Improving the accountability & transparency of city government
In the August 3, 2017, issue of the Eugene Weekly, reporter Ted Taylor writes:
The first public debate on the proposal to establish an Office of Independent City Auditor did not go well for the opposition. …
In the August 3, 2017, issue of the Register-Guard, Pleasant Hill resident Denis Hijmans writes in a letter:
I invite those who would like to see a performance auditor function established in the city of Eugene to look at how Lane County established this function two years ago, and how well it is working there. …
In the August 2, 2017, issue of the Register-Guard, Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis writes in a guest viewpoint:
… This brings me to another public conversation. I have acted on my commitment to expand our community discussion about an independent performance auditor. The council has been polled and has agreed to a work session to review the options for how the auditor role can be structured and funded. I have also gathered a group of citizens in a review committee to work independently to create a matrix of possible auditor structures and costs based on the experiences of cities of comparable size to Eugene. …
In the July 29, 2017, issue of the Register-Guard, reporter Christian Hill writes:
It’s full steam ahead for supporters of a proposed ballot initiative to establish an independently elected Eugene city auditor as a check on city government spending and operations. …
The July 29, 2017, issue of the Register-Guard provides this notice:
What: Our Revolution Lane County will hold a forum on the city auditor ballot initiative
When: 11 a.m. Saturday
Where: Theo’s Coffee House, 199 W. Eighth Ave.
Information: CityAccountability.org
In the July 28, 2017, issue of the Register-Guard, reporter Dylan Darling writes:
Lane County government should establish policy on how its employees handle cash, the county’s auditor recommended after vetting money management at county parks. …
In the July 28, 2017, issue of the Register-Guard, Eugene resident Cynthia Kokis writes in a letter:
Our family arrived in Eugene in 1973. One daughter attended Lincoln School and the other Roosevelt. We got bikes, explored jogging, and swam at Jefferson Pool. I was active in the formation of the Friendly Area Neighbors. …
In the July 27, 2017, issue of the Eugene Weekly, staff write:
A poll on an independent performance auditor initiative intended for the May 2018 ballot shows 69 percent in favor of the measure, 27 percent opposed and only 4 percent undecided. “Adding an elected independent auditor in Eugene is supported by a wide margin,” says the Lindholm Research blog, which conducted the survey. “However, it does not hit the crucial 70 percent level. Ideas that sound good tend to get a large amount of initial support. Campaigns tend to reduce that support.” The poll, conducted in April, was based on the city attorney’s original ballot title, which was altered by a Circuit Court judge to be more inclusive and less biased. Meanwhile, we hear the signature gathering is going well, but more help is needed. Visit CityAccountability.org or call 541-520-9572.
In the July 27, 2017, issue of the Eugene Weekly, Eugene resident Robin Bloomgarden writes in a letter:
In 2005, the question on the Eugene ballot was: Should the City Council hire an appointed external police auditor? Certain people raged against the idea, assuring everyone that doing this would forever change our council/city manager form of government, and should be avoided at all costs. …
In the July 27, 2017, issue of the Register-Guard, Eugene resident Robin Bloomgarden writes in a letter:
In 2005, the question on the Eugene ballot was: Should the council hire an appointed external police auditor? Certain people raged against the idea, assuring everyone that doing this would forever change our council/manager form of government; it should be avoided at all costs. It passed, and government wasn’t ruined, it’s better. …