Wilsonville City Council outlines 2025 legislative priorities

Road and transit resources and funding for residential housing infrastructure are among the city of Wilsonville’s priorities for next year’s state legislative session.

In a work session Monday, Sept. 16, the City Council discussed the top priorities for both Wilsonville and South Metro Area Regional Transit, which is Wilsonville’s public transit organization, in the 2025 state legislative session. The “long” 2025 session will last from January to June.

“The priorities that are laid out give us general guidance, which is so important,” said Greg Leo, the city’s government affairs counsel, adding that the priorities list is helpful when unexpected issues come up during the legislative session. “Having this kind of document really does give us certainty and guidance to make sure that we are truly representing what this council wants.”

The presentation laid out eight priorities for Wilsonville, such as funding for housing infrastructure, modifying public camping laws,supporting those behind on utility payments and improving child care.

A focus on transportation

Increasing resources for roads and public transit is a top priority as the Legislature is expected to consider a statewide transportation package. Wilsonville's focuses include the advancement of the project to replace Boone Bridge along I-5 and a potential bicycle and pedestrian bridge across the Willamette River. The city also seeks to implement a study to expand the Westside Express Service Commuter train to Salem. Currently the WES rail travels between Beaverton and Wilsonville.

Leo said there is still uncertainty about whether tolling will be a proposed funding mechanism for the Boone Bridge project, after Council President Kristin Akervall asked if this topic should be mentioned in this priority. Leo said the current approach gives general guidance and allows the topic to be revisited once specifics are known.

Support for housing infrastructure

In another notable priority, the city would like the Legislature to allocate $2 billion for residential housing infrastructure. Wilsonville Government Affairs Director Mark Ottenand said the governor’s office set a target of building 36,000 homes annually across the state over the next 10 years, with at least half of those affordable to households at or below 80% of the area median income. However, there is a need for more housing infrastructure funding to meet this goal, as the current amount available from the state is not enough.

“If we’re serious about wanting to go into housing production, and for that matter industrial development, we need some real infrastructure monies,” said Ottenand, .

According to the priorities document, examples of potential legislative grant requests include improvements to the Boeckman Creek Sewer Interceptor,a pathway on French Prairie Road in Charbonneau and other infrastructure projects necessary for housing development.

Further action on homeless camping laws, housing incentives

Modifications to homeless camping laws are also on the priority list, specifically addressing the current standard requiring “objectively reasonable” regulations on public camping. Support for those who are behind on utility payments is also included in this priority.

The city wants the state to extend the timeline of a Vertical Housing Development Zone incentive as well. The program, which is scheduled to sunset at the beginning of 2026, allows cities and counties to provide a 10-year tax abatement on up to 80% of improvement value on qualifying mixed-use development. The Wilsonville council has approved two vertical housing programs, in Villebois Village Center and Town Center. According to the city’s priorities document, developers indicated that mixed-use development is not feasible without the program.

Further points of emphasis

Other priorities include permanently restoring recreational immunity for public use trails, improving child care resources and adjusting the SMART service territory to align with Wilsonville’s city boundaries — requiring an adjustment to the TriMet District Territory. Ottenand said in the presentation that TriMet collects transit tax revenues in Wilsonville but provides no transit service for the funds received.

Reauthorizing and funding the Business Oregon Regionally Significant Industrial Sites program, also known as the Oregon Industrial Site Readiness Program, is another priority. The program offers a financing mechanism to “advance industrial sites to a “shovel-ready’ status” for development. Leo said this is necessary to support infrastructure development in Wilsonville’s Coffee Creek and Basalt Creek industrial areas.