Clatsop County follows TLT changes, levy‑grant fix (HB 3980) and Job Corps funding cut at Tongue Point

Amanda Grama, Clatsop County legislative and policy analyst, told the board the county is actively tracking a package of bills in Salem, including a transient lodging tax (TLT) proposal and a recently introduced levy‑grant fix.

"So just an update on the TLT bill. Conversations continue," Grama said, adding that an informational panel was scheduled before the House Committee on Revenue and that Don (a local representative) was invited to speak. She said a county‑backed amendment has been introduced and that lawmakers planned a TLT work session the following day.

The county has also been working on a correction to the levy grant program after concerns were raised about Business Oregon’s eligibility rules. Grama reported the legislative fix was filed as HB 3980 and was referred to the Oregon House Committee on Rules.

"That levy grant bill, to continue that funding, is in ways and means," Grama said. She credited coordination with local partners and statewide associations for producing the technical fix.

Board members discussed a separate federal issue: recent cuts to Job Corps funding that affect the Tongue Point Job Corps campus in Astoria. County staff and local leaders have been contacting federal officials and community partners to identify housing and support for students displaced by the program change.

"Several students have already gone home," an assistant county manager said, describing outreach to service providers and to housing operators in Seaside. County staff said some students are local and may be able to remain; others lack a place to return to and the county is trying to narrow the number of affected students.

Commissioner Webb described a local clergy initiative that maintains a database of homeowners willing to offer spare bedrooms to displaced students. "We've established a database of families, or homeowners, who have free bedrooms," Webb said, and encouraged public testimony at a community meeting in Astoria.

Chair (recorded in the session as the board chair) and other commissioners praised staff and lobbyists for progress on the TLT discussions and the levy bill fix, noting repeated county advocacy trips to Salem. The board asked county staff to continue monitoring the bills and report back on any developments.

Clarifying details: the levy‑grant fix was identified in the meeting as HB 3980 and was referred to the House committee on rules; the TLT bill had an informational hearing and a work session scheduled; Tongue Point Job Corps funding reductions prompted local outreach and a community meeting to coordinate housing and supports.

Next steps: county staff will continue to track TLT negotiations and HB 3980 in Salem and pursue stakeholder contacts for student housing and support related to Tongue Point disruptions.