Clatsop County delays TLT hearing, pushes for state flexibility and coordinated public-safety messaging

The Clatsop County Board of Commissioners agreed during its work session to postpone a public hearing on changes to the county's transient lodging tax (TLT) until after the Oregon legislative session, while continuing to press for a change that would let counties use more of the tax revenue for public safety and community infrastructure.

County Manager said the board would wait to see whether bills in Salem change the current 70% tourism-dedicated and 30% discretionary split before moving forward with local action. "Not knowing what the result of this is going to be, I think we need to be prepared to take action at the conclusion of the session if we don't achieve some flexibility in that funding," Commissioner Webb said during the discussion.

The decision to delay the hearing followed several commissioners' requests that staff and the county's lobbyists continue to monitor bills addressing TLT allocation. Commissioner Thompson, who serves as co-chair of the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) governance and revenue committee, asked for close communication so county positions align with statewide advocacy. "This item is on our agenda. So what I'd hope we can do is be in close communication about the TLT so that everyone is working most constructively and effectively together," Thompson said.

Why it matters: Commissioners and staff said Clatsop County still faces costs tied to tourism — especially jail, law enforcement patrols, search-and-rescue and emergency medical services — while much TLT revenue is required to fund tourism promotion and facilities. The county manager said the county currently receives about $600,000 in discretionary revenue from the countywide 1% TLT and about $1.4 million dedicated to tourism promotion from that same source, and that many coastal counties experience heavier service demand than their TLT receipts reflect.

Board members and staff also directed county staff to work with the sheriff and counterparts in Tillamook and Lincoln counties to compile and refine data on the public-safety and infrastructure impacts of visitors, and to develop coordinated messaging. Commissioner Webb said she has discussed producing a joint statement or op-ed signed by the three coastal sheriffs to press the case for flexibility in TLT usage and to highlight operational impacts such as jail costs and highway incident responses.

Discussion details and staff role: The county manager said staff (and the county's contracted advocates, CFM) are tracking bills and will prioritize those the board identifies as high priority, medium or low. Amanda, the county's management and policy analyst, said the office meets regularly with the county's federal and state lobbyists and will notify the board when federal measures of interest (for example, WIOA reauthorization) move.

Commissioners asked about coordination with statewide organizations. Thompson asked how Clatsop County's positions will coordinate with AOC and the League of Oregon Cities (LOC). The county manager replied that the commission should speak as a majority and coordinate with staff and advocates when requesting meetings or testimony. County staff committed to bringing targeted bill summaries and arranging subject-matter staff to attend work sessions when the board requests deeper review.

What was decided: The board postponed the TLT public hearing to await developments in the legislative session and directed staff to continue tracking and prioritizing bills. Staff was also asked to compile final data from neighboring counties and to support a coordinated messaging plan with the sheriff's office.

Provenance: The board discussed the 70/30 TLT split, Representative Javety's legislative proposal, and delaying the hearing early in the meeting; county staff and commissioners expanded on TLT impacts and intercounty data later in the session.