On January 5, 2018, Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis delivered her 2018 State of the City Address:
… Our choices about investment of public dollars can be controversial. Reasonable people disagree. The timing and quality of information that is shared between decision‐makers and with the public drives the discourse and influences the outcome. I pledged last year to work hard to report in a timely and clear way to the public. I have done so. The promised Monthly Report has been updated regularly and posted on the city’s website. I have written weekly blogs all year and published nine guest viewpoints in the Register‐Guard.
I also instituted an independent study group to review and share information about the kinds of auditor roles incorporated in other city and county governments. My goal is to ensure that we have a robust, factual discussion of the choice before us on the May ballot.
A performance auditor can be valuable. An objective review of specific City functions with an eye towards delivering the best service possible will help inform and reassure the public that tax dollars are being well spent. The citizen initiative proposal—which adds a third branch of government with dedicated funds—should stand the test of public scrutiny before it becomes law. We are aiming for responsiveness—that the City’s work meets the needs and hopes of all who live here. The public discussion is important. As my study group concluded: there is no right or wrong way to do this. It is a question of what structure is the best fit for our community. …