Vacancy tax initiative

A chief petitioner described a year of volunteer work and asked the council to send the measure to the November ballot.

Speaking for the Oregon Working Families Party, he endorsed sending the initiative to voters.

A petition volunteer described residents' housing concerns and the city's lack of dedicated housing funding, urging the council to place it on the ballot.

He opposed the measure, saying it could burden working families keeping multigenerational homes used part-time before moving to Astoria permanently.

He called the tax punitive toward people preparing to move to Astoria and questioned its administrative costs and effectiveness.

He urged sending the initiative to the ballot, citing the difficulty young and working residents face finding housing.

She supported rejecting the petition so it goes to the ballot but opposed the measure itself over enforceability, privacy, and litigation concerns.

A chief petitioner noted the 1,100-plus signatures represent about 15 percent of registered voters and asked for the November ballot.

He supported letting voters decide but asked the city to explain staffing, enforcement, appeals, costs, and cost-effectiveness before the election.

He opposed the proposal, saying it would require new government staffing and intrusive investigations into owners' occupancy.

He opposed the initiative, questioning its data and saying it could unfairly affect retired part-time residents who volunteer and contribute financially.

She opposed the measure and offered alternatives like streamlined permitting, easier ADUs, derelict-property enforcement, and manufactured housing; she noted maritime workers are often away from home.

He asked that the matter be continued to August 17 for more input and legal review, saying the occupancy and reporting provisions seem punitive.

She requested a continuance for legal review, warning the excise tax could conflict with Oregon constitutional limits on property taxation and expose the city to litigation.

She supported placing the measure on the ballot, noting the exemptions protect owners facing hardship and one in seven Astoria houses is empty.

She opposed the measure, describing the financial and legal risks landlords face under Oregon tenant law and arguing owners shouldn't be pressured to rent.

He strongly supported sending it to the ballot, saying most owner-occupied homes would be minimally affected and vacant properties could meet rental demand.

She opposed the proposal because her Astoria vacation home sits under HOA rules prohibiting rentals, meaning she would be taxed despite being unable to rent it.