RV Marketer's Thoughts on Lane County Transient Room Taxes

As CCFI’s Consultant to the Board I recently submitted Public Stakeholder Testimony to the Lane County TRT Task Force Meeting

*Here is some of the information regarding Transient Room Taxes as excerpted from a report by Brad Waring, ORVA, www.come2oregon.com

(TRT) Transit Room Taxes are collected by RV Parks from their guests. Oregon law established this tax requiring at least 70 percent of net revenue be used to fund tourism promotion or tourism-related facilities. Lane County collects and distributes millions of dollars each year.

It was a packed room Thursday, October 11 and every attendee did a great job making the case for their piece of the TRT Taxes. The moderator, Mr. Cuyler said he received more than 40 pieces of written testimony. RV related Testimony came in written form from Shannon Nill who responded as an ORVA board member and on behalf of Guaranty RV and the RV Dealers Association(RVDA). Ron Lee of Country Coach Corporation, Mike Brown of Deerwood RV Park, from Myself on behalf of County Coach Friends, and Tom Schneider former Guaranty Salesman and retired RV owner.

Paul and Vickie Williams, owners of Premier RV Resorts, offered hard facts about their TRT collections over the last decade, $300,000.00. Paul broke the ice with a humorous comment about recently becoming a non-profit, like so many of the other Stakeholders who offered testimony. Brad Waring, executive director of Oregon RV Alliance, also spoke in the meeting using an illustrative pie as he lobbied for a portion of TRT taxes being used to market to the RV community.

The TRT Task Force will develop its recommendations to present to the County Commissioners December 5th.

Country Coach Friends Incorporated (www.CountryCoachFriendsIncorporated.com)  is a Big Fan of the south Willamette Valley and the Junction City, Oregon area where all Country Coaches were originally built. We look forward to visiting again soon for more memorable rallies and great times with our many business sponsors of Lane County.

The area is just the BEST spot in the nation for RVing! Travel Lane County has been most supportive of Country Coach events over the years bringing their Van on the Go to rally site (www.eugenecascadescoast.org) and providing key travel information to RVers to enhance their visit to the south Willamette Valley.

Working together, all RV industry professionals can have a part in making sure we all do our part to get the word out that Oregon’s south Willamette Valley is indeed a motorcoachers’ mecca in terms of RV services, dealerships and service centers, not to mention the natural attractions, and just plain FUN things to do!


HERE IS THE LETTER I SUBMITTED:

Bringing RV-owning travelers to Oregon to spend their leisure time is a subject about which I am passionate. For over 18 years I marketed Country Coach and its motorcoaches. As Senior Manager of Marketing at the former Country Coach, LLC I coordinated rallies for up to 400 coach motorcoaches nationwide. Country Coach Friends Inc, (www.countrycoachfriendsincorporated.com) rallies continue to bring thousands of dollars into the communities. The largest one is held annually in the Willamette Valley near where all Country Coaches were built.

The Country Coach Friendship Rally held at River bend Resort in July in Harrisburg raised over $8000 in charitable giving which the Country Coach Friends Club donated to local food banks. The Friendship Rally brought 180 high income RVers to Lane County for several weeks before and after the rally. During their visit they stayed in local campgrounds like Premier RV Resort in Coburg and Deerfield RV Park. Another favorite park is Richardson RV Park at Fern Ridge. While in the area, these rallyers got their engines and furnaces serviced, had paint and bodywork done...They visited area woodworking businesses for cabinetry upgrades. They purchased new tires (in itself a couple thousand dollars single expenditure). They purchased art pieces, home decor, and more as they added new touches to the $300,000 to $1.5 million dollar homes on wheels they choose to drive.  My CCFI Club friends spent time exploring wineries, covered bridges, shopping malls and boutiques eating out at their favorite restaurants during their Lane County visit.

 What a boost to the economy! RV industry professionals like myself (many of whom are  members of Oregon RV Alliance) are dedicated to spreading the message to Motorcoaching friends nationwide to consider spending leisure time and income in Oregon.

If some estimates I have heard that in Lane County 10 percent of all tax monies raised from overnight stays are being garnered from RV Park and campground overnight stays, it seems prudent to devote some of that revenue to marketing endeavors that attract even More RV guests.  One means might be to reach out to all the many RV clubs such as Country Coach Friends Incorporated, telling them about all the Fun that awaits in Oregon!

Lane County is a Great RV Destination-a great place to play. Let's spread the word.