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What next for a Eugene auditor?

Posted on by admin Posted in Editorial Tagged ,

In the May 17, 2018, issue of the Register-Guard, the editorial board writes:

Eugene voters defeated both proposals to create a city auditor’s office — an initiative measure for an elected auditor failed by 7 percentage points, and the Eugene City Council’s measure calling for an appointed auditor was rejected by a 3-to-1 ratio. The initiative’s version was too expensive and unaccountable; the council’s proposal was seen as a maneuver to derail the competing measure.

A city auditor, however, is not a bad idea. With some refinements, and in a political atmosphere less polluted by suspicion and acrimony, a proposal for an auditor’s office might fly. In the wake of Tuesday’s doubly negative verdict by the voters, such a proposal can’t come from the City Council any time soon. Only an independent citizens’ group would be able to pick up the pieces, apply what has been learned and give Eugene the cost-saving benefits of performance auditing.

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Eugene won’t have an auditor — elected or otherwise — following Tuesday’s election

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In the May 17, 2018, issue of the Eugene Weekly, staff write:

Eugene won’t have an auditor — elected or otherwise — following Tuesday’s election. But the fact that nearly half of voters supported Measure 20-283 shows a crisis of confidence in the City Council. If councilors were doing their jobs and overseeing the city manager, no one would be talking about performance audits. What defeated the elected auditor was the council’s “auditor lite” initiative, which lost overwhelmingly but bled just enough support from 20-283 to be sure that neither proposal passed.

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A Change is Gonna Come: Primary election delivers new blood in Lane County and Oregon

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In the May 17, 2018, issue of the Eugene Weekly, reporter Henry Houston writes:

… Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis told EW she’s happy to hear that the two parks bonds passed. However, she said, the people of Eugene have said they’re not ready for the large step of an elected or appointed auditor.

Fifty-three percent of ballots voted “No” on Measure 20-283, which would establish an elected auditor. However, 75 percent of voters rejected Measure 20-287, which would have the city of Eugene appoint an auditor. …

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Election: Voters have until 8 p.m. to decide on several local offices and a contentious Eugene auditor measure

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In the May 15, 2018, issue of the Register-Guard, reporter Elon Glucklich writes:

… Dueling city auditor measures are likely generating the most buzz in Eugene political circles. Ballots ask voters to vote yes or no on two separate proposals: Measure 20-283, a citizen-initiated proposal to establish an elected city auditor, and Measure 20-287, a City Council-referred proposal for a council-appointed auditor, as well as a citizen review board to oversee the auditor’s work.

The measures are first time in Eugene that a citizen-initiated and council-referred proposals covering the same issue has appeared on the same ballot. Proponents of the citizen initiative say an auditor should be completely independent of the City Council and city manager, while supporters of the council-backed measure say an independent auditor would be too costly and lack accountability.

If both auditor measures receive more than 50 percent of the vote, the measure with the higher vote total will take effect. …

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Follow the Money

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In the May 14, 2018, online edition of the Eugene Weekly, Eugene resident Ruth Duemler writes:

City Hall costs are adding up to more and more dollars down the drain! The $1.3 million annual rent for the many city hall facilities fails to include the cost of move, the cost of remodeling and the cost of traveling from one city hall rental to another. We also discover that rental contracts are for 10 years. …

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Selling the Story

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In the May 14, 2018, online edition of the Eugene Weekly, Eugene resident Otis Haschemeyer writes:

“Give ‘em the same but different,” they say in Hollywood. It means you’re going to get the same story. Cosmetically different, it isn’t. Not because there’s a “good story,” and they know it. There are lots of stories. It’s because Hollywood is about making money for Hollywood. That’s what they know about. That’s the story behind the story.

The same is true of Eugene city government. The policy position might seem to change, but the story behind the story is about money: keep “the money-stream.” It’s how they get paid. It’s how their friends get paid. …

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City Deserves Trust

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In the May 14, 2018, online edition of the Eugene Weekly, Eugene resident Rebecca La Mothe writes:

While I do believe that we need a Eugene performance auditor, I will vote for the appointed city auditor Measure 20-287. Had the 2002 Charter Review Committee, Performance Auditor Proposal (also calling for an appointed auditor) been referred to the ballot for a public vote and passed, quite possibly some of the problems and “mistakes” in recent years could have been prevented.

Communication problems between the city manager and the City Council might have been more efficiently negotiated with outcomes more successful. It’s a cooperative relationship-affirming proposal that may have worked very well for the past 15 years, much like Measure 20-287 could be a positive move forward today. …

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