09/23/1985 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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Ellen Maddex, 2570 Van Ness, testified at the end of the hearing. She sup- e ported the income tax, but she recommended the exclusion for people with low incomes be more than $7,000. She preferred an income tax to additional prop- erty taxes. She said people with $25,000 incomes and $60,000 homes cannot afford higher property taxes. She recommended a permanent income tax because capital improvements will continue to be needed. Jim Hale, 4064 Meredith, was the first of those who testified in opposition to the income tax. He lives outside the city, but works inside the city. He supported the Eugene Agenda. He said the community needs all the projects in the Agenda, but he did not support the income tax. He discussed four other ways to accomplish the projects. They were: 1) A county-wide property tax of 20t per thousand should fund the necessary airport improvements. Mr. Hale thought the Lane County Commissioners would cooperate with the City Council in approving such a property tax; 2) A county-wide gas tax of 4t or 5t a gallon should fund the arterial and collector streets in Eugene, Springfield, and Lane County; 3) An effort should be made by Eugene, Springfield, and Lane County to consolidate and re-assign services. Mr. Hale said Eugene has not cut costs as much as Springfield and Lane County; and 4) After the first three suggestions have been implemented, an income tax should be proposed for all residents within the urban growth boundary of Eugene. Mr. Hale said people who pay for the airport should have a voice in its man- agement. He said the expansion of the airport is necessary. Floyd Summers, 2860 Mill, said the taxpayers. money is wasted. For example, e the 30th Avenue overpass goes to only a few residences, the dump is poorly managed, and the downtown mall is being torn up. Mr. Summers said the airport is adequate. He did not favor construction of the Hult Center. He said only a few people, such as the landowner, will benefit from the Van Duyn factory. He is tired of paying taxes. Bessie Ridenour, 36861 Parsons Creek Road, was insulted by the construction of the Hult Center. She said people do not need more taxes. She pays $16,000 in taxes each year. Some people considered buying a business from her last year, but they wanted to know about the income tax before they would buy in Eugene. She did not want to pay more taxes for the airport and the library. She does not like the flower boxes in the middle of the Eugene roads although the boxes were paid for by federal funds. Ms. Ridenour said she grew up in the depression and missed a year of school because she could not afford books. She said citizens would benefit from additional funds for the Police Department. Police officers have to face bad situations. She said public officials need common sense. Business people do not want to pay more taxes and fill out lots of forms. The library is plenty good enough for her. Jon Silvermoon, 2441 Madison, did not think the voters will approve another tax. He sald Federal Revenue Sharing Funds are about 12 percent of the cost of the first three years of the CIP. A one-half of 1 percent income tax will raise six times what is needed to replace Federal Revenue Sharing Funds. - MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 23, 1985 Page 4