Improving the accountability & transparency of city government
In the May 3, 2018, issue of the Eugene Weekly, Eugene resident Scott Bartlett writes in a letter:
When will they ever listen? Is proper City Council staff oversight and accountability too much to expect?
Measure 20-283, for an elected city auditor, offers Eugeneans our loudest message to City Hall. Oops … Well, we used to have a city hall, before it was replaced by an empty, crushed concrete pit, fanning city offices throughout town at $1.3-million taxpayer-funded rents per year. …
In the May 1, 2018, issue of the Register-Guard, Eugene resident Ruth Duemler writes in a letter:
Thank you, Scott Bartlett, for discovering the $1.3 million annual cost of renting City Hall but that leaves out the cost of the move and remodeling plus transit and inconvenience of separate city facilities (“Gravel pit points to yes on 20-283”, April 27). We could also add the 10-year rental agreement locking in no city hall.
We need an honest and dedicated observer and that is exactly what 20-283 gives us.
In the April 30, 2018, issue of the Register-Guard, Eugene resident Jayme Vasconcellos writes in a letter:
Here’s why you should vote yes on Ballot Measure 20-283:
City Hall’s original estimate: $11.5 million. Then, without notifying the council, City Manager Jon Ruiz blew it up to $18.8 million — and then to $27.85 million. Six million spent; nothing built. …
In the April 30, 2018, issue of the Register-Guard, Eugene resident Munir Katul writes in a letter:
As the first chair of the Eugene Police Commission and of the Police Civilian Review Board, I had the opportunity to interact with members of the Eugene city government and specifically the City Council members and the city manager’s office.
When the police auditor’s position was created, it was supposed to be “independent” while still reporting to the City Council.
Unfortunately, it did not turn out that way. …
In the April 30, 2018, issue of the Register-Guard, Eugene City Councilor for Ward 8 Chris Pryor writes in a letter:
Am I afraid of an elected auditor? Not really. It won’t affect me as an elected official.
The elected auditor has no authority over the Eugene City Council.
Actually, the auditor doesn’t really have the authority to make any changes.
Read the measure. …
In the April 30, 2018, issue of the Register-Guard, Eugene resident Christine L. Sundt writes in a letter:
If Measure 20-283 passes, Eugene’s voters would elect their auditor rather than having one appointed by the City Council. That means we, the people, decide who is best qualified (experience, residency, and success) from among candidates. …
In the April 27, 2018, issue of the Register-Guard, Eugene resident Scott Bartlett writes in a letter:
Measure 20-283, for an elected city auditor, offers Eugeneans our loudest message to City Hall. Oops — well, we used to have a City Hall before it was replaced by an empty crushed concrete pit, fanning city offices throughout town at $1.3 million taxpayer funded rents per year. …
In the April 26, 2018, issue of the Eugene Weekly, Eugene resident Bob Cassidy writes in a letter:
The president of the League of Women Voters claims that the city already has an auditor. And that is true. But that is a financial auditor. And it is required of a city to have one. The numbers balance, and money is spent legally. …
In the April 26, 2018, issue of the Eugene Weekly, Eugene resident Steve Mital writes in a letter:
The campaign for a 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. …
In the April 25, 2018, issue of the Register-Guard, Eugene resident Lisa-Marie Divincent in a letter:
I respectfully invite Nicole Leseney to read Measure 20-283 again. Her April 24 letter (“Who audits the auditor?”) is either a disingenuous attempt to scare people or she’s sadly misinformed. …