Tracking major spending, development, and public funding in Lincoln City.Â
Tracking major spending, development, and public funding in Lincoln City.Â
👉 Looking closer at spending activity across Lincoln City
Stay informed. Ask questions.Â
Your questions matter— Drop them below---I'll research, investigate, and help uncover the answers behind local spending activity.
đź’° FOLLOW THE MONEY: TRANSIENT ROOM TAX (TRT)
Ever wonder where hotel and vacation rental taxes go in Lincoln City?
Here’s a breakdown of how those visitor dollars are being spent:
🏖️ 38% – Tourism Promotion Â
đźš§ 16% – Street Maintenance Â
🌲 16% – Parks & Recreation Â
đź‘® 12% – Public Safety Â
🏢 8% – City Buildings Â
🌳 5% – Parks Capital Projects Â
đź“‹ 5% – Administration Â
🔍 0% – Review/Oversight Â
📊 What does this mean for residents?
A large portion goes toward bringing MORE visitors in… Â
while smaller portions go toward infrastructure and services.
đź’¬ QUESTION FOR THE COMMUNITY:
Do you think this balance reflects what Lincoln City needs most?
✔️ Roads Â
✔️ Safety Â
✔️ Parks Â
✔️ Tourism Â
Let us know your thoughts above
📌 Offshore Wind in Oregon — What People Should Know
You may be hearing more about “offshore wind” along the Oregon coast.
Right now, nothing has been approved or built.
The state is working on a “roadmap” — which is a planning document to explore what offshore wind could look like in the future.
Here are a few key facts that aren’t always clearly explained:
👉 There is no idea of cost or budget yet
👉 The roadmap does not approve projects, but helps prepare for them
👉 Offshore wind would require major infrastructure (ports, transmission, grid upgrades)
👉 Construction and maintenance involve large vessels and equipment, not all of which are emission-free
👉 Once planning is complete, projects could still be proposed later
The roadmap also looks at different futures — including with turbines and without turbines.
đź’ˇ What this means:
This is an early stage, but it’s also where direction gets set.
The details that matter most — like cost, impact, and long-term effects — are still largely unanswered.
—
No matter where you stand, this is something worth paying attention to now — not later.
Email your thoughts or concerns- I will post anonymously below
🔎 Follow the Money – Lincoln County Schools
Lincoln County School District is currently working through a projected $5 million budget shortfall, and discussions have begun about potential staffing reductions and program changes.
As the community learns more about the situation, many residents are asking deeper questions about how school funding works and how district budgets are managed over time.
School funding in Oregon is tied heavily to student enrollment, and district leaders have pointed to declining enrollment as a major factor in the current financial challenges. At the same time, community members are interested in understanding the full financial picture — including spending trends, administrative costs, and how funding decisions are made.
📊 Some questions being discussed in the community include:
• What factors contributed to the current $5 million shortfall?
• How has district spending changed over the past several years?
• What options exist to protect important programs for students?
• What role does state funding and enrollment trends play in local budgets?
Lincoln City Connect will continue following this issue as more information becomes available and as the district moves forward with budget discussions.
đź’¬ What questions do you think should be asked?
Get involved- send your questions to info@lincolncityconnect.com
Schedule
Design: 2022 - 2024
​Construction: 2024 - summer 2026​
Location
U.S. 101 |
​Lincoln City | Milepost 112.3 to 118 and milepost 121.42 to 125.
Cost and Funding
​Design and construction: $23,252,051​
💰 Over $6.2 MILLION for the D’River Welcome Center
📍 Located in a tsunami zone
Before construction even begins…
👉 Over $900,000 in additional costs
Take a look at where the money is going 👇
đź’¬ Do you think this project is worth it?
đź’¬ What would YOU prioritize instead for Lincoln City?
“Dark Sky” ordinances are rules designed to reduce light pollution by limiting outdoor lighting. Cities often require:
Shielded light fixtures
Lower brightness levels
Restrictions on when lights can be on
Limits on certain types of signage or lighting
These policies are often promoted by organizations like the International Dark-Sky Association.
While the goal is protecting night skies and wildlife, there are legitimate concerns for coastal towns and tourist economies.
Reduced lighting can make areas harder to see at night, especially in:
Parking lots
Beach access points
Walking paths
Residential streets
Possible impacts:
Increased trip and fall hazards
Harder for police or emergency services to see activity
Residents feeling less safe walking at night
In coastal communities where fog and wet roads already reduce visibility, less lighting could worsen conditions.
Businesses rely heavily on visibility at night, especially in tourism areas.
Restrictions could affect:
Storefront lighting
Signs and displays
Restaurants and nightlife
Hotel visibility
If lighting must be dimmer or turned off earlier, it could:
Reduce foot traffic
Make businesses harder for visitors to find
Hurt evening tourism
For a tourism town like Lincoln City, evening visibility is often part of the economy.
Dark sky compliance often requires changing lighting fixtures.
This can mean:
Replacing existing lights with shielded fixtures
Lower wattage bulbs
New installation requirements
For homeowners and businesses this could mean hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on property size.
People often ask:
Why should residents pay to fix something that wasn’t a problem before?
Dark sky ordinances can be difficult to enforce.
Cities would need to monitor:
Brightness levels
Fixture angles
Lighting schedules
This could lead to:
Complaints between neighbors
Code enforcement issues
More regulatory oversight from the city
Some residents worry about overregulation of private property.
Dark sky programs often aim to create astronomy tourism or preserve star visibility.
However coastal areas like Lincoln City already have:
Fog
Cloud cover
Marine layer weather
Because of that, the actual improvement in visible stars may be limited, raising the question of whether the restrictions are worth the trade-offs.
Nighttime beach areas already present risks:
Tides
Driftwood
Uneven terrain
Reduced lighting near beach access points could make it harder for visitors unfamiliar with the area.