In the February 8, 2018, issue of the Register-Guard, Eugene resident and independent policy researcher Brian Wanty writes in a guest viewpoint:
Eugene residents have a lot of pent-up frustration with city government. Several major policy failures have fostered two charter amendments that would create auditor positions. Many want to avoid future fiascoes such as the costly collapse of the City Hall rebuild, the oversized and unlawful South Willamette Special Area Zone, and the 2013 monthly fee measure that voters defeated by a 2-to-1 ratio. There is also hostility toward the wasteful Multi-Unit Property Tax Exemption.
However, the tool must fit the task. These policies didn’t fail because they were ineffective or inefficient. They failed because they were unpopular and politically unacceptable. Enhancing local democracy would deter municipal leaders from getting so far out of touch with public opinion in the future. Concentrating power in the hands of an auditor would aggravate the situation. …