A2
THE ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2020
IN BRIEF
Relief funds available to
Oregon fishing businesses
Financial assistance is available to Oregon fisher
men and fishing-related businesses impacted by the
coronavirus.
An application period for nearly $16 million in fed
eral CARES Act funds has opened and extends through
Sept. 8. The money is available to a wide range of fish-
ing-related businesses, from small fishing vessels run
by a handful of one or two people to large processing
operations.
State leaders anticipate the federal funds will not be
enough to address all the coronavirus impacts to the fish
eries industry. They have provided an additional $2.5
million in state CARES Act relief funds.
Oregon’s fisheries are vital to the economic and cul
tural health of the state, Ed Bowles, fish division admin
istrator for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife,
said in a statement.
“We know businesses on the front lines of these fish
eries are hurting, and we hope these federal and state
funds will help provide emergency relief for some of the
pandemic’s impacts this past spring,” he said.
A number of North Coast fishermen homeport in
Oregon, but fish in Alaska. These fishermen will be able
to claim any losses they might have realized from their
Alaska fishing, according to Oregon fishery managers.
For more information and for application materials,
visit www.psmfc.org
County holds session
on Resiliency Project
Clatsop County will hold an informational outreach
session Thursday about the county’s plan to move essen
tial county facilities outside of the tsunami inundation
zone.
The plan, also known as the “Resiliency Project,” calls
for relocating the county’s Public Works Department
facility and establishing alternate and evacuation routes.
The virtual meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. Visit the
county’s website to register for the meeting.
—
The Astorian
Inslee halts plans for Chehalis River dam
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee
has paused planning for a dam on the Chehalis River,
ordering a look at other ways to prevent a repeat of a
2007 flood that swamped farms, killed scores of live
stock and closed Interstate 5 halfway between Portland
and Seattle and State Route 6 between Raymond and
Chehalis.
Inslee’s directive calls on the Chehalis Basin Board a
seven-member board advised by state agencies, to come
up with a “non-dam alternative to reducing flood damage.”
A dam would block fish, eliminate spawning grounds
and fill-in wetlands, according to an environmental
report by the state Department of Ecology.
—
Capital Press
DEATHS
Aug. 9, 2020
PASTOR, David Frank, 74, of Cannon Beach, died
in Cannon Beach. Ocean View Funeral & Cremation
Service of Astoria is in charge of the arrangements.
ON THE RECORD
Criminal trespass
• Matthew Topartzer,
43, was arrested Friday at
Rite Aid in Warrenton for
criminal trespass in the
second degree.
Dill
• David Klimovich,
18, of Vancouver, Wash
ington, was arrested Sun
day on S.W. 18th Street
and Whiskey Road in
Warrenton for driving
under the influence of
intoxicants and reckless
endangerment.
•
Emily Ann Var
gas, 33, of Astoria, was
arrested
Saturday
on
36th Street and Lief Erik-
son Drive in Astoria for
DUII.
PUBLIC MEETINGS
TUESDAY
Clatsop County Planning Commission, 10 a.m., (elec
tronic meeting).
Warrenton City Commission, 6 p.m., City Hall, 225 S. Main
Ave.
Lewis & Clark Fire Department Board, 6 p.m., main fire
station, 34571 U.S. Highway 101 Business.
Seaside School District, 6 p.m., (electronic meeting).
WEDNESDAY
Clatsop Community College Board of Directors,
5:30 p.m., special session, (electronic meeting).
Clatsop County Board of Commissioners, 6 p.m., (elec
tronic meeting).
Wickiup Water District Board, 6:30 p.m., 92648 Svensen
Market Road, Svensen.
THURSDAY
Seaside Civic and Convention Center Commission,
5 p.m., Seaside Civic and Convention Center, 415 First Ave.
Gearhart Planning Commission, 6 p.m., City Hall, 698
Pacific Way.
