Mark Explains Why Manzanita Needs Revenue Diversification

Submitted By: MarkForCouncil2022@gmail.com – Click to email about this post
These three charts illustrate sharply how dependent Manzanita is on Transient Lodging Taxes (TLT) to fund our government expenses, in large part due to our very low property tax rate.

Figure 1 shows property tax rates for selected cities: all have higher property tax rates than Manzanita. Figure 2 shows how reliant Manzanita is on visitors to fund general government operations. Figure 3 shows all revenues for FY2021, highlighting how disproportionate the TLT component is.

Our City Manager has already addressed cost-recovery concerns for permits. She is now pursuing increasing System Development Charges (SDCs) for infrastructure as she explained in great detail at the “Envision Manzanita” session on August 28th. It’s worth listening to the presentation on the City’s website to learn more about this. (https://youtu.be/cN1eVZ0vG7w). The next Council will also need to work on detailed plans that will help the City charge appropriate fees to support maintenance (for example, a Transportation Plan that supports road maintenance).

If you elect me to Manzanita City Council, I will pursue alternative funding sources to lessen our financial dependence on visitors.

This is Mark Kuestner and I ask for your vote on November 8. Visit my website, www.MarkForCouncil2022.com

Reference: “Manzanita Today,” is a free, fact-based, non-partisan monthly newsletter that summarizes City meetings and shares stories about our town’s history and other public interest articles. This newsletter is not affiliated with the City in any way. Email ManzanitaToday@gmail.com to learn more.