PENDLETON — The city of Pendleton’s street funding plan is delayed but not dead.

On Friday, the Save Our Streets political action committee announced it was pulling its support for a 4-cent gas tax. The gas tax will show up on the May ballot and have a positive statement in the Umatilla County election pamphlet, but there would be no organized group to fund and run a campaign for the proposal.

Despite the setback, Mayor John Turner, the director of the committee, said the council is still committed to adding about $1 million in revenue for street maintenance.

While the council originally hoped to have the new revenue streams in place for the city’s 2020-21 budget, Turner said the new timeline might be shifted out to the 2021-22 budget.

Turner said it was frustrating to prepare a gas tax proposal for months only to withdraw support for it, but with the succession of regional flooding in February followed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it was the right call to make.

Assuming the gas tax is voted down in May, the city council and gas tax supporters would find themselves in a similar situation to 2015, when the council was able to implement the street utility fee but failed to convince voters to approve a 5-cent gas tax.

But the council’s plan is more expansive than it was five years ago.

The council intended to pass a hotel room tax as soon as staff finished researching how to implement it, and although it wasn’t in their immediate plans, Turner said a committee studying a ticket fee on large events is still meeting.

City Manager Robb Corbett said it would be up to the city council to continue executing the road funding plan.

“Whether or not they want to pursue some of the options, I’m really not sure,” he said.

Save Our Streets will also have to figure out what to do with its remaining money.

Public records show the PAC raised $6,220 and spent nearly half of it. Turner said once some of the committee’s outstanding bills are paid, the group will have about $1,000 left to spend.

Turner said Save Our Streets will meet on Thursday to discuss what to do with its remaining money and whether they should keep the PAC intact or form a new committee once the council commits to seeking another gas tax.

The mayor said he anticipates committee members will want to keep some money in the bank, but they may also want to spend some contributions on advertisements informing voters about the PAC’s withdrawal.

An anti-gas tax PAC led by Pendleton oil distributor Sam Byrnes was created on March 20, but it reported no contributions or expenditures.

The gas tax isn’t the only local issue set for the May ballot.

The Pendleton School District is also pursuing a five-year property tax levy worth 40 cents per $1,000 in assessed value.

Given the spread of COVID-19 and the ensuing closure of schools, Pendleton School Board Vice-Chair Debbie McBee said she anticipates the levy will be a topic of discussion at the board’s next meeting on April 13.