Improving the accountability & transparency of city government
In the May 14, 2018, online edition of the Eugene Weekly, Elmira resident Marlene “Mitzi” Colbath writes:
Although I live in the Elmira community now, I was one of the chairs of the 2002 Eugene Citizen Charter Review Committee that forwarded the recommendation for the elected performance auditor to be sent to the ballot in the early 2000s. The City Council at the time would not allow voters to decide its fate by not forwarding it to the ballot for consideration. …
In the May 13, 2018, issue of the Register-Guard, Eugene resident Duane Daggett writes in a letter:
I’m voting for the independent auditor for one reason: Our city officials in Eugene have lost my trust, and I’ll vote for anything that attempts to hold them accountable. …
In the May 12, 2018, issue of the Register-Guard, Eugene resident Ed Murphy writes in a letter:
We know there will be a continuous rotating roster of essential city services we will be asked to fund by increasing our own taxes. On the May 15 ballot, the city of Eugene wants to make a case for needing $55.25 million more for parks. I thought we were already funding essential services like that with our current taxes and stormwater fees. …
In the May 12, 2018, issue of the Register-Guard, Eugene resident Susan Wilson writes in a letter:
I fail to comprehend why a Eugene city auditor is necessary. Do not the City Council, mayor and city manager already perform that function? They should be the check and balance on each other, which ensures diligent and ethical city governance. If they are not performing their duties, then they need to be replaced. …
In the May 11, 2018, issue of the Register-Guard, Eugene resident Michael Carrigan writes in a letter:
The debate regarding the public auditor issue in Eugene is generating a lot of heat. This frequently happens in a community like ours that is passionate about its politics. However, as the election approaches, it is time for everyone to lower their voices and look at the issue on its merits. …
In the May 11, 2018, issue of the Register-Guard, Eugene resident Michael McCann writes in a letter:
Eugene’s not perfect, and there are a number of things that need our attention. We need a better downtown. We need a redeveloped riverfront. We need to fix our streets.
There are also things we don’t need. We don’t need an overpriced, ill-conceived auditor that takes money away from these other priorities. At a price of nearly $700,000 a year with no oversight or accountability, Measure 20-283 is certainly something we don’t need. Think of the things we could do with that money — five additional police officers, for instance. Or think of the things we will have to cut to pay for it: road repair, park maintenance or social services. …
In the May 10, 2018, issue of the Register-Guard, Eugene resident Bill Northrup writes in a letter:
I’m voting for 20-283, the Elected City Auditor plan.
While at first the initial salary seems high, it’s in line with many other capable leaders in Eugene government, whose expertise level is needed here as well.
Coming from outside of the city is okay with me, because it avoids favoritism.
I also like that they have a big budget because at least at the start they’ll have a lot of looking at to do and it’d be good to get lots of audits going to jump start it. …
In the May 10, 2018, issue of the Eugene Weekly, Eugene resident Ralph McDonald writes:
Some opponents of Measure 20-283 claim an elected auditor would insult the accountability of current city employees. Rank and file city employees see the problems with waste and mismanagement. They recognize them earliest, often the only witnesses. …
In the May 10, 2018, issue of the Eugene Weekly, Eugene resident Lisa-Marie DiVincent writes in a letter:
I’d like to bring a little kindness into the elected auditor discussion. Folks on both sides are upset. Political empaths such as myself feel concerned for everyone involved. …
In the May 8, 2018, issue of the Register-Guard, EWEB Commissioner Steve Mital writes in a letter:
The campaign for a Eugene city auditor stems from a perceived need for more robust checks and balances in our city government. Perhaps the most powerful tool for forcing accountability is independent, thorough, and thoughtful local investigative reporting.
Communities across the nation, including ours, have experienced dramatic declines in local print reporting. We will be better off as a community by re-committing to buying and reading the paper than with either city auditor measure. Nothing exposes laziness, incompetence, or corruption and mobilizes a response from elected officials as effectively as a front-page story.