By Lucy Vinis, Jennifer Yeh, Lyndsie Leech and Eliza Kashinsky
The city of Eugene’s Fire Service Fee is a prudent action that enables the city to continue ongoing services to sustain quality of life for all of us. Thanks to the taxpayers and the judicial management of our resources, and despite having to cut the budget nearly $60 million over the last decade, the city has consistently invested in the core infrastructure and services that make Eugene a great place to live, work and play.
We have invested in roads, sidewalks and bike paths; we’ve expanded the parks system and community centers to ensure that people across the city have access to nature and recreation. We built a beautiful library whose resources and programs continue to grow and diversify thanks to voters that care about a robust public library system. We’ve invested in public safety to ensure that people feel free and safe to use and enjoy our common spaces and downtown and to meet the growing need for police, fire and emergency services.
Due to Measures 5 and 50, passed by taxpayers in the 1990s, cities throughout Oregon can only increase property taxes by a maximum of 3 percent annually, even though inflation can be much higher. What this means is that the city can tax only 40 percent of one of those largest apartment buildings, but we have to provide services to 100 percent of that building. No amount of budget cutting will compensate for that difference between cost and revenue.
Any property that pays an EWEB bill would pay the fee based on the square footage of the building. By creating a fee on this model, the city is able to ensure stable and sustainable funding for fire and emergency services. This may not be perfect: our fire department needs and deserves more. But it does ensure that fire services will be protected. As an ordinance, this fee can always be amended as circumstances require.
If, for example, in the coming years the Chamber of Commerce proposes a viable, long-term, robust solution to Eugene’s budget problems, that solution can be discussed, aired in public meetings and implemented with public and council support.
Right now, the challenge is that failure to pass this fee condemns the city — and you as residents of the city — to lose services that you value, to the tune of $11.5 million.
Once systems are cut, they are not readily brought back — especially when there is no viable alternative on the table. Budget cuts made in this coming budget will become the foundation of budget decisions for the foreseeable future.
We are deeply grateful for the willingness of our community to consider options to ensure a financially sound future. What future do we want to invest in? Sustain what we have or tear it down without a plan for rebuilding? As Joni Mitchell sang, “You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.”
Let’s not undermine the precious investments we have made. Let’s keep the Fire Services Fee in place and work together for additional solutions.