HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 5464COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. 5464
A RESOLUTION CALLING A CITY ELECTION ON MAY 19,
2026, FOR THE PURPOSE OF REFERRING TO THE LEGAL
ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF EUGENE A MEASURE
AMENDING SUBSECTION 16(3) OF THE EUGENE
CHARTER CONCERNING THE CITY RESIDENCY
REQUIREMENT OF DEP ARTMENT HEADS.
PASSED: 6:1
REJECTED:
OPPOSED: Zelenka
ABSENT: Evans
CONSIDERED: November 19, 2025
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RESOLUTION NO. 5464
A RESOLUTION CALLING A CITY ELECTION ON MAY 19, 2026, FOR
THE PURPOSE OF REFERRING TO THE LEGAL ELECTORS OF THE CITY
OF EUGENE A MEASURE AMENDING SUBSECTION 16(3) OF
THE EUGENE CHARTER CONCERNING THE CITY RESIDENCY
REQUIREMENT OF DEPARTMENT HEADS.
The City Council of the City of Eugene finds as follows:
A. Subsection 16(3) of the Eugene Charter requires that the City Manager and all
department heads reside in the city limits of Eugene. Requiring department heads to reside within
the city limits can deter otherwise well-qualified candidates, creating challenges for both
recruitment and retention. Residency requirements for department heads are uncommon among Oregon cities and unnecessarily limit the City of Eugene's ability to attract a broad and competitive
pool of applications.
B.The cities of Eugene and Springfield share a Fire Chief that serves as the head of
the functionally consolidated Eugene-Springfield Fire (ESF) department. However, due to
subsection 16(3) of the Eugene Charter, the ESF Fire Chief is required to reside in Eugene, despite
serving as the Fire Chief for both cities.
C.The City Council finds it would be in the public interest to submit to the electors of
the city a measure that would amend Subsection 16(3) of the Eugene Charter to delete the
requirement that city department heads reside in the City of Eugene.
NOW, THEREFORE, based upon the above findings,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EUGENE, a
Municipal Corporation of the State of Oregon, as follows:
Section 1. A city election is called for the purpose ofreferring to the legal electors of
the City of Eugene the measure attached as Exhibit A proposing a Charter amendment to delete
the city residency requirement for department heads.
Section 2. The City Council orders this city election to be held in the City of Eugene,
Oregon, concurrently with the statewide election on May 19, 2026, in accordance with the
provisions of Chapter 254 of the Oregon Revised Statutes, and the ballots shall be counted and
tabulated and the results certified as provided by law.
Section 3. The City Recorder is directed to give not less than ten days' notice of the
city election by publication of one notice in the Register Guard, a newspaper published in the City
and of general circulation within the City.
Resolution -Page 1 of 2
Section 4. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption.
The foregoing Resolution adopted the 19 th day of November, 2025.
7cecorcier
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EXHIBIT A
MEASURE ----
Subsection 16(3) of the Eugene Charter of 1976 is hereby amended as follows. (Language to be
deleted from the current Charter is indicated in brackets with strike-out; language to be added to
the current Charter is indicated in bold, italic print; language that is neither struck-out nor bold-
italic is current Charter language that is unchanged by this measure.)
Section 16. City Manager.
(3) The office[-s] of the city manager [and department heads] may be filled by
a candidate[-s] from outside the city, but during the city manager's [tfletf} tenure in [th-e-se] that
of:fice[-s], the city manager [all persons hereafter appointed to them] shall reside in the city. [All
employees appointed by the manager shall reside in the city during their tenure of position,
e~wept as the council authorizes the manager to prescribe to the contrary and the manager does
-5&.-]
Exhibit A -Page 1 of 1