Multnomah County chair disputes claim of Preschool for All tax discouraging top earners

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson is disputing data presented in a letter by Gov. Tina Kotek regarding the county's Preschool for All program.

The governor said the tax for the program is discouraging top earners from calling Portland home, specifically Multnomah County.

Preschool for All is funded by a personal income tax on Multnomah County's highest earners — individuals with a taxable income over $125,000 and joint filers with a taxable income of over $200,000.

In a letter to Chair Jesssica Vega Pederson, Kotek said there has been a drop of more 1,700 high-earning taxpayers in Multnomah County since the tax kicked in in 2021. 

That's according to data presented by the Portland Central City Task Force in May.

But Chair Vega Pederson said those numbers are dated, as they do not reflect the city's work to follow up with other potential taxpayers.

In a response letter to the Kotek, the chair wrote, "Based on updated data that we received in May, the total number of filers in tax year 2023 is now 38,370, a 5,429 filer increase from revised tax year 2021."

Ryan Yambra, a spokesman for Multnomah County, said the updated data reflects a community that understands and supports the Preschool for All program.

"You go from a 1,700 decline to a 5,400 increase...that’s almost a 7,000 tax payer swing, which drastically changes the narrative,” Yambra said. "This community has decided to make Preschool for All a model nationally that other communities can draw inspiration from."

KOIN 6 News has reached out to the governor's office for a response on the taxpayer data provided by the county and if it changes her recommendations at all for the Preschool for All program.

Stay with KOIN 6 News as we continue to follow this story.