Item 2A: Approval of City Council Minutes

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doing this and hoping it would get better. He said he would encourage the legislators to make better choices. While he believed there were many services provided by the state that were absolutely critical, there were some that were not. He cited an allocation of $3 million for interstate highway rest stop attendants as one he did not feel was critical. He believed there were ways the state could cut money that would not impact the schools. He opined that they should look at the private industries as a valuable resource they should protect and nourish and should not squeeze. He said they should look for ways to increase employment, which would increase the income tax revenue. Councilor Zelenka urged his colleagues to support the resolution. He commented that the corporate tax had not been increased from $10 since 1931. He said small businesses would be protected and would only have modest tax th increases. He averred that Oregon ranked 26 out of 50 states in tax burden. He believed the ballot measures were a small price to pay to avoid pretty substantial cuts to public education. Councilor Pryor believed that everything Councilor Clark said was true, but the challenge for him was to try to solve the macro problem locally so that it did not affect local people. He related that human service providers had been instructed to prepare for up to 20 percent in cuts for the next year. He said whether the Legislature dealt with the issue or not, they would still have to cut 20 percent, which meant that some seniors would not receive their Meals on Wheels and some domestic violence services would be unavailable, among others. He agreed that it was a shame that they should be backed into a corner to have to make this type of choice. He intended to vote for it with the full recognition that this was not the position he would want to be in, but he could not take food out of the mouths of seniors because of what happened in Salem. He underscored that there would be significant cuts if the ballot measures failed. Councilor Poling was not certain how he would vote when he received his ballot. He said he would vote against the resolution at this point. He appreciated the position that social services, public safety, and education were in, but he felt they had been used as the magic carrot to dangle in front of the taxpayers every year. He believed the state needed to live within its means. Councilor Clark reiterated his belief that the Draconian cuts were unnecessary; the budget was larger than it had been in the last budget biennium. Mayor Piercy stated that there was a revenue shortfall that would affect people in many ways. She expressed appreciation for an article that had been in The Register-Guard over the weekend, an opinion piece in support of the measures written by a local small business owner. She felt that the business owner knew that educating students helped businesses. Councilor Taylor commented that if there were things wrong with the State they should remember that they were the State. She said it behooved them to try to help the State figure out how to save money, but if the measures did not pass, people would suffer in the short-term. She felt that the measures only targeted people who could afford to pay. Roll call vote; the motion passed, 5:3; Councilors Poling, Clark, and Solomon voting in opposition. 5. PUBLIC HEARING: Use of Federal Housing and Urban Development Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program/Brownfield Eco- nomic Development Initiative (BEDI) Funds for Construction Financing Mr. Ruiz said the public hearing was one of two steps the council must take, with the second one being council action regarding the funds – scheduled for January 11. Mayor Piercy opened the public hearing. MINUTES—Eugene City Council December 14, 2009 Page 4 Regular Meeting