An authority is hereby declared to be a public body performing a public function. Accordingly, an authority, all assets at any time owned by it, the income therefrom, and all bonds issued by an authority, together with the coupons applicable thereto, and the income therefrom, shall be exempt from all taxation in the State of Oregon; provided, however, that real and personal property owned by the authority and leased to a third party shall be subject to property taxation if such property would be subject to taxation if owned by the lessee thereof. All bonds issued by an authority shall be deemed to be securities issued by a political subdivision of the State of Oregon.
ORS 441.580