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Council votes to notify county of intent to reclaim lodging-tax program; public commenters urge countywide coordination
Summary
Baker City councilors approved a motion to send Baker County notice that the city intends to withdraw from the current Transient Lodging Tax intergovernmental agreement and discussed how an in-house program would change administration and spending rules.
Baker City — Baker City Councilors voted to instruct staff to send a notice to Baker County that the city intends to withdraw from the current Transient Lodging Tax intergovernmental agreement, a move councilors said is intended to give the city more flexibility in how it spends lodging-tax revenue.
City staff told the council the county’s ordinance limits how lodging-tax (TLT) funds can be spent and that, under the county arrangement, the city must annually request funds and is restricted to economic-development uses as defined by the county. Staff said administering the program in-house would allow the city to use up to 5% of TLT revenue for program administration and to target promotion and projects more directly to Baker City priorities.
Councilor Kohl moved the motion to approve sending the notice; Councilor Joseph seconded. The motion passed after a brief discussion and public comment.
Public commenters urged that a city-run program not cut Baker County partners out of marketing or event support. Beverly Calder, a former member of the TLT board and a council member when the city transferred TLT to the county, said the original county program aimed to market Hells Canyon, Haines and Huntington as well as Baker City, but she said Baker City “is not getting its share” of marketing dollars and that grant seed funding should be designed to help events become self-sustaining. Matthew Koppenhaver, a member of the TLT committee, cited ordinance language and a past sunset-and-review schedule and asked the council to follow review requirements and clarify statutory alignment before the city assumes administration.
Staff and councilors repeatedly said the intent is not to end partnership with Baker County but to reclaim administrative control so the city can hire dedicated staff and direct a portion of funds toward local economic or general-fund needs. Councilors instructed staff to return with an implementation plan including updated board dates, procedures for reviewing grant applications, and draft administrative rules before the city assumes the program.
What the motion does — and does not — do
- Approves sending a formal notice of intent to withdraw from the county TLT IGA (council action taken). - Does not yet transfer program operations; staff will return with an implementation plan and required ordinance or administrative changes.
Next steps
City staff will draft the notice to the county, update any required board-review dates and procedures cited in the existing ordinance, and bring back a timeline and staffing proposal for council review ahead of the July 1 fiscal date discussed in the meeting.
