The historic Andrew Young House, a Victorian home on Duane Street in Astoria, Oregon
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Vacancy Tax, Pot Tax and a Nursing Home Bond: Clatsop County’s Money Measures Explained

ByDana Whitcomb

Photo: Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Ballots for the Nov. 3 election have been in Clatsop County mailboxes since Oct. 14, and for voters in Astoria, Warrenton and the Clatsop Care Center Health District, they include money questions that could change what some homeowners, businesses and taxpayers pay. Here is a plain-language guide to the three local tax measures on the ballot, based on the measure texts and reporting by The Astorian and Seaside Signal.

Astoria Measure 4-247: a tax on homes that sit empty

Astoria voters will decide whether to create a vacancy excise tax on residential properties that are occupied for fewer than 183 days a year. The aim is to push more of the city’s housing into year-round use at a time when rents and home prices have climbed beyond the reach of many local workers.

Under the measure, the owner of a qualifying home would owe $3,000 for the first year it is vacant under the definition and $6,000 for each year after that. The tax would be self-reported by owners, similar to how many local lodging taxes work, and the city would be responsible for enforcement.

The measure includes exemptions for situations in which a home is empty for reasons outside the owner’s control, including medical circumstances, military service and disasters. Money collected would go into the city’s Community Housing Fund, which supports efforts to expand housing for people who live and work in Astoria.

Supporters see the tax as a tool to discourage second homes and investment properties that sit dark much of the year in a city with limited room to build. Opponents argue it penalizes property owners, may be difficult to enforce fairly with self-reporting, and will not by itself create new housing. Vacancy taxes are still rare in the United States, so if the measure passes, Astoria would be watched closely by other coastal communities wrestling with similar pressures.

Warrenton Measure 4-248: cutting the marijuana tax

In Warrenton, voters are being asked to lower the city’s local tax on recreational marijuana sales from 10% to 3%. Oregon law, under ORS 475C.453, allows cities and counties to impose a local tax of up to 3% on retail marijuana sales, on top of the state tax. Warrenton adopted its 10% rate in 2014, before the state cap took effect, and the measure would update the city code to match the 3% maximum. Medical marijuana cardholders and their designated caregivers are exempt.

For shoppers, the change would mean a lower total price at Warrenton dispensaries. For the city, it would mean less revenue from the tax.

Clatsop Care Center Health District Measure 4-249: a $34 million bond

Voters in the Clatsop Care Center Health District will decide on a $34 million general obligation bond to build a new skilled nursing facility. The current Clatsop Care Center building in Seaside dates to 1926.

General obligation bonds are repaid through property taxes levied on property within the district, so the measure would raise property tax bills for owners there for the life of the bonds. The district is seeking the bond to replace that building with a modern facility so long-term care remains available locally.

Skilled nursing beds are in short supply in rural Oregon, and aging buildings have made it harder for some facilities to meet modern standards for infection control, accessibility and private rooms. Voters weighing the measure will be balancing that need against the added cost on their tax bills.

Other measures on local ballots

The tax questions are not the only local items. Astoria voters will also see three city charter measures, 4-244, 4-245 and 4-246, and Cannon Beach voters will decide Measure 4-243, which deals with the city’s foredunes. The Clatsop County voters’ pamphlet includes the full text of each measure along with explanatory statements and arguments for and against.

How to vote

Oregon votes entirely by mail. Completed ballots can be returned by mail with prepaid postage or dropped at an official ballot drop site in the county. Voters should sign the return envelope, since an unsigned envelope can delay or prevent a ballot from being counted. Voters who did not receive a ballot, or who need a replacement, can contact the Clatsop County Elections Office in Astoria.

Check the county elections website for drop box locations and deadlines. Results will begin to be posted on election night, Nov. 3, with updates as ballots are counted in the days that follow.

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