The average Portlander could see a $1,500 increase in expenses over the coming year.

Why it matters: A cascade of tax hikes, new fees and utility rate increases will push the cost-of-living up even further for Rose City residents.

• That's according to a number-crunching analysis from one Reddit user and confirmed by Axios.

Here's the breakdown of increased costs, either already in place or coming to an invoice near you soon:

🎨The arts tax jumped from $35 per year to $50, though fewer people will have to pay it.

🚗 A new transportation utility fee will cost each household roughly $144 a year to cover the city's billion-dollar road maintenance backlog.

💦 Water rates, as well as sewer and stormwater rates, will rise, together adding about $120 per year to the typical bill.

🗑️ Trash collection will go up by $15 a year for the most common service level.

Plus: Portland General Electric raised power rates last month — another $96 per year on the average bill — and natural gas users saw their yearly bills go up by about $53 in November, too.

• Meanwhile, voters renewed both the parks levy and a bond to modernize schools, which means the typical homeowner will continue paying about $1,000 in property taxes for those two measures alone.

All in all, yearly costs can creep up to $1,500 depending on household size, income level and other variables, such as the size of your trash can.

Driving the news: Wednesday's Reddit post by user Pure_Claim_4353 kicked off a cost-of-living conversation that drew more than 400 comments as of yesterday.

• "We legislated our way into the mess we're in," one commenter wrote. "Hopefully we can legislate our way out."

What they're saying: Council President Jamie Dunphy acknowledged in a statement to Axios that life here is getting more expensive but said "the cost of doing nothing is growing more expensive as well."

• "If we want a city where the parks are maintained, roads are safe, and kids have quality education, we must make those investments now before the backlog grows too large to tackle."

The bottom line: As the price of admission to Portland continues to climb, some residents may look for cheaper pastures.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that the change in water and sewer and stormwater rates will add about $120 to the typical users yearly bill (not their monthly bill).

Tell a taxpayer

All the film buffs you know will be lining up in front of Portland Art Museum this weekend for their chance to film their own "Closet Picks" video inside the Criterion Mobile Closet.

State of play: The traveling 18-foot truck has more than 1,700 film titles inside from the niche distributor and streaming service known for arthouse classics, underrated international films and cult favorites.

• It will be parked along the South Park Blocks starting today at 11am through Sunday as part of PAM CUT's "Cinema Unbound" week.
• Visitors get just three minutes inside the truck to browse the collection (with the help of the Criterion Closet team) record their favorite picks and purchase up to three items.

Reality check: The 3-minute slot will probably be just 1% of the entire experience. The Mobile Closet has drawn hours-long lines in other cities since debuting at the New York Film Festival in 2024.

• You can sign up to get real-time updates about the line here.

For most Portlanders (aside from filmmakers Todd Haynes and Kelly Reichardt) this may be the closest they'll get to joining the ranks of cinephile celebrities who've filmed their own Criterion Closet Picks over the years.

🏙️ Luxury condo sales at Ritz-Carlton's Block 216 have increased over the last five months after the brokerage announced plans to slash prices by at least 50%. (Portland Business Journal)

📚 Reading scores among students showed slight improvement in Portland Public Schools' mid-year assessment, but math performance continues to slip. (Willamette Week)

The explosion at a Longview paper mill earlier this week, which killed at least eight people, is Washington's deadliest workplace disaster since the Great Depression, according to Governor Bob Ferguson. (OPB)

• Related: Crews are rushing to dilute and flush caustic "white liquor" contamination from the spill moving toward the Columbia River in order to protect local drinking water and prevent longer-term groundwater damage. (The Oregonian)

😋 The Hollywood Q, a new food hall on the corner of Northeast Sandy and 40th Avenue, will host a grand opening celebration tomorrow with raffle prizes, caricature drawings, drink specials and, of course, food. (Eater Portland)

Oregon isn't hosting any FIFA World Cup games, but we can still be home to the best soccer bar in the U.S.

State of play: USA Today is asking readers to vote on the country's best soccer bar, and one of the contenders is right here in Portland: GOL on Southeast Hawthorne.

• It's one of 20 bars in contention.
• You can vote once a day through 9am next Monday.
• USA Today will announce 10 winners on June 10.

What they're saying: "Owners Peter and Lynda Mahr took over the bar in 2019, creating a space that highlights the city's diverse soccer enthusiasts," according to USA Today.

• GOL is "Timber-centric," per their website, but also hosts watch parties for the Champions League, other international matches and the World Cup, all in pusruit of "bringing people together through the celebration of fútbol."