WEEKEND EDITION // SATuRdAY, OcTObER 16, 2021
149TH YEAR, NO. 47
$1.50
Johnson
to run for
governor
Scappoose Democrat
will become independent
By ERICK BENGEL
The Astorian
State Sen. Betsy Johnson, the influen-
tial co-chairwoman of the Joint Ways and
Means Committee, is running for gover-
nor next year as an independent.
The Scappoose Democrat made the
announcement in an email
to supporters on Thursday.
“Oregonians are eager
for a fresh start and new
leadership,” she wrote.
“But having to choose
between another left-wing
liberal promising more of
Betsy Johnson the same or a right-wing
Trump apologist – is no
choice at all. Oregonians deserve bet-
ter than the excesses and nonsense of the
extreme left and radical right. Oregonians
are ready to move to the middle where
sensible solutions are found.
“That’s why I have decided to run for
governor as an independent leader unaffil-
iated with any party and loyal only to the
people of Oregon.”
Johnson said in a statement that she
would raise money and start assem-
bling staff and supporters before formally
announcing her campaign early next year.
By early March, Johnson will have to
give up her membership in the Democratic
Party to run as an unaffiliated candidate.
Without party backing, she will need to
collect at least 23,744 signatures by next
See Johnson, Page A6
Weber steps
into Senate
campaign
Tillamook Republican
wants to replace Johnson
By ERICK BENGEL
The Astorian
State Rep. Suzanne Weber, the Tilla-
mook Republican who represents state
House District 32, will run for state Sen.
Betsy Johnson’s seat.
Johnson, a Scap-
poose Democrat who
represents Senate Dis-
trict 16, announced on
Thursday that she will
run for governor in
2022 as an independent.
Late Thursday, Weber
Suzanne
announced her Senate
Weber
campaign in a Facebook
video.
Weber edged Debbie Boothe-
Schmidt, an Astoria Democrat, for an
open House seat in 2020. It marked
the first time a Republican had won
the North Coast district in almost two
decades.
Photos by Lydia Ely/The Astorian
Anti-food tax signs line the sidewalk along Fir Street in Cannon Beach.
Cannon Beach preps for food tax vote
The 5% levy has
divided the town
By KATIE FRANKOWICZ
The Astorian
ANNON BEACH — The two
women didn’t know each other
until they visited the same tiny
hair salon in Portland’s Sellwood
neighborhood on the same day and
got into an argument about a proposed
food tax in Cannon Beach.
The women remember the interac-
tion differently, but both felt attacked
for their opinions.
Deanna Hammond, the co-owner
of the Cannon Beach Bakery, is decid-
edly against the tax.
Like a number of other restaurant
and food-related business owners,
Hammond believes the tax would add
to her costs. She anticipates having to
hire an extra person just to help with
bookkeeping if voters pass the tax in
the November election.
The city’s proposed 5% tax on pre-
pared food — food meant for immedi-
ate consumption, whether to-go, deliv-
ered or onsite — is intended to target
tourist dollars. The city and the Can-
non Beach Rural Fire Protection Dis-
trict would split the revenue generated
— an estimated $1.7 million annually
— and the money would help fund
operations at the fire district and pay
for city infrastructure projects like a
new City Hall and police station. The
city has pledged some money to busi-
nesses to help defray costs associated
with collecting the tax.
Hammond supports the fire district
and the police department. But — with
the coronavirus pandemic, related
back-and-forth restrictions on restau-
rants, the rising cost of food and sup-
plies and a labor shortage — she does
not believe this is the time to add to
business owners’ burdens.
Deb Atiyeh, the other woman in the
Portland salon that day, sees things dif-
ferently. She stumped in support of the
tax proposal for most of the summer
and has helped lead a grassroots cam-
C
Shane Corbin, front, and Sean Corbin, back, the co-owners of Corbins along with
Sean’s wife, Crystal, prepare for dinner before doors open.
FOOD TAX
The city’s proposed 5% tax on
prepared food — food meant for
immediate consumption, wheth-
er to-go, delivered or onsite — is
intended to target tourist dollars.
The city and the cannon beach
Rural Fire Protection district would
split the revenue generated — an
estimated $1.7 million annually —
and the money would help fund op-
erations at the fire district and pay
for city infrastructure projects like
a new city Hall and police station.
The city has pledged some money
to businesses to help defray costs
associated with collecting the tax.
paign to get out information to voters.
She lives near the fire district’s station
and she said the sirens blare constantly.
“They’re being crushed by tour-
ism,” she said.
‘Crushed by tourism’
Calls for service rose steeply this
year, many of them coming from
visitors. Last year, the fire district
responded to more than 400 calls for
service and is on track to surpass that
number this year. Meanwhile, city
offices and operations are housed in a
failing building.
In Atiyeh’s mind, the services and
city infrastructure the tax revenue
could support would benefit everyone.
The businesses that don’t support the
tax? “I see them as being rather selfish,
to be honest with you,” she said.
Residents describe a palpable ten-
sion in town over the topic.
But Cannon Beach is not the only
Oregon city pursuing a sales tax to
carve out a new revenue stream. New-
port, just over 100 miles to the south,
is going to voters with a 5% prepared
food tax. Newport estimated the tax
would add around 50 cents to a $10
meal bill.
In 2019, Hood River, in the Colum-
bia River Gorge, failed to pass a sim-
ilar tax. The tourist-dependent cities
of Ashland and Yachats already have
voter-approved taxes on prepared food
and nonalcoholic beverages.
Some cities have also looked to
their cut of lodging tax dollars. State
law dictates how lodging tax money
is spent. The bulk must go to tourism
See Food tax, Page A6
See Weber, Page A6
City sees compliance on council’s vaccine mandate deadline
A few workers
have resigned
By KATIE FRANKOWICZ
The Astorian
Most of Astoria’s city employ-
ees will be vaccinated against the
coronavirus ahead of Monday’s
deadline set by the City Council,
but the few resignations the city
has seen and an ongoing short-
age of workers and volunteer
firefighters has departments worried.
One volunteer firefighter, one fire
department intern and two employ-
ees at the city’s child care facility
have resigned because of vaccina-
tion mandates enacted by state and
city leaders.
At a special meeting on Thurs-
day, the City Council approved a
THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED A
GRACE PERIOD FOR EMPLOYEES WHO
HAVE AT LEAST RECEIVED THEIR
FIRST DOSE OF VACCINE BY MONDAY.
grace period for employees who
have at least received their first dose
of vaccine by Monday in order to
avoid losing key staff. New hires
will be given extra time to get vacci-
nated, as well.
Gov. Kate Brown required all
health care workers, including fire-
fighters, and staff and volunteers in
K-12 schools to be vaccinated by
Monday. The City Council followed
the governor’s announcement with
a vaccine mandate of its own. Police
officers are exempt under state law
and city employees could apply for
religious or medical exemptions.
Besides the handful of resigna-
tions, several employees at the Asto-
ria Aquatic Center have yet to show
proof of vaccination or update the
city on their vaccination status.
The Parks and Recreation
Department, which oversees the
child care facility and the aquatic
See Mandate, Page A6