Councilors delayed a decision on reallocating Newberg's transient lodging tax (TLT) funds after extended public comment from the Chehalem Valley Chamber, Taste Newberg (TACE Newberg) and the Newberg Downtown Coalition (NDC). The council voted to schedule a work session to gather data and give all three organizations time to present plans.

Lindsey Dobie, president of the Chehalem Valley Chamber board, asked the council to move from a flat quarterly payment to a percentage‑based allocation tied to TLT revenues and proposed 2.5% of TLT as a sustainable approach. "We propose moving to a 2.5% allocation of total TLT funds," she said, adding the change would align funding with revenue growth.

Representatives of Taste Newberg (doing business as TACE Newberg) urged council to provide tourism promotion funding aligned with state guidance and requested the contract renewal and a larger share of the tourism‑designated TLT. Britta Mansfield, secretary of TACE Newberg, noted growth in TLT revenue and argued TACE Newberg has increased visitation and delivered marketing programs and grants. "Because of Taste Newberg, the city's benefited with an over 50% growth in TLT dollars since 2019," Phil Amaya said.

Lonnie Parrish, representing downtown business interests, urged more stable funding for the Downtown Coalition and suggested sharing funds among the organizations rather than a single allocation. Private business owners echoed concerns about downtown vitality, parking and coordinated use of TLT dollars for events and downtown maintenance.

Councilors expressed frustration at process and requested more data and joint discussion. Councilor Derek moved to bring all parties together in a work session; the motion passed by voice vote and the council agreed to schedule a dedicated work session to review detailed budgets, performance metrics and legal constraints before making any changes to contracts or allocations.

Ending: The council postponed any contract or allocation changes and will hold a work session with the Chamber, TACE Newberg and the Downtown Coalition to review detailed data and proposed funding splits ahead of budget deadlines.