Astoria Budget Committee Meeting - March 6, 2026

The Astoria Budget Committee met on March 6, 2026, to elect a chair and vice chair, receive presentations from four tourism grant applicants, and allocate $650,000 in transient room tax (TRT) funding for fiscal year 2026-2027. The committee unanimously approved funding for all four organizations, with full requests granted to two smaller groups and proportional increases to the larger entities.

Consent Calendar

• None.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were recorded.

Discussion Items

Election of Budget Committee Chair and Vice Chair

• Linda Morland was nominated and unanimously elected as Chair.
• A vice chair (Tom Hardy, based on context) was nominated and elected unanimously.

Tourism Organization Grant Program Applications

Four organizations presented five-minute pitches, followed by five minutes of questions each.

Astoria Downtown Historic District Association (ADHDA)

• Quinn Hayes (Executive Director) and Tamra Cameron (Sunday Market Director) presented.
• ADHDA’s website generates 2,000–5,000 unique impressions per month. They distribute 25,000 paper maps annually.
• The Astoria Sunday Market generated $2.3 million in vendor sales in 2024, up from $1.5 million in 2022. Crowd counts range from 10,000–12,000 on opening day to 4,000 on rainy days.
• A survey showed 27% of market visitors live outside Oregon/Washington, a 10% increase from 2023. 92 new vendor applications were received for 2025.
• Requested $133,000 (full amount granted).

Astoria–Warrenton Travel Alliance (AWTA)

• David Reid (Executive Director, Chamber of Commerce) represented AWTA.
• AWTA reported 4,117 tourism-related jobs, $49 million in wages, and $131 million total economic impact from visitation in 2024. Visitor spending generated $5.2 million in local taxes.
• Citing a UMass study, Reid stated that 14.7% of travel is attributable to marketing, yielding $19 million of the $131 million in visitor spending. AWTA’s $267,000 total spending produced an ROI of $71.19 per dollar in economic activity and $11.40 in TRT revenue per dollar invested.
• AWTA focuses on shoulder and off-season marketing, collaborates regionally (Cannon Beach, Seaside, Clatsop County), and rebranded from Lower Columbia to clarify its geographic scope.
• Requested $300,000; received $229,737.50 (a ~$29,700 increase over last year).

Astoria Uppertown Business Association (AUBA)

• Stacey Stahl (President) presented.
• AUBA formed in 2022, serves ~90 businesses (20 active members). Events include Christmas Troll, Love Locks, and a new Astoria Rainbow Connection. No dues; sponsorships totaled ~$7,000 in 2024.
• Reported 25–30% of trolley event attendees from outside the area, based on ticket sales zip codes.
• Marketing materials (maps, field guide, activity book) distributed to hotels, businesses, and Portland-area contacts.
• Requested $79,000 (up from $69,600 last year) to cover shared office space, reprints, and new event marketing. Full amount granted.

Astoria–Warrenton Visitor Center (operated by Chamber of Commerce)

• David Reid presented the visitor center’s request.
• The visitor center is open seven days a week year-round; paid staff always on duty. It provides maps, community calendar, GPS trolley tracking, public restroom, and outlet for event ticket sales.
• Reid detailed a “conversion” model: visitors with a few hours spend ~$20/person; those staying two days spend ~$300/person and generate TRT.
• The building has deferred maintenance needs (roof patching ~$5,000). Last year’s allocation was $183,653; this year’s request (not explicitly stated) was higher.
• Requested amount implied to be near $394,000 for full operations; received $208,262.50 (a ~$24,600 increase over last year).

Funding Allocation Decision

• Total requests: $777,000; available budget: $650,000 (84% of requests).
• Last year’s allocation was $573,263. The committee debated across-the-board percentage cuts, prioritizing smaller organizations, and considering the visitor center’s physical plant needs.
• Final consensus: Fund ADHDA and AUBA at their full requests ($133,000 and $79,000 respectively), then split the remaining $438,000 between AWTA and the Visitor Center, with a slight extra boost to AWTA.
• Motion passed unanimously, with encouragement for the Chamber to provide more detail on building maintenance costs before final budget approval.

Key Outcomes

• Elections: Linda Morland elected Chair; Tom Hardy elected Vice Chair (both unanimously).
• Funding Approved (FY 2026–2027):
  • Astoria Downtown Historic District Association: $133,000 (full request)
  • Astoria–Warrenton Travel Alliance: $229,737.50
  • Astoria Uppertown Business Association: $79,000 (full request)
  • Astoria–Warrenton Visitor Center (Chamber of Commerce): $208,262.50
  • Total: $650,000
• Next Steps: The Chamber will provide a cost estimate for visitor center building repairs; final budget adoption will occur at a later meeting.