Three Keizer residents are leading a local effort to gather signatures for a statewide petition seeking to refer to voters increases to the gas tax and vehicle registration in the state’s transportation funding package. 

The “No Tax Oregon” effort amped up in recent days after Gov. Tina Kotek signed legislation that would collect $4.3 billion over 10 years through fee and tax increases. The governor signed the bill into law on Friday, Nov. 7.

That has triggered a sprint by opponents to get a repeal before voters in the November 2026 general election.

The referendum would seek a vote on four elements of the transportation package. That includes a 6-cent increase in the state gas tax, increases in vehicle licensing fees and temporarily doubling the payroll tax from 0.1% to 0.2% of a paycheck between January 2026 and January 2028. 

Petitioners must collect 78,116 signatures by Tuesday, Dec. 30, to successfully refer the tax increases to voters in the November 2026 election. The effort was more than halfway there by Sunday, Nov. 16, with over 42,000 signatures collected, according to organizers.

Jessica Davidson, Susan Dunfee and Jane Herb are petition captains for Keizer and north Salem. Along with Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell, they hosted a drive-thru signing event in Keizer on Sunday, Nov.16. Davidson said that in four hours the volunteers gathered 700 signatures.

The Keizer Chamber of Commerce has set up a petition signing station at its office at 4118 River Rd. NE. Signing stations are also located at The Rec Grange, 411 Chemawa Road N., and the McNary Estates golf course parking lot, 155 McNary Estates Drive N. Other locations can be found on notaxor.com.

Only signatures of registered voters will be counted.

Kotek said in a statement as she signed the bill that it would fund “critical maintenance and operations” and fill an existing $300 million budget gap. Kotek wrote that new funding would allow the Oregon Department of Transportation to maintain current services and prevent 500 job cuts. Losing those employees would have impeded the agency’s ability to “clear road incidents, plow snow during the winter, respond to emergencies like floods and wildfires, and keep state highways safe,” she wrote.

Kotek said the new funding also would fill “a critical shortfall” for city and county road projects, and provide transit agencies a short-term resource to prevent service reductions for two years. 

“The people who came together to solve this crisis do not always agree, but they all recognized the urgency of the situation. Oregon families were counting on us. Our economy was counting on us.” Kotek wrote. “When winter weather hits this year, Oregon families will be able to depend on road crews to help them get to where they need to go, businesses will be able to move their goods, and first responders will be able to get to emergencies.” 

But opponents say the tax and fee increases come at a time Oregonians are already struggling financially. They say Oregonians deserve a direct say on the increases.

In interviews, some aiding in the local petition effort, including Davidson, Dunfee and another volunteer, as well as State Sen. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer, and state Rep. Kevin Mannix, R-Keizer, told Keizertimes they felt the tax increases would burden Oregonians who are already struggling financially and that residents deserve the opportunity to vote. 

Davidson, vice chair of Marion County Republican Party, said public testimony opposing the transportation funding bill, HB 3991, outweighed testimony supporting it. Because of this, she believes state Democratic leaders are not listening to voters and the bill is “taxation without representation.” 

“I would like to see voters have the opportunity to have their voices heard,” Davidson said. “And that’s what this referendum does – is give them the opportunity to say, ‘we support this bill, or we oppose it.’” 

Thatcher and Mannix, Keizer Republicans, said in interviews that they support the petition, citing concerns about financial burden on Oregonians and wanting to give voters an opportunity to weigh in. 

“I think that the Legislature went a bridge too far, in terms of the financial solutions that they put together, and that’s going to impose too heavy a burden on our Oregon citizens,” Mannix said.

He believes there is an opportunity to reform transportation department operations to reduce costs. 

Mannix sees the opportunity to refer the decision to voters as “an important part of our process,” and encourages Keizer residents to consider the petition. 

Thatcher believes the lives of Oregon residents “are hard enough” with a high cost of living, and “we don’t need to make it more expensive.” 

She said Oregon has higher tax rates than other states, specifically with income tax and gas tax. With the increases to the gas tax and vehicle registration and title fees, she believes people are “tired of it.” 

Thatcher believes the Legislature could shift existing funding to prioritize road maintenance, and believes the idea that “either you raise taxes or we don’t get our roads plowed” is a “false choice.”

If the referendum is successful and voters reject the tax and fee increases, she said lawmakers will be forced “to work together to come up with a transportation package that is affordable and works for most people.” 

Thatcher believes Democrats didn’t consider Republican proposals when considering the funding, even though issues around taxes and transportation have historically been bipartisan.

Dunfee, who is also a precinct committee person for the Marion County Republican Party, said she follows state politics and knew the referendum was coming after the Legislature passed the transportation bill in September. She believes citizens have a responsibility to be informed about and involved in government. This led her to join the petition efforts. 

“I spent too many years as an ostrich not paying attention, and I am not happy with the direction that our state has been going,” Dunfee said. “So I’ve gotten involved, and I’ve learned not just about my responsibilities, but also about the true meaning of the Constitution and just better understanding my rights as well as my duties so that I can do what I can to help benefit my neighbors, my state and my country.”  

Julio Chirinos, a volunteer who stood outside of Safeway on Monday, Nov.17, to collect signatures, echoed the belief that Oregonians should be able to vote on the tax and fee increases. He said he read news articles about the tax increases, and wanted to join the petition effort. 

“It’s not right for politicians to tell us ‘we are going to raise your taxes just because we need the money’,” Chirinos said. He said he believes the state leaders are misspending money and want taxpayers to pay for it. 

“I think we should vote whether we want to pay more or not,” he said. 

Have a news tip? Contact Krista Kroiss by email at [email protected]

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