BEND, OR -- Bend City Councilors are facing the unusual situation of having more money to work with than expected. Due to a robust first quarter for tourism, the city has collected more Transient Room Taxes than projected.
City Councilor Sally Russell said at this week’s meeting that the extra revenue is already allocated. "When the room tax comes in, we have a contract with Visit Bend, by law, that money that we bring in, a certain portion of it has to go to promotion for tourism outside of this community," Russell says. "So that money has to then go to Visit Bend."
Mayor Jim Clinton said they didn’t expect to write a check so soon. "It’s basically a budget adjustment for this unusual situation when the money is coming quicker than the budget anticipated."