By Lianne Thompson
Who’s got the money, who’s got the power, and what are they doing with it? What’s the cost, who gets the benefit? What’s in it for you and for me?
I’m writing this in the heat of the 2026 Short Session of the Oregon Legislature. I’m in year twelve of twelve as serving as a county commissioner, and I’m grateful for the honor of serving you. That’s the thank you part of the title. The please comes at the end. Read on to find it.
My job means creating relationships that improve things for you, starting in the southern half of Clatsop County (District 5) and extending as far as possible. I listen to you and care about what you want and need. The listening and caring extends all over the county and all over Oregon.
This week, I spent two very full days in Salem, listening and speaking on behalf of local governments all over Oregon, specifically on rebalancing power to spend transient occupancy taxes. HB 4148 rebalances, adds flexibility, and changes the power dynamics of a bargain established by law in 2003 to support both the tourism industry and community needs.
This matters to you because current essential core service needs like public safety and roads cost money. Demand increases with more people, and tourism means more people, higher levels of service demand, and higher costs.
Who pays? Either local property owners or tourism taxes, in many cases.
Because we live in communities, we face this issue together. We can build trust by choosing trust over fear and warfare, or we can spend our lives responding with fear, anger, and various kinds of conflict.
On February 9, 2026, I testified in person before the House Revenue Committee to support HB 4148. I said that local elected officials keep our jobs because we listen to everyone, care about everyone’s well-being, and want to support our local businesses. All true. I later said that if we don’t convince our voters of our good intentions and our effectiveness, they throw us out of office. Also true.
In Clatsop County, we’re working to establish a table to include local officials, staff, and industry representatives to practice adaptive and responsive tourism tax management. It’s a slow process, but we’re committed to respectful and affectionate relationships that allow everyone to flourish. That’s a goal, and it takes time, trust, humility, and kindness.
Who knows? Maybe the ideas and methods spread, and we have a reasonable and capable world to live in. In the meantime, please practice self-care and care of others.
If you’re looking for a motto or a model, please try this: act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God. Works for me; I hope it works for you, too.