Warrenton-Hammond School Board, 7 p.m., (electronic
meeting).
the Astorian
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RJ. Marx/The Astorian
Several hundred people with opposing political views stood toe-to-toe at the Turnaround in Seaside on Saturday evening.
Black Lives Matter demonstrators wore masks and hugged the south curb by the Prom, while supporters of President Donald
Trump, generally unmasked with some carrying firearms, stood in front of the Lewis and Clark monument. Chants of'four more
years'and'all lives matter'juxtaposed against shouts of'Black lives matter.'
State lawmakers debate
tax breaks for businesses
Ideas to help close
a budget gap
By PETER WONG
Oregon Capital Bureau
SALEM — As Oregon
lawmakers opened their sec
ond special session of the
summer, political battle lines
are being drawn over legis
lation that would disconnect
the state tax code from three
federal business-related tax
breaks passed earlier this year.
The Legislature’s tax
experts explained the pro
posed measure last week at a
virtual meeting of the House
Revenue Committee.
Advocates of state ser
vices and schools say the
measure would recoup $225
million for the state budget.
But business groups argue
that they need the cash gener
ated by the federal provisions
to revive their operations.
Oregon’s state budget is
on a two-year cycle — the
current period ends June 30,
2021 — but taxes are col
lected annually.
Oregon’s tax code auto
matically adopts federal tax-
law changes, unless the Leg
islature specifies otherwise.
Although changes are
uncommon, lawmakers did
disconnect the state tax code
for six years, starting in 1981,
from accelerated write-offs
for business that Congress
passed as part of President
Ronald Reagan’s tax cuts.
The Legislature reconnected
in 1987, the year after Con
gress overhauled the federal
tax code — and even with
the change, Oregon taxpay
ers got the largest tax cut up
to that point in state history.
The tax breaks were
inserted into the CARES Act,
the $2 trillion pandemic aid
plan that Congress passed
and President Donald Trump
signed in March. But the pro
visions drew attention only
after the bill passed.
‘THE CURRENT PLAN FOR
THE SPECIAL SESSION INCLUDES
CUTS TO IMPORTANT SERVICES
ALL OREGONIANS DEPEND ON. ’
the allowable deduction from
30% to 50% of adjusted tax
able income for tax years
2019 and 2020, and lets a
business choose 2019 as its
base year instead of 2020.
(Assuming the 2019 figure
is greater than 2020, it would
Patty Wentz | Fight for Our Future coalition
allow a greater deduction for
a business.) The state pro
Budget gap
For opponents, the state posal would leave the maxi
For supporters, the pro
measure would scale back mum at 30% and that a busi
posed state measure would deductions and increase tax ness must use its adjusted
retain an estimated $225 mil
liability for businesses hop
taxable income for 2020.
lion for state coffers even as ing to retain cash as a result Net gain for state coffers:
$44.4 million for the 2019-
collections of personal and of the federal breaks.
21 cycle.
corporate income taxes drop
“The congressional lead
during the downturn caused ers designed CARES Act
• Net operating losses:
usually
can
by the coronavirus pandemic provisions ... specifically to Businesses
spread these in tax returns
and shutdowns in business assist businesses experienc
activity. Lawmakers during ing losses due to COVID, over several years. The fed
allowing them to hang on eral change allows net oper
the special session were con
sidering $400 million in to scarce cash during this ating losses originating in tax
spending cuts, $400 million extraordinarily
challeng
years 2018 and 2019 to be
in fund shifts and other ways ing economic time,” Sandra carried back up to five years.
to close a budget gap of more McDonough, the president of Those same operating losses
Oregon Business & Industry, in 2018 and 2019, if carried
than $1 billion.
forward, can be used by busi
“We cannot wait until said in written testimony.
