NEWS UPDATE FROM STATE REPRESENTATIVE DAVID GOMBERG: The Interim Lifestyle and an ODOT Update

EDITOR’S NOTE: We’ve been including State Representative Gomberg’s weekly newsletters in the Pioneer since his district used to include a portion of Tillamook County. With re-districting, District 10 no longer includes a corner of Tillamook County, but Representative Gomberg’s newsletters are so informative, well-written and often include coastal issues that we’ve continued to include them in the Pioneer.

By Representative David Gomberg, House District 10

7/14/2025

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Last week, I wrote that I got home from the end-of-session in Salem at 4 a.m. Saturday morning and was making a speech at an event later that day at noon.

Instead of driving to the Capitol each day for a series of meetings, I’m now driving across our district from Lincoln City to Junction City and Florence to Philomath for town halls, ribbon cuttings, luncheons, and gatherings with constituents. I call it the “interim lifestyle.”

This past sunny week was busy as expected. I’ve provided some details below. And this weekend, Susan and I took some personal downtime.

Next week, we have plans for a ribbon cutting at the new Sylvia Hotel, lunch with the owners of Pelican Brewing, Business After Hours at the Sea Lion Dockside Bar, a reception at the Lincoln City Cultural Center, and a Sip-and-Stroll tour of Philomath. Hope to see you out there somewhere!

The last time an Oregon Attorney General came to Lincoln County, about a dozen people showed up to listen to news about consumer protection and internet scams. But times have changed.

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield drew a standing-room-only crowd of approximately 150 people on Monday for our joint Town Hall, highlighting the intense public interest in current federal and state issues. Senator Dick Anderson joined us at the front table as well.

A significant portion of the discussion centered on unique coastal economic challenges. We heard from people who had been summarily fired from federal jobs but prevented from receiving unemployment benefits. We heard how the fishing community has been impacted by cuts to weather and science. We also heard about reductions in food assistance, financial aid for college students, and housing assistance.

Health care was a major concern as Medicaid reductions impact Oregon Children, Oregon families, seniors, and the viability of local hospitals.

The Oregon Health Authority expects that up to 200,000 Oregonians could lose their health insurance coverage through Medicaid in the next decade due to new eligibility requirements passed in the massive tax and spending cut bill. In Oregon, 20% of people currently enrolled in Medicaid could lose their coverage, the most significant percent loss of any state. Also reported is a ban on all Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood, who provide reproductive care and cancer screenings for women. One in three Oregon children is enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan.

AG Rayfield noted that his office has initiated over 20 court actions to contest federal policy decisions, grant withdrawals, and service implementations. The gathering was the latest of statewide “Safeguarding Oregon: Federal Oversight Forums” presented by the Oregon Department of Justice. Read more here.

Monday morning, I was in Waldport to help present the 2025 “Golden Sparky” award, the state’s highest honor for leadership in public education and fire prevention efforts, to Charlie Lesiecki.

Charlie checks and installs smoke detectors in homes, helps with commercial fire inspections, and advises landowners how to protect their property from wildland fires. The 68-year-old retiree heads Central Coast Fire & Rescue’s safety committee, conducting regular inspections of the district’s facilities. He’s also a volunteer firefighter who shows up when the alarms go off and helps with Lincoln County’s technical rescue team.

Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple and a contingent from her Salem office surprised Lesiecki with the award on Monday.

As I often remind people, Susan and I live in the 2020 Echo Mountain fire zone. We have a special respect and appreciation for our firefighters. They get and deserve credit when they confront fires. But they are less often recognized for the daily work of preparing families and preventing fires. This recognition of Charlie’s volunteer work was well deserved. Read more here.

The Sparky Awards have been given annually since 1977. The Golden Sparky recognizes a fire service member or fire agency, and the Silver Sparky recognizes a civilian or a civilian agency. This is the highest state fire service honor given by the Oregon State Fire Marshal. To see past award recipients and their work, check out the state fire marshal’s Sparky Award webpage.

