Clatsop County considers $225,000 tourism grant for Oregon Film Museum expansion
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Summary
Clatsop County commissioners discussed a request from the Oregon Film Museum for $225,000 from tourism-promotion dollars (proposed as $75,000 per year over three years) to match grants for a roughly $10 million expansion; staff will draft a contract and return it through the regular process.
Clatsop County officials on Wednesday reviewed a request from the Oregon Film Museum asking the county to contribute $225,000 toward a planned expansion intended to attract more visitors and support educational exhibits.
Monica Steele, assistant county manager, told the board the museum seeks $10,000,000 in capital funding for a two-story, roughly 10,500-square-foot expansion and has raised about $6.5 million so far. "So what they're asking for is $225,000," Steele said, and staff recommended spreading the county's contribution over three years ($75,000 per year) to preserve flexibility for other tourism projects.
The funding would come from the county's tourism-promotion allocation, which Steele explained is funded by the transient lodging tax. She said a recent countywide rate change, effective Jan. 1, 2026, leaves 70% dedicated to tourism promotion under ORS while 30% remains discretionary for public-safety uses. Steele added the statute allows tourism-promotion funds to pay for capital facilities that attract tourists.
Steele and the county manager both said the Oregon Film Museum meets the tourism-promotion criteria: the museum draws more than 50,000 visitors annually from inside and outside Oregon, houses rotating exhibits and educational programming on filmmaking, and remains closely connected to the Goonies Jail attraction. The county manager told commissioners the museum request fits anticipated tourism strategies and said staff planned a larger planning process with tourism partners following the rate increase.
Commissioners voiced support while also noting competing priorities for lodging-tax-derived dollars. Commissioner Michelle Banks emphasized that the 30% discretionary portion was increased to support emergency services and urged legislative flexibility in the future, but said the 70% tourism portion is an appropriate place for the museum request.
Steele said the next step is for staff to draft a contract with the Oregon Film Museum and bring it back to the board through the regular approval process. No formal motion or vote was taken at the work session.
