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Coos Bay endorses League of Oregon Cities priorities and opposes proposed transient lodging tax changes
Summary
The council approved five legislative priorities to forward to the League of Oregon Cities and voted to send a letter opposing proposed changes to transient lodging tax allocations, arguing the existing program has supported tourism and jobs locally.
City staff presented the League of Oregon Cities (LOC) process and recommended Coos Bay's top five priorities for the upcoming legislative session: a 2025 transportation package, infrastructure funding, full funding and alignment for housing production, restoration of recreational immunity, and shelter and homeless response.
Council approved forwarding the recommended top-five priorities to the LOC. During discussion, Mayor Benetti and others voiced concern about a proposed LOC/legislative change to how transient lodging tax (TLT) dollars are allocated. They argued that prior uses of TLT had helped grow tourism and local jobs and warned that changing the allocation could divert funds from proven promotion programs.
Councilor DeNovo and others articulated that the distribution of TLT is complicated and varies by jurisdiction; the council emphasized the 2002 legislative changes that established a 70/30 split for new TLT revenue and noted that grandfathered revenue prior to that date was used differently. After discussion, the council voted to authorize the city manager to forward Coos Bay's preferred top-five legislative priorities and to write a letter opposing modification of TLT usage.
