PENDLETON — The campaign to pass a 4-cent gas tax in Pendleton died just as it was ramping up, but an anti-gas political action committee is attempting to put the final nail in the coffin.

This week, Pendleton voters received a mailer from the No Pendleton Gas Tax PAC with the words “Now is not the time” emblazoned on both sides of the postcard.

“Pendletonians are struggling with skyrocketing unemployment and business closures due to the Coronavirus,” the mailer states, accompanied by a photo of an older couple looking over their finances as they clutch their faces. “We’re struggling to make ends meet. Now is not the time to make fuel more expensive with a city gas tax.”

The PAC spent significant money on the campaign material. According to state records, the committee spent more than $1,400 with Gateway Communications of Portland for postage and operational expenses. The group spent even more with the La Grande-based Elkhorn Media Group, sending the company $4,000 for radio ads.

No Pendleton Gas Tax is doing all this plus, a website and Facebook page, despite not having to compete with an official pro-gas tax group for votes.

The Pendleton City Council sent the gas tax for road maintenance to the ballot in February, well before Umatilla County identified its first case of COVID-19. But as the virus turned into an international pandemic, and with the council unable to pull the tax from the ballot, the pro-gas tax PAC, Save Our Streets, announced it was pulling the plug on its campaign.

But that hasn’t stopped No Pendleton Gas Tax from raising $11,700, with most contributions coming after Save Our Streets’ announcement. The anti-gas tax group’s contributions have come exclusively from gas station owners and oil distributors, including Byrnes Oil Co. of Pendleton, Devin Oil Co. of Hermiston, Hattenhauer Distributing Co. of The Dalles and WSCO Petroleum Corp. of Portland.

Sam Byrnes, the owner of Byrnes Oil and the director of No Pendleton Gas Tax, did not return a call requesting comment.

Before shutting down, Save Our Streets also raised serious money, collecting more than $6,570, including contributions from most Pendleton City Council members and the Round-Up Development Corp.

In its short time as an active group, Save Our Streets spent a majority of its money, including spending $3,536 with The Sally Script for social media and web design. The Sally Script is owned by Sally Brandsen, a candidate for Pendleton City Council.

Mayor John Turner, the director of the PAC, said it seemed “counterproductive” to spend money trying to defeat a gas tax that didn’t have any formal support, but added that the issue was still in the hands of the voters.

While Turner didn’t anticipate the gas tax passing once voting closes on May 19, he reiterated that the council remains committed to raising $2.2 million for street repair.