Measure 3-632 is a nearly 900-word amendment to Wilsonville’s city charter that puts costly requirements on the city that make it much harder to even put an urban renewal plan on the ballot for voters to consider.

Urban renewal is a financing tool that helps communities fix up tired, underperforming areas like Wilsonville’s Town Center.

Here’s how it works:

The City draws a boundary around an area that needs investment, and looks at how much property tax money is being collected in that area at that time. That revenue keeps going to schools, police, fire, the library, and other basic services just like it does now.

As new buildings are built or properties become more valuable, the amount of property tax collected in that area increases. That increase in property taxes collected above the original amount can help pay for improvements inside that urban renewal area — things like safer streets and sidewalks, parks and open spaces, utility upgrades, and other public improvements.

There is no new tax. Urban renewal does NOT raise anyone’s property tax rate.

Instead, it uses the growth in property tax revenue within a specific area to help pay for that area’s improvements.

Voting is great! Voters have had the opportunity to vote on every single urban renewal area ever considered by the City of Wilsonville and the results have been honored. If things aren’t broken, we shouldn’t try to fix them with a complicated change to our city’s constitution.

This measure adds layers of new requirements — nearly 900 words of requirements — that could make it harder, slower, and more expensive to bring plans to voters.

Mayor Shawn O’Neil has called for a Town Center Urban Renewal Plan advisory vote as soon as this November. But if Measure 3-632 passes, that wouldn’t be possible. The new rules in this amendment would make an urban renewal area vote too expensive and time consuming to consider by this November.

And fine print in the proposed amendment means the City would have to wait until at least 2028 to ask voters to weigh in.

Measure 3-632 would require repeated elections, additional staff time, and could lead to legal challenges.

For example, the proposed charter amendment would require the City to prepare detailed plans that will require significant upfront analysis and documentation, adding costs related to staff time, consultants, and legal review.

These added costs would come out of public resources that could otherwise go toward services or community improvements.

Yes. Urban renewal makes sure that new development pays for itself—it does not increase your taxes.

But if this amendment passes and it becomes too difficult to create urban renewal areas, any new infrastructure or community improvements in these areas would have to be paid for with higher taxes on all Wilsonville residents.

Yes. The added procedures required under Measure 3-632 would create delays and uncertainty, and drag out projects for years — increasing costs and making Wilsonville an unattractive place for major investments.

The proposed charter amendment also requires voter approval not only for a new urban renewal plan, but also for any “substantial change” to an existing plan—a term that isn’t defined.

In other words, even after voters approve a plan, if the City later needs to adjust it—as projects almost always do—it must go back to voters again.

And because Measure 3-632 requires those votes to occur on a primary or general election ballot, it could take nearly two years for any changes to be approved.

Measure 3-632 would create delays and add costs and uncertainty at a time when the city is trying to move forward with plans for a walkable Town Center with local businesses, housing, and gathering spaces. These added barriers could stall or stop that progress.

Measure 3-632 could make housing projects harder to complete by increasing costs and uncertainty. That includes housing for seniors, first-time buyers, and families who want to stay in the community.

Plans to create smaller, accessible housing options near services and amenities could be delayed or reduced, making it harder for seniors and young families to remain in Wilsonville as they age.

Yes! It has funded parks, infrastructure, and community improvements using growth in property tax revenue—without increasing tax rates.