Tuesday, I briefed the Oregon Seismic Safety Policy Advisory Commission (OSSPAC) on the recent legislative session, and received a briefing from ODOT regarding proposed budget cuts (see below). Then Susie and I drove to the Valley for a special event in Philomath.

Regular readers know I love ground breakings. They are the formal start of something new and worthwhile. But I enjoy ribbon cuttings even more since they formalize the fact that we actually got something done!

In 2022, a fire at the Philomath Frolic & Rodeo Grandstands took an important part of this vibrant community. I worked in Salem to find $1.9 million for renovations. And just in time for the 2025 Frolic, Phase 1 was completed, including new grandstands to the western side of the arena, adding new lighting, a new press/announcer’s box, new stock pens, a new rodeo office, and, crucially, new public restrooms!

Senator Anderson, speaking at the event, reminded folks that politicians like us always appreciate having projects, streets, or parks named for us. I agreed that it was important to remember us when we helped get dollars like this. So I encouraged park users to always think of the Senator and me when they used the new toilets…

Philomath has enjoyed several ribbon cuttings lately, including the completion of the Streetscape project and the dedication of the Paul “Jeff” Cochran Veterans Memorial Park. Earlier this year, I sponsored and passed HCR 16 honoring Jeff, which is a necessary step in authorizing a highway sign near the park honoring his memory.

Read more here.

Wednesday morning, I briefed the Oregon Ocean Alliance on environmental legislation during the recent session, met with the Oregon Ocean Science Trust, sat down with Lincoln City Interim Manager David Benson, and then gave a session overview to the Lincoln City Rotary Club.

I then recorded an interview on the Double R Show with host Roger Robertson. You can listen to AG Rayfield, Senator Anderson, and me in the half-hour program here.

As I mentioned earlier, I received a briefing this week from ODOT – the Oregon Department of Transportation – and their plans to address revenue shortfalls in the absence of a transportation plan approved by the recent legislative assembly. Here is what they told us.

ODOT is facing a historic operations and maintenance funding crisis caused by flattening gas tax revenues as Oregonians drive more efficient vehicles, rising costs, and legal limits on how transportation funds can be used. Now, ODOT is forced to make deep cuts, including laying off hundreds of employees and scaling back essential services like road maintenance, snow removal, and safety operations.

ODOT needs to cut $354 million from State Highway funded operations and maintenance in the 2025–27 budget. This gap can’t be filled by minor cuts or belt-tightening; federal or other dedicated state funds cannot be used.

OPB photo

On Monday July 7, 483 current ODOT employees received notices ending their employment effective July 31. These employees include maintenance crews, support staff, and critical operational roles across the state. In addition, the agency is eliminating 449 vacant positions, further reducing its ability to provide services. In total, 932 positions will be cut as a result of this budget crisis. If the funding shortfall isn’t resolved, ODOT will be forced to plan another round of layoffs early next year.

Oregonians will begin to see noticeable impacts to road maintenance and safety services as early as this summer.

With fewer crews and limited resources, ODOT will reduce or delay essential tasks like pothole repairs, pavement maintenance, and road striping.
Vegetation management, including brush clearing and fire prevention work, will also be scaled back, increasing wildfire risk and reducing visibility along roads.
Roadside litter pickup, striping, and signage replacement will occur less frequently as will graffiti and camp cleanups, leading to a visible decline along state highways across the state.
As winter approaches, Oregonians can expect slower and less frequent snow and ice removal, particularly in rural and mountainous areas where fewer staff will have to cover more miles of roadway. Deicing treatments will be scaled back, increasing the risk of icy roads and dangerous driving conditions.

Drivers can expect longer and more frequent road closures. Some roads may close during storms if crews aren’t able to clear snow. Reopening those roads will take longer with fewer staff.

ODOT is closing 12 maintenance stations across the state starting this month and continuing through this year. The stations closing are in Estacada, Sweet Home, Rose Lodge, Veneta, Detroit, Drawbridge Station, Canyonville, Port Orford, Silver Lake, Mitchell, Sisters, and Condon. Maintenance crews will be stretched thin, resulting in longer response times for Oregon travelers.

