2006 FTA Revenue Estimating Conference

Conference Information

B-16/06
June 15, 2006

2006 FTA REVENUE ESTIMATION AND TAX RESEARCH CONFERENCE
September 17 - 20, 2006 — Portland, Oregon

To State Tax Administrators:

FTA’s Research Section Chair, Susan Mesner, of Vermont Department of Taxes, joins with Conference Host, Tom Potiowsky, State Economist for the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis, in extending a cordial invitation to attend the 61st Annual FTA Revenue Estimation and Tax Research Conference. The conference will be held September 17-20, 2006, at the Benson Hotel, in Portland, Oregon. The conference will open Sunday, September 17, with registration and a reception and conclude Wednesday, September 20, at Noon.

Other meetings include the Research Roundtable, scheduled for Saturday, September 16, at 1:00 p.m. and continuing on Sunday morning.

Conference Schedule
The conference agenda will be a mix of general and concurrent breakout sessions with topics of interest to revenue estimators and state tax policy analysts. Monday morning will begin with the usual economic outlook by the major forecasting firms and selected policy topics of interest to everyone. In the afternoon, conference attendees will have a choice of two sessions featuring: detailed forecasts for specific sectors of the economy; and presentations of interest to tax policy researchers.

The entire day Tuesday will be dedicated to concurrent breakout sessions with a wide variety of specific topics. Some topics we are planning include: corporate tax issues, revenue forecasting issues, streamlined sales tax project, benchmarking, data mining, and more.

On Wednesday morning, conference participants will hear a variety of presentations of general interest to state economists and policy analysts. A preliminary program will be available by the end of June. If you would like to make a presentation or know of a presenter, please contact the Section Chair, Susan Mesner at smesner@tax.state.vt.us or 802-828-0529 or Ronald Alt.

Local Arrangements
Sunday evening, there will be an opening reception in the Mayfair Ballroom to get to know your colleagues in other states. The Tuesday evening Banquet will be held at the Bridgeport Brewery, in Portland’s historic Pearl District <http://www.bridgeportbrew.com/about/index.php>.

Monday and Tuesday, spouses and guest are welcome to use Max or the streetcar to visit key points of interest. Just a ride away is the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), the Portland Zoo, the Chinese Garden and the Portland Museum. An all day pass can be purchased for $4.00. There is tons to explore and see within walking distance of the Benson Hotel, see conference website for details.

On Sunday afternoon, an optional Wine tasting tour will be offered. The host committee has arranged a tour of three local wineries. The $40 per person fee will cover entrance fees and transportation, see conference website for details.

Hotel Reservations
The conference will be held at the Benson Hotel, which is located downtown convenient to sightseeing, shopping, the Pearl District, performing arts and museums. The hotel address is 309 Southwest Broadway, Portland, Oregon 97205. See conference website for details.

The conference rate is $135 (single/double occupancy). Please make your reservations directly with the hotel by calling 503-228-2000 or 1-888-523-6766. Notify the reservations clerk that you will be attending the FTA 2006 Revenue Estimating Meeting, to receive the special rate. Please note that the cutoff date for making hotel reservations is August 15, 2006. After this date, reservations will be based on availability only.

Conference Registration
The conference registration form is enclosed or register online (coming soon). Credit card payments will be accepted with online registrations only (at the time of registration).

You may fax (503) 373-7643 – Attn: Suzanne or mail the registration form and check to the address below. The check should be made payable to FTA.

FTA Revenue Estimating
C/O OEA
155 Cottage St. NE, U-20
Salem, OR 97301

Registration fees are:

Government Representative:        $300
Industry Representative:              $395
Guest:                                         $110

The deadline for conference registration is August 31, 2006. A $40 late charge will be assessed for on-site registrants who have not previously notified the host state of their intent to attend. Cancellations after September 5, 2006 will be charged a $40 processing fee (except for emergencies).

If you have any questions concerning registration, please contact Suzanne Brean at (503) 378-3405 or <suzanne.brean@das.state.or.us>. Visit the conference website for registration details.

Ground Transportation
The host committee has made arrangements with D.J. at Community Shuttle for a discount price. If people tell them they are with the FTA when they come in you will be charged $10 pp ($4 off the regular shuttle price). If a group meets up then he will do $55 for the van (7 passenger). His contact phone number is 503-674-5861. Or, for $4.00, you can take MAX (Portland’s Light-rail system) http://www.trimet.org/max/index.htm.

The FTA Research Section looks forward to your participation in the 2006 Revenue Estimation and Tax Research Conference in Portland, Oregon. If you have any questions or suggestions for the program, please contact Ron Alt of FTA at (202) 624-5890, or Section Chair Susan Mesner at smesner@tax.state.vt.us or 802-828-0529.

Sincerely,

Harley T. Duncan
Executive Director

Attachment: as stated