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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, MAY 11, 2015
Talk of lodging Ocean Beach teachers’ union
tax hike continues members won’t take a ‘skip day’
‘Walking out and losing a
cite
in Cannon Beach Teachers
day of school is not what’s
community
Doing the city’s
bidding
By ERICK BENGEL
EO Media Group
Because more than 50
CANNON BEACH — percent of the city’s general
Should the city increase the fund revenue comes from
6 percent transient lodging transient lodging taxes, the
tax by 0.5 percent beginning tax increase “would have a
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originally discussed, or by .XFHUD DUJXHG 7KH EHQH¿W
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to the chamber
Should the tax be
would
“come
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back to (the city)
The Cannon
in visitors and
Beach
Bud
tourism.”
get
Commit
“I can guaran
tee chewed on
tee you that we
these questions
are there to do
We d n e s d a y
your bidding —
evening, which
to bring visitors
marked the com
to increase your
mittee’s
third Courtland Carrier budget,” Carrier
meeting.
said. “It’s your
At previous meetings, budget we’re dealing with.
the committee’s discussion If we do more business, you
DVVXPHG D KDOISHUFHQW WD[ earn more money.”
hike, as does City Man
Carrier said he plans to
ager Brant Kucera’s pro discuss at the next budget
SRVHG)<EXGJHWRI meeting how the informa
²DSHUFHQW tion center will spend the
increase over last year’s bud extra money. He has already
get.
indicated that the chamber
The proposed increase ZRXOG KLUH D IXOOWLPH VWDII
would generate up to an ad person for the center and buy
GLWLRQDOVSHFL¿FDO new brochure racks.
ly for the Visitor Information
“I’d sure like to look and
Center — via the Cannon see where the money goes,”
Beach Chamber of Com committee Vice Chairman
merce — to spend on mar Richard Bertellotti said.
keting Cannon Beach and its
Marty Schwab Harris, a
events, Kucera said.
committee member, said she
Then, on Wednesday, would like to know the pro
City Councilor Mike Bene MHFWHGLQFUHDVHLQYLVLWRUVDQG
¿HOG VXJJHVWHG WKDW WKH LQ whether the city can handle it.
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“We know that we’re
Courtland Carrier, exec landlocked right now, and
utive director of the cham we know that we have park
ber, had been imagining a ing limitations and whatnot,”
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“if the opportunity exists, resident, I would be interest
ZHFDQGH¿QLWHO\MXVWLI\WKH ed in having a better under
additional amount,” he said. standing of what the volume
Right now, the cham increase will be, and what
EHUUXQ LQIRUPDWLRQ FHQWHU pressures that will put on all
staffs the equivalent of one aspects of community ser
IXOOWLPH HPSOR\HH ZKHUHDV vices and public services.”
Seaside and Astoria’s visitor
Public comment
centers staff more than three
7KHIRXUWKDQG¿QDOEXGJHW
each, Carrier said. Meanwhile,
Cannon Beach’s information PHHWLQJ VFKHGXOHG IRU
center, receives about three p.m. Wednesday, will include
a public comment period.
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Wendy Higgins, a city
“It’s overwhelming. To
tally overwhelming,” Carrier councilor and general man
said. “We’re here to bring ager of The Ocean Lodge, is
more business to Cannon organizing a meeting for rep
Beach, and without addition resentatives of Cannon Beach
DO VWDI¿QJ ZH DUHQ¶W DEOH WR hotels to discuss the proposed
do that outreach. We literally lodging tax increase shortly
don’t have the staff bandwidth before the next meeting, she
said. Some representatives
to be able to do it right now.”
He added that Cannon are expected to chime in
Beach gives a far smaller during public comment.
The City Council plans to
percentage of lodging tax
dollars to its chamber — vote on the proposed budget
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do other Oregon cities; the but will hold a special meet
statewide average is about ing if more deliberation is
required.
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Quarterflash
Friday, May 22 nd
tic
ke
ts
at the
Liberty
Theater t.com
at
Astoria
es
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sw
bo
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of
f ic
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an
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ocrats did propose a slight
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teachers.
Though Long Beach Pen
best for kids.’
insula teachers have decid
ed not to strike, they still
— Rachel Lake
By KATIE WILSON
intend to make their voices
Union president and district music teacher
EO Media Group
heard. Lake and the building
representatives in the dis
LONG BEACH PEN think if teachers walked out tricts walked out of classes, trict have encouraged teach
INSULA. Wash. — Across of school for a day.
concerned about what they ers and district staff to write
the state, teachers’ unions
“Our community is so say is the continued under letters to the state legisla
DUH KROGLQJ RQHGD\ VWULNHV supportive of our schools,” funding of Washington’s ture supporting the union’s
to protest what they say are Lake said. “They’ve passed schools. The unions have demands to provide more
LQDGHTXDWH VFKRROIXQGLQJ all our levies and bonds. ... argued that the state is not funds to school districts
proposals in the Washington We wanted to make sure the paying teachers competitive so they can support staff;
legislature.
community knew we loved wages and is pushing testing fund professional learning
But teachers from the their support.”
opportunities, Title I and
over teaching.
Ocean Beach School District
In cities where teachers
To satisfy a state Supreme special education; maintain
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have gone on strike, the com Court ruling to increase smaller class sizes; and pay
Representatives of the lo munity response has been funding for public schools teachers a livable wage.
After the legislature
cal teachers union informed mixed with some parents in Washington, state House
the Chinook Observer recent saying they understand the Democrats and Senate Re failed to meet its deadline
ly that Ocean Beach School teachers’ reasons but felt that publicans have pushed bud GXULQJLWVGD\VHV
District teachers will not go the strikes (and the missed JHWV SURSRVLQJ ELOOLRQ sion, it moved into a special
session last week to continue
on strike.
school day) hurt their kids.
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“Walking out and losing
Lake said they also want
Under both proposals, discussing issues, including
a day of school is not what’s ed to make sure the district money would be put to education spending propos
best for kids,” said union knew it had the support of its ward reducing class sizes in als. Special sessions can run
president and district music teachers.
kindergarten through third XS WR GD\V DQG *RY -D\
teacher Rachel Lake in an in
“Our district is doing its grade, though not grades Inslee could call for another
such session if more state
WHUYLHZ$SULO
best to support us,” she said.
They also thought about
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Unlike the Senate Repub business still needs to be
what the community would eight Washington school dis lican’s plan, the House Dem discussed.
support
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By The Daily Astorian
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