In addition to those closures, the following services and projects have been cut or reduced as a result of this budget issue:

Maintenance of state park public roads and state parks used as rest areas.
More than 120 miles of chip seal projects. These projects improve pavement quality and durability. Hundreds more miles of these projects are unlikely to occur until this budget issue is resolved.
ODOT’s agreement with the City of Portland for camp clean-up expired and will not be renewed. Litter, graffiti, and camp clean-up will continue in Portland, but at a significantly lower level of service.
ODOT will not replace equipment through this biennium, resulting in more than half of equipment required to operate beyond its service life.
ODOT’s pavement patch program will be reduced or eliminated, resulting in more rapid decline in pavement conditions, slower response to pothole repair, and less ability to address rutting issues.
Edge lines on low-volume roads will not be repainted.
After the Rowena fire greatly damaged stretches of Highway 30 last month, those segments will be closed this summer and likely beyond due to the need for guardrail replacement.

Only a small share of the funding that comes into ODOT can be used to maintain the state’s transportation system and run the agency. State law directs almost half of total State Highway Fund dollars to cities and counties and then dedicates over half of what’s left to pay back bonds for past projects and invest in new projects, leaving only about 20 percent of every dollar available for state highway maintenance. Other funding sources can’t be used to fund maintenance and operations. Federal funds, for example, are mostly dedicated to construction projects and can’t legally be used for fixing potholes or paying maintenance staff. Transit funding cannot be used for statewide maintenance or general agency operations either.

Safety remains ODOT’s top priority. But with fewer crews and supplies, responses will be slower, sometimes dramatically so.

Be prepared for winter weather. Check out ODOT’s winter travel tips and check TripCheck before you go. Here are a few of ODOT’s tips for winter travel:
Focus on driving. Put away distractions like cell phones and other electronic devices. Keep your hands on the wheel and your mind on the road.
Watch out for each other, on and near the road. Watch for pedestrians and bicyclists who may be obscured by heavy rain or snow. Give extra room for trucks and other large vehicles.
If you lose traction and your vehicle feels like it’s floating, gradually slow down. Don’t slam on the brakes.
Know your route. Some roads are regularly maintained. Other roads, such as Forest Service roads, are maintained less frequently.
Keep a safety kit in your vehicle.
Start your trip with a full fuel tank or vehicle charge.

I have been writing for years that the revenue the state agency takes in from gas taxes, licensing and titling fees, and other sources was flattening out, even as costs were rising steeply.

Legislative leadership offered up a number of road-funding proposals this year that would have filled the budget gap. An initial version of House Bill 2025 would have raised around $14.6 billion over a decade from higher gas taxes, a new tax on car sales, an increase in registration fees and more. Much of the money would have been shared with city and county road departments that are also warning of dire shortfalls.

But many legislators in both parties eventually said the proposal was too expensive. When it became clear a major road-funding package didn’t have support, leadership and the Governor scrambled in the final day of session to pass a stop-gap bill to avoid cuts at ODOT. That failed to advance as well. ODOT then started executing layoff plans. Read more here.

A central argument against raising transportation revenue was the understanding that too many Oregonians already struggle with increasing costs for utilities and groceries or finding a place to live they can afford. Further increasing costs didn’t have the votes needed. But when the weather changes this fall, attention will shift to roadway safety. Disappearing fog lines, potholes, dangerous driving in snow and ice, and slow response to landslides and accidents may become more important than charging electric vehicles using our roads or a modest increase in gas taxes.

The economy in our part of Oregon depends on a reliable and safe transportation network to get people to work, take our products to market, and to bring visitors to our tourism communities.

Much has been said about a special session to address transportation. That would require work on a compromise and consensus solution, and two-thirds of the members actually showing up. Without a special session, I expect transportation to be front and center when we reconvene in January.

As news develops, I’ll do my best to keep readers current and well-informed.

As always, thanks for reading.