Officials get time to process land claims
Friday, May 11, 2007 11:34 AM PDT
SALEM (AP) — Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed a bill Thursday that gives state and county governments an extra year to process claims filed under Measure 37, the property rights law approved by Oregon voters in 2004.
The initiative requires governments to pay owners for property value lost from land-use restrictions passed after the property was purchased, or to waive the restrictions. The extension gives agencies more time to make decisions on the thousands of claims that have been filed. The old law forced governments to process claims within 180 days.
‘‘Extending the deadline for processing Measure 37 claims avoids billions of dollars in potential liability for the state and Oregon counties,’’ said Rep. Greg Macpherson, D-Lake Oswego, one of the bill’s sponsors. ‘‘It’s a relief to have avoided this fiscal crisis.
Now we can focus on completing the work of modifying Measure 37 to deliver the fairness Oregonians said they wanted in our land use laws.’’
The modification entails asking voters to scale back the amount of rural development that would be allowed under Measure 37. The House has approved sending the issue to voters.
If endorsed by the Senate, a special election would be held later this year.
