Gold Beach leaders are grappling with tight budgets and rising housing costs in a town that sees far more visitors than full-time residents. Mayor Tamie Kaufman says state restrictions on local taxes limit how much revenue the city can raise, even as demand for housing and services continues to grow.
Kaufman, who moved to Gold Beach at age eight and has lived there most of her life, leads the town of just over 2,000 residents. More than 70,000 people a year, according to Kaufman, visit Gold Beach, the Curry County seat. Many come to ride the rapids of the nearby Rogue River and enjoy the area’s beaches and hiking trails.
Gold Beach, according to the city, traces its origin and name to the early 1850s, when miners discovered gold in the sands near the mouth of the Rogue River. The settlement was previously known as Ellensburg, named for the daughter of a sea captain who founded nearby Port Orford.
The region was shaped by conflict during the Rogue River Wars of the mid-1850s. Fighting between settlers and Native Americans led to the construction of several coastal forts, including Fort Miner, located about a mile and a half north of Gold Beach. By the end of 1856, the federal government had forcibly relocated Native Americans to reservations.
Gold gave the town its name, but those deposits soon ran out. The economy shifted mainly to salmon fishing.
Outdoor recreation is central to Gold Beach’s economy today, but Kaufman says housing costs play a major role in who can afford to live there.
"In my opinion, it's pretty high," Kaufman said. "Our real estate seems to be more related to the Southern California market than anything in Oregon. That's where a lot of our buyers come from with cash."
Guest
- Tamie Kaufman, Mayor of Gold Beach, Oregon
