Taft Football 2022 Season ............ PAGE 11 Opioid crisis funding ................... PAGE 2
October 4, 2022
Serving Lincoln City Since 1927
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Sticker shock! Gas prices jump to over $5 JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
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ou may have noticed prices at local gasoline stations increased significantly over the past several days. In some areas, the prices rose between 25 cents to 50 cents per gallon. The price for regular at one station in south Lincoln City had reached $5.99 by last week. This is occurring at a time when the price of gasoline usually declines because of less summer travel. After 14 weeks of declines, gas prices are on the rise, soaring on the West Coast and in the Midwest with more moderate increases in other parts of the country, according to the latest American Automobile Association (AAA) Price survey. For the week, the average price per gallon in Oregon rockets up 50 cents to $5.14. The national average for regular adds seven cents to $3.75 a gallon. The Oregon average is the largest weekly jump in the nation. “Multiple refineries in the Los Angeles area and a refinery in Wash-
ington State are experiencing either planned or unplanned refinery work which could last several more days,” Oregon/Idaho AAA Public Affairs Director Marie Dodds said. This has put a significant crimp in supplies and sent pump prices soaring in this region. In addition, the Olympic pipeline in Washington is due for maintenance, perhaps as early as this week.” Hurricane Ian also has the potential to cause problems, Dodds said, depending on the storm’s track, by disrupting oil production, refining and transportation in the Gulf of Mexico. Until this week, the national and Oregon averages had been declining for 14 consecutive weeks, backing away from record highs set in midJune. The national average reached its record high of $5.016 on June 14
while the Oregon average reached its record high of $5.548 on June 15. “Lackluster demand for gas and lower crude oil prices should take some pressure off of rising pump prices,” Dodds said. “But drivers can expect a very volatile couple of weeks due to the refinery issues as well as Hurricane Ian slamming the Gulf Coast.” Crude oil prices have tumbled from recent highs due to fears of economic slowdowns elsewhere around the globe. Crude reached a recent high of $122.11 per barrel on June 8, and ranged from about $94 to $110 per barrel in July. In August, crude prices ranged between about $86 and $97. In September, crude prices have been between about $76 and $89 per barrel. Last week, West Texas Intermediate fell below $80 per barrel for the first time since January, according to the AAA report.
Fast Fact
The Oregon average is the largest weekly jump in the nation.
METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION
Gasoline prices in Oregon rocketed up 50 cents a gallon, pushing the average to over $5. Crude prices rose dramatically leading up to and in the first few months of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia is one of the world’s top oil producers and its involvement in a war causes market volatility, and sanctions imposed on Russia by the U.S. and other western nations
resulted in tighter global oil supplies. Oil supplies were already tight around the world as demand for oil increased as pandemic restrictions eased. A year ago, crude was around $75 per barrel compared to $77 today, the AAA report states.
Voters asked to rise city’s transient room tax ditional tax revenue including:
JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION
The waiver will expand health-related social needs coverage for certain food assistance, housing support, and invest in resources that will help mitigate the health risks of climate change.
Oregon to see $1.1B in Medicaid funding
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regon will receive $1.1 billion in new federal funds to pilot first-in-the-nation changes to the state’s Medicaid program. Oregon became the first state to receive federal approval for continuous health coverage for children under six years old. Also, all Oregon Health Plan (OHP) members six and older will have two years of continuous OHP enrollment, ensuring continuous coverage and access to medical, dental, and behavioral health care. The waiver will expand healthrelated social-needs coverage for certain food assistance and housing support and invest in resources to help reduce risks of climate change. It will make Oregon the first state to use Medicaid funding for climaterelated needs. This package of services, called health-related social needs,
includes food and housing supports such as rental assistance for up to six months for marginalized groups such as youth in foster care, homeless people, and low-income older adults. State health officials sought federal approval to cover housing and nutritional support services to reduce health inequity and stabilize the circumstances of OHP members whose health is endangered by life disruptions. Also, the state will supply air conditioners, air filters, and generators to people at high risk who live in regions with extreme weather events. “Healthcare does not occur in a vacuum,” Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said. “It’s clear we must look beyond a traditional, siloed approach to truly meet the needs of people, particularly those experiencing complex changes.” OHP, which is Oregon’s Medicaid program, provides comprehensive
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oters will be asked in the Nov. 8 General Election to approve an increase in the City of Lincoln City’s transient room tax from 9.5 percent to 12 percent. The expected additional revenue from the 2.5% increase is $2,666,66. History A transient room tax was originally established in Lincoln City in 1991 when voters approved a 7% tax on the charge of the accommodation for occupants of transient lodging, effective January 1, 1992. This tax was increased by the voters to 8% in 2002 and 9.5% in 2008. No increase has been made since that time. Anyone who rents a room on a short-term bases, for less than 30 days, pays the transient room tax. The operator who collects the tax retains 5% of that tax for their administration and gives the city 95% of that tax, according to Lincoln City Mayor Susan Wahlke. “Unless state law changes between now and July 1, 2023, the city will have to spend 70% of the increase on tourism or tourism-related facilities and no more than 30% on general fund/public safety purposes,” Wahlke explained during a Lincoln City Chamber of Commerce public luncheon in late September. Wahlke said the city is looking at a range of tourism-related options that could be funded with the ad-
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The Lincoln City Council conducted a work session in late September to discuss the range of tourist-related funding options. “We heard lots of possibilities for tourism related facilities,” Wahlke said, “but won’t be making any decisions until we actually have additional revenue.” Wahlke said the city will submit its list of tourism-related facility spending priorities to the Oregon Attorney General for approval. Funding priorities Wahlke said additional funding should go toward key tourism-related projects. “I hope that we can fund an event center and replace some of our older rest rooms, which are primary used by our tourists,” she said. “We also need to fund beach access improvements; I think that is a tourism-related facility. It is the pathway between city property and state property, but the state doesn’t have the funds to do anything with those beach access points, so why shouldn’t we be able to use tourism dollars for that?” Wahlke said the remaining 30% of the tax revenue can go to general
Beyond the election Wahlke said she is hopeful that Oregon’s legislature will ease the restrictions cities like Lincoln City face in how the transit room tax revenue may be spent. “My hope is that if this ballot measure is passed and goes into effect, that the legislature can pass something to relax the restrictions and not make it so heavily going towards promotion and tourismrelated facilities,” she said. “I hope that we can use more of that funding for our streets, our sewers, and our water systems. Those systems are stressed by our tourists. We have to accommodate that population.” Read Mayor Wahlke’s full transient room tax ballot power point made at the chamber meeting with this story at thenewsguard.com.
TheNewsGuard.com
WEATHER
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• Improvements to parks • Attractions • Restrooms • Sports fields • Beach access
fund projects. She said she favors funding a narcotics detective. In a New Guard Guest Column in early September, Wahlke outlined the need for the narcotics detective. “Lincoln County, and many other parts of Oregon, are facing an opioid crisis,” Wahlke wrote. “At one time the County had an interagency narcotics team to combat drugs. Several years ago, cities were unable to provide detectives for this team and it was disbanded. Our circuit court judge has pleaded with the cities in the county to find funding to establish a drug enforcement team.”
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