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Newport leaders report on Washington and Salem advocacy for dam funding and municipal finance
Summary
Council members and staff described recent meetings with congressional and state representatives to press for dam funding, warn against proposals to remove tax-exempt status for municipal bonds, and monitor a state transportation funding package.
Mayor Kaplan and other city representatives gave the council an update on recent advocacy visits to Washington, D.C., and testimony before the Oregon Legislature’s Ways and Means Committee seeking support for Newport priorities.
Mayor Kaplan said he, staff and outside representatives met with members of Oregon’s congressional delegation to press for federal funding for the city’s dam project and to express concern about media and budget rumors that would eliminate the federal tax-exempt status for municipal bonds. He told council the status of tax-exempt municipal bonds is “rumored” to be under discussion at the federal level and that eliminating the exemption would “be terribly harmful” to cities because it would undermine a key mechanism for capital financing.
Council members also reported meetings with Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative Val Hoyle and said they met with staff from Senator Ron Wyden’s office. One speaker described a Senate-side meeting of Republican and Democratic infrastructure staffers as evidence that bipartisan work on infrastructure bills was underway.
Council members discussed a statewide transportation funding package in the broader budget conversation. Staff and council described the package as a multiyear plan under development at the state level that would seek new revenue sources for transportation without necessarily raising the gas tax. Council members said cities receive about half of state transportation-generated revenues and that the League of Oregon Cities (LOC) is asking municipalities to help educate constituents and follow the proposal as it develops.
Mayor Kaplan also described testifying remotely before the joint Ways and Means Committee in support of funding for the dam, and he said the presence of both Representative David Gomberg (House) and Senator Dick Anderson (Senate) on the committee made the hearing particularly relevant to Newport’s request.
The council did not take formal action at the work session on lobbying positions. Staff said they will continue outreach and keep council informed as budget and transportation proposals proceed at the federal and state levels.
