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HomeMy WebLinkAbout260511 WSMINUTES Eugene City Council Work Session Eugene, Oregon 97401 May 11, 2026 5:30p.m. Councilors Present: Eliza Kashinsky, Matt Keating, Alan Zelenka, Jennifer Yeh, Mike Clark, Greg Evans, Lyndsie Leech, and Randy Groves Mayor Kaarin Knudson opened the May 11, 2026, work session of the Eugene City Council in a hybrid format at 500 E 4th Avenue, North Building, Eugene OR 97401. 1. WORK SESSION: Long Range Financial Planning Process and Strategic Plan City Manager Jenny Haruyama introduced Twylla Miller, Chief Financial Officer, Maurizio Bottalico, Principal Fiscal Analyst, and Nancy Hetrick, consultant with Raftelis, to discuss the long range financial planning process, noting it will inform the upcoming Council workshop and future budget development. Councilor Discussion: • • • • Councilor Clark -asked how the City could better evaluate the long-term fiscal impacts of legislative mandates, including requirements affecting emergency communications personnel; asked how the City might develop tools to estimate revenue effects from meeting projected housing production targets; asked for more accurate projections of how much additional assessed value would be required to generate two to three million dollars in annual revenue. Councilor Keating-asked about the revenue potential of voluntary annexations and whether they meaningfully influence long-term financial capacity; asked whether retirement system expenditures are expected to stabilize or continue rising as workforce demographics shift; asked how the City's share of property tax distributions compares to similar municipalities; expressed appreciation for the clear explanation of the differences between real market value and assessed value; asked whether requiring municipal fiscal impact statements for legislative actions could support transparency and public understanding; asked whether the former revenue advisory group still exists and how its role relates to the technical advisory group on fiscal stability. Councilor Kashinsky -asked how other jurisdictions are responding to structural financial challenges associated with retirement system costs and statewide property tax limitations; asked whether staff are accounting for the possible loss of state or federal funding in areas such as shelter and health- related services; asked how such reductions may contribute to growing unfunded needs in the community. Councilor Zelenka -asked for additional clarity about the change property ratio; stated new construction is taxed based on assessed value rather than real market value; asked how the ratio is calculated and why it continues to decline; MINUTES -Eugene City Council Work Session May 11, 2026 Page 1 asked whether the initially assigned assessed value for new construction remains the basis for the annual three percent growth limit; noted concern that declining ratios reduce the fiscal benefit of new development and limit the City's ability to expand its tax base sufficiently. • Councilor Groves -stated appreciation for the clarity of the presentation; noted the complexity of understanding assessed value and real market value; noted councils have historically struggled to identify reductions or efficiencies compared with raising fees or taxes; stated concern about the difficulty of navigating future prioritization decisions; stated support for a zero-based budgeting approach in which services are built from foundational needs rather than adjusted from prior allocations. • Mayor Knudson -asked about distinctions between the general fund, the total biennial budget, and the share devoted to police and fire services; asked about the City's bond rating; noted it is important to understand the change property ratio; stated reductions in federal funding do not directly implicate the City's budget but do affect local partners and affect community needs. The meeting was adjourned at 6:43 p.m. Respectfully submitted, ~ City Recorder (Recorded by Cherish Bradshaw) Link to the web cast of this City Council meeting here. MINUTES -Eugene City Council Work Session May 11, 2026 Page 2