CC Minutes - 11/16/05 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mr. Kelly agreed with Ms. Taylor and Mr. Papé that serial levies were an absurd way to fund ongoing government services. He supported the need for tax reform, and wished those feelings around the table would translate into having a discussion on tax reform and tax restructuring. He said only three of nine councilors identified tax reform as a priority at the council’s strategic planning retreat in February 2005. He found it difficult to find enough City services to cut to avoid a library levy. He stated that he supported a renewal of both the Library levy and the Youth/School-Based Services levy. Mr. Kelly said the other challenge of the levy renewals was that the individual items could become a target for general dissatisfaction with the government, noting that people could love the library and the services, but vote against a levy because it was their only opportunity to weigh in on the budget. Mr. Kelly said in terms of another broad PROS measure, he understood the value of waiting until 2008. However, he was worried about lost opportunities, particularly in regard to land acquisition, noting once an area was developed it was no longer available for park uses. He was interested in giving staff direction to consider a limited PROS bond in 2006 focused on time-sensitive items such as land acquisition for future neighborhood and community parks in underserved areas, or other time sensitive projects. Ms. Bettman had a clear sense of what she thought would work, and she favored going out in 2006 for the Library local option levy and Youth/School-Based Services levy. She said the school-based services were essential in that they freed the education system to teach students. Ms. Bettman said city hall replacement needed to be a priority in 2008. This would then bump the PROS bond measure. This was not a commentary on the plan that she had not yet seen, but rather a way to sequence the vote and achieve success. She said she believed the PROS plan belonged on the 2010 ballot. Ms. Bettman was intrigued by Mr. Kelly’s idea about lost opportunities, and said she may be willing to consider a very reduced version if it would not prejudice the chance of the other bond to pass. Ms. Bettman thanked the Eugene Public Library Foundation and those who worked on the campaign for the school-based services levy, and expressed hope that the same level of energy and commitment would be demonstrated the next time the issues were put to the voters. Mayor Piercy stated that she supported both the Library and Youth/School-Based Services levies, and believed it was very important to continue to support them. She liked the idea of gradually reducing the City’s dependence on using levies for operating budgets. She said the tax restructuring question was a worthy, albeit difficult, issue. She said there was currently a lot of great thinking around the PROS issue, but she did not feel ready to make any comment on it at the present time. Mayor Piercy agreed that city hall replacement and a limited PROS measures were significant. Mayor Piercy solicited a second round of council questions and comments. In response to Mr. Pryor, Ms. Taylor said the land will not wait, and she was especially interested in natural areas, many of which were under threat of development. If they were not acquired, they will be gone. She said parks staff wanted to do it all at once because if there was something for all interest groups, the measure was more likely to pass. As far as addressing the city hall issue first, she said people would likely vote it down in 2008, resulting in it being brought up again in 2010. People were much more interested in parks than replacing city hall. Ms. Taylor asked what would be cut if the library levy were reduced or eliminated. She asked if the need for the levy would be eliminated if the branches were eliminated. She supported branches, and suggested putting branches as one issue on the ballot, with the downtown library MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 16, 2005 Page 4 Work Session