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Four regional projects are gaining additional money because revenues from a Metro construction excise tax for the 2013 fiscal year are projected to exceed the original projection.

The tax, a 0.12 percent levy on improvement projects valued at more than $100,000, is projected to bring in $5.2 million – roughly $1 million more than anticipated, according to John Williams, Metro’s deputy director for community development.

That will allow Metro to allocate more money to four projects that were denied full funding in the Cycle 3 grant cycle last August and carry forward the remaining balance of about $687,000 to the next fiscal year, Williams said.

“The excise tax is a reflection of the economy,” he said. “It’s a direct measure of that. Revenues had been flat for a while, but we’re seeing that revenue bounce back.”

Metro on June 19 voted to extend the excise tax through 2020, and approve the allocation of additional dollars, Metro spokesman Ken Ray said. A total of $313,486 will go to the four projects.

Metro allocated $58,691 to the city of Gresham and $72,599 to the city Portland for work on the Powell-Division Transit and Development Project. Also, $116,455 will go to the city of Sherwood and Washington County for master planning of the Tonquin employment area, $44,741 will go to the city of Portland for mixed-use zoning studies, and $21,000 will go to Clackamas County for its strategically significant employment lands project.

Municipalities that receive dollars will have to submit statements documenting how they will use them moving forward, Williams said.