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County proposes fee for transient lodging certificate of authority; board backs $300 initial/$150 renewal on schedule
Summary
Deschutes County staff proposed, and the board supported, adding a certificate-of-authority administrative fee to the county fee schedule to recoup part of the program’s administrative costs; the board directed the item to a June 11 public hearing on the FY26 fee schedule.
Deschutes County finance staff presented May 20 a proposal to add an administrative fee for issuing and renewing transient lodging certificates of authority; the Board voted to place a $300 initial registration fee and a $150 annual renewal fee on the county fee schedule for a public hearing June 11.
Finance officials told commissioners the county’s transient‑lodging tax (TLT) program costs about $482,000 per year to administer; the county currently has about 3,100 registered accounts and an average of roughly 25 new registrations per year. Under county code changes adopted earlier in May, registrants must obtain a certificate of authority to advertise transient lodging and must include the certificate number in listings. The proposed administrative fee would be charged when applicants register or renew online.
The board considered several coverage levels for the administrative cost and chose a fee combination that staff said would recover a meaningful share of administration expenses without imposing full cost recovery up front. If the fee ordinance is approved at the June hearing, the fee would be effective Sept. 1, 2025; staff said registrants would be notified in advance and that the county’s registration software will implement payment flows for the fee.
Commissioners asked whether the fee would create new administrative burden and were told staff capacity and software would handle the volume; staff also agreed to public outreach and notification about the new fee ahead of the Sept. 1 effective date. The board’s vote to include the fee on the fee schedule was 2‑1, with one commissioner recorded as opposed.
