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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Community gathers to mourn slain Seaside officer ... Work expected to begin by summer on Highway 62 bypass ... Josephine County man arrested on drug, child neglect charges ... Community gathers to mourn slain Seaside officer ... Work expected to begin by summer on Highway 62 bypass ... Josephine County man arrested on drug, child neglect charges ... PORTLAND Agencies push back on proposal to double lodging tax for Eugene track meet Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Feb. 11, 2016 at 4:48 PM By The Associated Press Posted Feb. 11, 2016 at 4:48 PM » Social News SALEM — Portland government agencies are pushing against a proposal to double Oregon's lodging tax in preparation for the 2021 world track and field championships in Eugene. Officials with Travel Portland, the city of Portland and Metro, the Portland area regional government, say they don't oppose the $25 million state subsidy for the track event that the tax is tied to, but instead they worry the increase is too large, The Register-Guard reported. The proposal would double the state lodging tax to 2 percent from 1 percent. The agencies say local lodging taxes already total 13.5 percent in Portland, the highest in the state. Randy Tucker, a lobbyist for Metro, told lawmakers at a hearing this week that the proposal would put Portland at a disadvantage when competing with other big national cities to host conventions in the short term. In the long term, the increased state tax would cripple the city's ability to increase local lodging taxes to pay for tourism improvements. "Portland does have its own tourism infrastructure and event needs, just like Hayward Field and the track event," said Jeff Miller, CEO of Travel Portland. A 2015 industry survey found that Portland ranked 43rd among U.S. cities in combined lodging taxes. If the lodging tax increased to 2 percent, Portland would jump to 25th naturally. Eugene-based TrackTown USA will host the championships in 2021 at Hayward Field. Because event expenses will outpace ticket sales and other revenue, TrackTown head Vin Lananna, a University of Oregon athletics executive, is seeking government subsidies, including from the proposed hotel tax increase. Under the current proposal, House Bill 4146, Travel Oregon's governing board would make the final call on the TrackTown subsidy. Funds from the increased lodging tax would not be earmarked for the track championship. By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Feb. 11, 2016 at 4:48 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501