Oak Harbor commission weighs B&O tax options, dredging funding and facility reserve plan

At a Marina Advisory Commission meeting, David Goldman, Deputy City Administrator and Finance Director, briefed the commission on Business & Occupation (B&O) tax options under consideration by City Council and on how those revenues could be used to support marina capital needs, including dredging and breakwater work.

Goldman said the administration plans to return to council “at the May or early June for further consideration” with two exemption options for discussion: exempting the first $2,500,000 of a business’s gross receipts or exempting the first $5,000,000. He said either option would affect a small share of local businesses—roughly 25 to 60 firms depending on the exemption chosen—and that council could choose to commit revenue to marina uses or leave the revenue source unrestricted. “It looked like the city council narrowed down their focus to 2 options,” Goldman said.

Why it matters: dredging and breakwater repairs are recurring, high-cost needs for the marina. Commission members repeatedly said the city must identify a reliable revenue stream rather than rely on one-time measures. Goldman described…