Improving the accountability & transparency of city government
In the July 26, 2018, issue of the Eugene Weekly, Eugene resident Richard Guske writes:
Regarding the July 12 “Slant” column: What? Let’s get to our “greatest challenge,” the election of effective candidates, “only four months away,” without the help of the “mayor, manager and staff and City Council.”
And, sob, we don’t even have a “truly effective auditor like so many other cities have.” Let the adults stand up please.
In the July 26, 2018, issue of the Eugene Weekly, Yachats resident Jerome Garger writes:
Another damaging blow to our fragile and precarious democracy has been struck, this time in “liberal” Eugene.
Eugene’s mayor and six city councilors voted against Betty Taylor’s recent admirable motion to allow a public vote on a modified citizen-initiated measure to create the position of an official auditor, one with real power to examine and report on their misuse of taxpayers’ money and their other highly questionable shenanigans.
…
In the July 17, 2018, issue of the Register-Guard, Yachats resident Jerome Garger writes in a letter:
Another damaging blow to our fragile and precarious democracy has been struck, this time in “liberal” Eugene.
Six city councilors voted against Councilor Betty Taylor’s recent admirable motion to allow a public vote on a modified citizen-initiated measure that would create the position of an official auditor with real power to examine and report on their highly questionable shenanigans. The council’s trumped-up, meaningless competing measure on the May ballot muddied the waters when the swamp needed draining. Their Republican-type tactic worked for them.
Shameful.
In the July 12, 2018, issue of the Eugene Weekly, staff write:
The city auditor story in Eugene is a tale of power, personalities and probably fear of what an independent elected auditor might find and suggest. It was no surprise that Councilor Betty Taylor’s motion to put a new elected auditor measure on the November ballot failed July 9 with only two votes, hers and Emily Semple’s (see our story at eugeneweekly.com). Most of the players say the Eugene voters clearly want some kind of auditor, considering the votes for the two measures on the May ballot, and other anecdotal evidence. But it seems unlikely that a truly effective auditor, like so many other cities have, will spring from this mayor, manager and staff and City Council. What’s the next step?
On July 10, 2018, in the Eugene Weekly blogs, reporter Meerah Powell writes:
Although both the elected and appointed auditor measures were rejected by Eugene residents in the May election, discussion for another potential measure was brewing at the Eugene City Council — though as of now, it won’t be on this upcoming November’s ballot. …
In the July 10, 2018, issue of the Register-Guard, reporter Christian Hill writes:
There will be no second chance for an elected city auditor, at least not this year.
Eugene city councilors declined Monday night to consider referring to the November ballot a revised version of the measure that voters rejected in May. Voters had also turned down a measure to bring aboard a council-appointed auditor during the same election.
The vote was 6-2, with only councilors Betty Taylor and Emily Semple voting for the referral. …
In the July 8, 2018, issue of the Register-Guard, reporter Christian Hill writes:
The debate over a Eugene city auditor isn’t finished.
Less than two months after voters rejected bringing aboard a watchdog, either council-appointed or elected, a Eugene city councilor is resurrecting the idea.
Councilor Betty Taylor said she will ask city councilors Monday to refer to the November ballot a revised version of the elected auditor measure that a local group had qualified for the May ballot as a citizen initiative. …
In the July 5, 2018, issue of the Eugene Weekly, staff write:
Councilor Betty Taylor plans to make a motion on July 9 to give her fellow Eugene city councilors the chance to offer voters a straight up or down vote in November on an independent elected city auditor. Her proposal will be slightly modified, she says, to meet some of the objections to the elected auditor proposal that lost in May. For instance, a residency requirement will be added, and the cost formula will be modified. Taylor and many others believe the elected auditor lost in May because the City Council put an appointed auditor measure on the ballot, splitting the vote or causing voters to say “no” to both, as The Register-Guard recommended, in the confusion. We wonder how this council will vote on Taylor’s motion.
On June 13, 2018, the Lindholm Company Blog, analyzed the results of the recent election:
This chart shows how much better the elected auditor measure did by ward than the appointed auditor measure.
As one would expect based on the geographic distribution of voting for the appointed and elected auditors there is not much variation. However, the least variation was in north Eugene. The greatest variation was in Ward 1 – in the area of the city where many of the leaders behind the elected auditor measure reside.
On June 12, 2018, the Lindholm Company Blog, analyzed the results of the recent election:
Compared to the appointed auditor there is slightly more regional variation, but still nowhere near most measures in Eugene.