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Steve Wilson, 4549 Souza Street, averred that the lack of mention of family and schools in the council's on -line biographies suggested a disconnection between the council and the public it served. He said that "Eugene has been busy being recognized for art enhancements" and suggested that "renaissance" had been at the expense of school system and was in direct conflict with the ideals of community families. He suggested the City could now "rest on its laurels" in regard to those efforts and instead work to create a learning environment for students to be educated enough to appreciate the art "created during this renaissance." Mr. Wilson wanted the State's lottery money to be reallocated to schools. He preferred to manage existing funds as opposed to giving government more money. However, he thought an income tax would acceptable if was fair. Wendy Butler - Boyesen, 1265 City View, supported the proposed City income tax for schools. She also expressed her support of the West Eugene EmX extension. She shared information about comparative corridor operating costs given to her by LTD in support of her contention that the West Eugene EmX extension was cost - effective in comparison to the no -build option. Ms. Butler - Boyesen praised the existing EmX system for its ease of use. Elaine Replogue, 2847 Martinique Avenue, favored a progressive income tax to be placed on the May ballot to restore lost school days, restore curriculum cuts, retain teachers, and decrease class sizes. She emphasized the importance of appealing to residents without children in the schools. She herself did not want to continue with public education if it was to be at the expense of her children. Ms. Replogue said Eugene could not wait for the State to act. She advocated for all residents with higher incomes to be taxed more to give Eugene children a better education. Marilyn Leer, North Shasta Loop, expressed support for a fair and equitable tax to support education. She said that many of retired citizens would not be paying any of the tax because of the PERS system. She believed if some retirees were to be exempted from the tax, the City needed to exempt all retirees, or find another way to fund the schools, which she would favor. She was concerned about the fairness of the tax being proposed and asked that it be made equitable for all. Phil Barnhart, Eugene, a State representative, reported that the State of Oregon had collected a tax for education on behalf of Multnomah County and had the authority to enter into a similar agreement with Eugene to collect a tax. Representative Barnhart said he had been working on the issue of school funding since the 1990s without much success, and maintained that the State of Oregon would not fit the problem anytime soon. He had done everything he knew how and had not been successful in reversing the direction of State budget cuts. He said Eugene could help only its own students. He emphasized the importance of a good education for Oregon students and for the sake of economy in general, and recommended the council refer an income tax proposal to the voters to support local schools. Casey Drobnick, 1475 East 15` Avenue, a University of Oregon student, supported the West Eugene EmX expansion. She said it would reduce road congestion and pollution on West I I d ' Avenue because vehicles would run in dedicated lanes. People would not have to spend their money on rising gas prices. She maintained EmX was a business investment and had been more successful than predicted. She believed more people would ride the system when it was expanded. EmX would take cars off the road, improve the environment, and be better for businesses along the corridor. Hillary Johnson, Eugene, Stand for Children, expressed support for the subcommittee process that led to development of the proposal for an income tax for schools. She supported the proposed measure and wanted to see it on the May 2011 ballot. She also asked that the tax be made retroactive to January 2011. MINUTES — Eugene City Council January 24, 2011 Page 3 Regular Meeting