Vote “no” on Measure 4-221. This measure is a lie told by the same people who want to make Oregon beaches private property. There are thousands of short-term rentals in Clatsop County, but this measure focuses on about 100 of them in the unincorporated areas, not including Arch Cape.

I own one of them east of Seaside, in a rural setting. I live here, and have rented part of my house out to make mortgage payments. Now some rather rich residents of beach enclaves, having failed with their local homeowners associations, have spun a fantasy that these 100 homes are responsible for all the evils of expensive rents in a popular tourist destination.

In reality, this was the only way they could find to restrict STRs in their own gated communities. Not only is this not fair, but the vast majority of the people voting on this will keep the thousands of rentals that currently proliferate, regardless. I don’t get to vote on what is done in Seaside, so why does Seaside get to vote on my business activities?

Jumping through all the hoops the county created has cost time and money, and the county has spent a bundle on getting regulations in place. Now if this passes, the county will lose an estimated $700,000 in tax revenue, my housekeepers will be out of a job, local restaurants will see fewer visitors and the overall economy is likely to take a hit. Vote “no.”

Keith Miller

Seaside