CFM Advocates brief Clatsop County on 2025 legislative session; priorities include HCP fixes, TLT flexibility and FishHawk HOA bill

CFM Advocates lobbyists Zach Reeves and Ryan Gleeson briefed the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners during a work session on the county’s 2025 state-legislative priorities, emphasizing housing and homelessness, behavioral health, water and transportation and several county-specific bills, including measures tied to the Habitat Conservation Plan and transient lodging tax changes.

Why it matters: the December revenue forecast showed about $2,700,000,000 in additional dollars potentially available to the Legislature, a figure Reeves said drew “dollar signs in our eyes,” but county and legislative budget writers remain cautious; how the Legislature allocates those dollars will affect county requests for relief and new program funding.

CFM’s overview and session landscape Zach Reeves told commissioners the new Legislature convenes with Democratic supermajorities that can, in theory, pass revenue-raising measures without Republican votes. Ryan Gleeson and Reeves described new leadership in both chambers and previewed major policy themes they expect to dominate debate: housing and homelessness, behavioral health, water policy and a possible transportation package.

Housing and homelessness: Reeves and Gleeson said housing and homelessness will be central. The presenters noted Governor Tina Kotek’s homelessness state of emergency and the administration’s role in drafting housing legislation; the governor’s recommended budget (released Dec. 1) is a starting point for the Legislature.

Behavioral health and funding changes Gleeson referenced 2024 legislation that reorganized funding streams, saying House Bill 4002 repealed Ballot Measure 110 and established different structures for deflection programs; he said CFM will monitor continued funding for locally administered behavioral-health programs and keep commissioners informed.

County priorities and bills CFM identified several Clatsop County priorities: - Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP): CFM said Representative Cyrus Jovidi and Senator Suzanne Weber have sponsored a concept (referred to in the briefing as House Bill 3102) intended to address county concerns with the HCP. Reeves said “it’s too early in session to know” whether the Legislature will act on that concept. - FishHawk Lake HOA fees: Reeves described a concept to relieve the county’s obligation to pay homeowners-association fees on properties acquired through foreclosure at FishHawk Lake. He said an initial drafting by legislative counsel included a six-month exemption provision intended to avoid takings-clause problems; CFM is working with counsel to produce language that fixes the county’s longer-term issue rather than offering a temporary break. - Transient lodging tax (TLT): CFM said its primary vehicle would add “public safety and community infrastructure” to the allowable uses in the existing 70% category, giving counties more flexibility to spend TLT revenue on public-safety needs. Reeves and Gleeson warned the change faces “pretty significant headwinds,” but they are prioritizing it because of Clatsop County’s tourism-driven public-safety pressures.

Local context emphasized to legislators Commissioner Webb urged repeatedly that the county’s geography affects response times: “80% of Clatsop County is in forest land,” Webb said, and roadside geometry and sparse east–west connectivity increase travel time for first responders and Oregon State Police. CFM said educating legislators about those local conditions is a major part of the lobbying strategy.

Other session vehicles and opportunities Reeves and Gleeson described additional state-level opportunities they will track: a water package led by the House Natural Resources, Water and Agriculture Committee, and a possible transportation funding package tied to the state highway fund and long-term sustainable revenue options. The presenters warned that increases to the gas tax may not be a sustainable long-term solution and noted the supermajority makes revenue-raising legislation possible in this session.

Process, tracking and next steps Gleeson said CFM has imported the session’s bills into a “Bill Tracker” and that 2,284 bills were filed the previous Friday; he said CFM will provide Clatsop County a tailored list and assist with drafting testimony, arranging meetings in Salem, and monitoring committee activity. The county’s commissioners and staff discussed more frequent check-ins with the delegation and with CFM; Reeves and Gleeson said they are available as a resource and will provide regular updates.

Ending: CFM and county staff said they will return with bill lists and targeted recommendations as the session unfolds. Chair and commissioners thanked the presenters and noted the Legislature’s official start the following week.