The city of Newport is seeking public input on a proposed increase to its lodging tax.
The tax is levied on guests who stay in hotels, B-and-B’s, campgrounds, and vacation rentals. The current rate is 9.5 percent, but a proposal under consideration by the Newport City Council would increase that by nearly a third to 12 percent.
That would place Newport’s lodging tax among the highest in the state, according to a list maintained by the Oregon Department of Revenue. On the coast, only Warrenton in Clatsop County also charges 12 percent.
City officials say the increase would go toward the cost of maintaining city facilities, including those frequented by visitors. Like many cities that depend on revenue from tourism, Newport’s budget took a hit last year when COVID-19 chilled the travel market.
The proposed hike in the lodging tax will be the subject of a public hearing on May 17.
