In a recent letter (EW 12/31), Kate Goldsworthy claimed that Mayor Lucy Vinis has had an “unremarkable tenure” and that we deserve a more progressive mayor. I agree 100 percent. The question is, how can we draw more highly qualified progressives to run for mayor and city council? One easy answer is better pay.
The mayor and city councilors who live in the public eye, often under intense scrutiny, make a measly salary of around $15,000. This poverty-level salary limits the pool of possible candidates, oftentimes leaving us with uncontested races and poor representation. If the mayor and councilors were paid roughly the same as we pay county commissioners, around $75,000, we would draw significantly more candidates into these races. The pay increase is a drop in the bucket, but has the potential to help transform our city. Paying the city’s policy-makers poverty-level wages is incredibly stupid.
When I spoke with incoming councilor Matt Keating, he agreed that the mayor and councilor positions should be full-time positions and that they deserved professional compensation. He also pledged that he would work to get that done. I hope Councilor Keating will keep his word and that he will get plenty of support for this common-sense reform.
Joshua Welch
Eugene
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
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