reports. The fund has awarded $3.75 million to 356 groups since it launched in 2010. During this cycle, The Street Trust and Big Brothers Big Sisters Northwest were among groups to receive grants.
OB Original Blog: Businesses still barred from downtown building
Occupants of a 10-story building on SW Fifth Avenue that was evacuated last Tuesday were allowed to collect their belongings but since then have not been allowed to return.
