Improving the accountability & transparency of city government
In the May 18, 2018, issue of the Register-Guard, Eugene Budget Committee member Joshua Skov writes in a letter:
I would like to thank the proponents of measures 20-283 and 20-287 for their campaigns in support of a Eugene city auditor. Although both measures lost, they showed a significant appetite for accountability and transparency. …
In the May 10, 2018, issue of the Eugene Weekly, John Barofsky and Joshua Skov write in a guest viewpoint:
As long-time volunteers who watch Eugene’s city government closely, we want a strong and effective performance auditor. That’s why we’re supporting measure 20-287, and not 20-283.
The best way to understand how 20-287 will be more effective is to start with the way Eugene’s government currently works. We have a voice in one simple way: We elect eight councilors and a mayor, and they direct the city manager.
Everyone else in city government works for the city manager. All small spending decisions, the preparation of the budget, the maintenance of our streets and parks, hiring and firing of staff — all of that falls to the city manager and his executive staff. You may not like it, but that is our form of government — so-called council-manager form — and it’s written into the city charter. …
On April 12, 2018, at Good Samaritan, Southeast Neighbors hosted a debate between the representatives of the opposing auditor campaigns.
Bonny Bettman McCornack, former Eugene City Councilor, spoke for Measure 20-283 for an elected city auditor.
Joshua Skov, Eugene City Budget Committee member and former candidate for Eugene City Council, spoke for Measure 20-287 for an appointed performance auditor overseen by a citizen review board.
Watch a YouTube video of the event uploaded by independent videographer Todd Boyle…