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Bandon voters approve big increase to city’s lodging tax

The Oregon coast in Brandon. File photo from 2016.
Chris Lehman
/
KLCC
The Oregon coast in Bandon. File photo from 2016.

Voters in Bandon have approved an increase in the city’s tax on hotels and vacation rentals.

Nearly 71% of Bandon voters approved the increase during Tuesday’s election. The final total could fluctuate as additional ballots arrive, since Oregon law now allows ballots postmarked up until Election Day to be considered.

The proposal would hike the city’s lodging tax from 6% to 9.5%. The city estimates the higher rate could bring in an additional $500,000 per year for the Coos County city.

Under Oregon law, 70& of the revenues from the tax must be used to promote tourism or to improve tourism-related facilities. The rest can be added to the city’s general fund.

"For Bandon, many of our public spaces contain tourism related facilities that would benefit greatly from additional funding and attention," wrote Bandon city manager Dan Chandler in a city newsletter in May. "There are many ways to enhance our community that would benefit from this funding stream."

Chandler did not return a call from KLCC seeking comment on the election results.

Chris Lehman has been reporting on Oregon issues since 2006. He joined the KLCC news department in December 2018 and became News Director in March 2023. Chris was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and graduated from Temple University with a degree in journalism. His public broadcasting career includes stops in Louisiana and Illinois. Chris has filed for national programs including “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered.”
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