The Board of Directors of the Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce urges a “no” vote on Initiative Measure 4-247. While our members rank workforce housing among their top challenges, this measure will not solve it.
Legal risk: Similar vacancy taxes elsewhere have drawn prompt legal challenges. The city would have to defend a law neither staff nor the council wrote.
Permitting capacity: Slow permitting is one documented cause of the shortage. Writing rules, administering and defending this tax would compete for the same limited staff time needed to approve new housing. The numbers: Proponents cite 669 vacant homes out of 5,089, about one in seven. That doesn’t match what residents see. After exemptions for medical care, probate, renovation and active listings, which the city must still define, we estimate only a few dozen homes would be taxed.
Limited revenue: At $3,000 annually, rising to $6,000, a few dozen homes yield modest revenue, reduced further by administration and enforcement costs. The measure has no distribution plan, and need-based assistance already exists.
Commerce: Part-time residents and owners in transition support local contractors, retailers and restaurants while using fewer city services. An additional tax increases holding costs, discourages purchases and renovations and signals unpredictability to prospective residents and investors.
Astoria needs more housing. The chamber will continue to work toward this goal with the city, builders and employers on faster permitting and housing projects. Initiative 4-247 doesn’t do that. We urge a “no” vote.
DAVID REID