Clatsop County says revenues and expenses on track; timber revenue lags, room‑tax boost adds roughly $300,000

Andrew Sullivan, Clatsop County finance director, told commissioners that the county’s second‑quarter financial report shows budgets generally tracking to plan and that staff are managing vacancies and expenditures to preserve reserves.

“We’re tracking very, very well,” Sullivan said, summarizing the quarter and the forecast. He told the board that property taxes (a major general‑fund revenue) were collected at roughly 91.1% through December and that the county budget assumes 4% assessed‑value growth.

Sullivan highlighted the county’s two largest revenue streams—property tax and timber revenue—together accounting for a majority of the budget. Timber receipts, he said, were “slightly under” expectations in the second quarter and remain volatile because sales and markets can shift timing and price. Sullivan and other staff emphasized that timing differences, not necessarily long‑term structural decline, can explain short‑term underperformance.

On lodging taxes, Sullivan said the county increased the transient lodging tax from 1¢ to 3¢ effective Jan. 1 and that, because of the timing of recognition, the county will only realize a portion of that increase in the current fiscal year. He estimated in the meeting that the annualized impact equates to approximately $300,000.

Board members and staff stressed that the county is pursuing a status‑quo budget approach for FY26–27 that assumes modest growth and prudent cost controls. Sullivan said the county continues to actively manage the forecast and expects the third and fourth quarters to be critical to final results.

The board heard the report during its work session and approved moving forward with the FY26–27 budget policies and calendar at the regular meeting later that night.