2021 to plug this ($225 mil
“Adopting
(proposed nesses to offset 100% (instead
of 80%) of their adjusted tax
lion) hole. The Oregon Leg
state measure) will demon
able income in tax years 2019
islature must act during a strate that the Oregon Legis
and 2020. The state proposal
special session,” Patty Wentz lature prioritizes its own bud
said on behalf of the Fight for get challenges over the needs would reinstate an 80% limit
Our Future coalition.
of Oregon’s private-sector on businesses for net oper
“The current plan for the employers and the urgent ating losses originating in
special session includes cuts imperative to restore lost 2018 and 2019 and used in
tax years 2019 and 2020. Net
to important services all Ore jobs.”
A letter from the Portland gain for state coffers: $91.4
gonians depend on. While
we appreciate the Legisla
Business Alliance, which million in 2019-21.
•
Limitations on net
ture’s desire to protect some McDonough once led, makes
business losses: The fed
services by utilizing reserves a similar point:
and not making across-the-
“Instead of admitting this eral change eliminates lim
its of $250,000 in losses —
board cuts, we encourage you is a new tax burden on strug
to go one step further and take gling businesses, they will $500,000 on a joint return
action to protect everyday say this is simply a technical — for a S-corporation to
Oregonians, not the wealthy.” change, impacting only a few offset income for tax years
Daniel Hauser of the Ore
wealthy Oregonians,” the 2018,2019 and 2020. Greater
amounts can be converted
gon Center for Public Policy, letter provided to the Port
a think tank based in Port
land Tribune said. “That’s into net operating losses that
can be carried forward. (The
simply not true. Many Ore
land, said richer — and white
— Oregonians will benefit gon businesses will lose change does not affect C-cor-
most from the tax breaks.
much-needed cash if this tax porations, which are larger
businesses.) The state pro
“They do not need more increase moves forward.”
posal would disallow this
tax breaks, especially when
change for state tax returns.
those resources could be
Specific changes
The federal provisions, Net gain for state coffers:
used to relieve the suffering
of Oregonians hit hardest by and how the proposed state $89.2 million in 2019-21.
The
Oregon
Capital
the pandemic,” Hauser, a tax legislation differs:
and housing analyst, said in
•
Deductions for inter Bureau is a collaboration
a paper filed with the House est costs on business loans: between EO Media Group
The federal change increases and Pamplin Media Group.
committee.
Seaside code officer addresses backlog
A closer look at
vacation rentals
By R.J. MARX
The Astorian
SEASIDE — Some vaca
tion rentals haven’t been
inspected in years. Owners
advertise more occupancy
than permitted. Cars spill
over from driveways onto
yards and into the street.
These are some of the
complaints Seaside code
compliance
officer
Jeff
Flory detailed to the Seaside
Planning Commission this
month.
Flory, who started his job
in the spring, said the first
thing he does is pull a proper
ty’s notice of decision allow
ing a vacation rental per
mit, whether the permit was
issued by the commission or
by the planning director.
“I found one today that
advertised for 16-plus occu
pants, with multiple parking
spots as well as plenty of off-
street parking,” Flory said.
“That’s being addressed.”
Some owners may not
be aware of their occupancy
and parking limits, Flory
said. “If you don’t have your
notice of decision, we’ll get
it out to you and we’ll go
over it.”
Outreach includes con
tact with management com
panies as well as property
owners.
Response has been good
from all sides, Flory said.
“Property
management
companies have been really
good to work with. They are
putting in processes to try to
stop complaints from hap
pening,” he said. “Owners
have been real responsive.
I’ve had very few issues of
getting hold of people.”
Neighbors should address
complaints directly to the
property owner or manage
ment company, Flory said.
Contact information will be
made available on the city
website. If action isn’t taken,
Flory steps in.
His goal, he said, is to “get
people back to the table” and
work through problems.
For now, property own
ers can expect a “little bit of
grace” from the enforcement
officer.
“I’m saying to the own
ers, show me that you’re
working toward a solution,”
Flory said. “We don’t nec
essarily want to disrupt their
rental season unless it’s a
major safety issue, but we
should still be working to
some kind of solution.”