We have owned a home in Oceanside for 24 years. We are in favor of incorporation because Oceanside is facing many challenges due to growth, tourism, short term rentals (STRs), and sub-standard roads in many neighborhoods. Tillamook County doesn’t have the funds or staffing to deal with our challenges along with the challenges of 13 other unincorporated communities and even they admit this.
- Since Oceanside already has water, sewer, fire protection, police, and transportation services, an incorporated Oceanside can focus on land use planning, STR coordination, tourism management, road maintenance and emergency preparedness.
- The city tax rate for Oceanside of $.80 per $1,000 tax assessed value is realistic because unlike many cities, our water, sewer, fire protection, police, and transportation services are already separate tax districts.
- Total property taxes for Oceanside are currently $13 per $1,000 tax assessed value, but $2 of that is the Netarts-Oceanside Sewer District (NOSD) bond. Our sewer plant is modern and has expansion capacity. Cities with aging sewer plants and limited capacity will face higher taxes when they must replace their sewer plants.
- Over the past 8 years, more than $1 million of Transient Lodging Tax (TLT) generated in Oceanside went to roads outside of Oceanside. An incorporated Oceanside would keep 90% of TLT generated in Oceanside. Of that 90%, 30% is for general use and 70% for projects benefitting both tourists and residents.
- Tillamook County is not responsible for local access roads maintenance and most roads in Oceanside are local access roads. The County spends an average of $27,000 annually on Oceanside roads. The new city could double that spending and start building reserves for repairs and improvements and an incorporated Oceanside would be eligible for ODOT grants.
- An incorporated Oceanside would be responsible for about 120 STRs, a more manageable number than Tillamook County is trying to deal with, and could work closely with neighborhoods and STR owners/management companies.
- Estimates of TLT and the new city tax (starting November 2023) in the economic feasibility statement were conservative and didn’t include new subdivisions or hotels. It also didn’t include grants and other sources of income only available to an incorporated city.
- Because Oceanside is not incorporated, we were excluded from meetings about the hotel replacing The Cabins. Draft ordinances sit in limbo till the County has time to consider them. An incorporated Oceanside would have a seat at the table and ordinance changes would take a fraction of the time they take currently.
- Oceanside Neighborhood Association (ONA) membership is open to anyone who lives, works or owns property in Oceanside. The ONA is a citizen advisory to Tillamook County and would be an advisory to the new city. Only registered voters in Oceanside can vote even though all property in Oceanside would be subject to the new city tax. It was the same way with the bond to build the NOSD sewer plant and that was a much bigger tax.
Mary Flock/Jud Griner
Oceanside