On Monday, June 28, the Eugene City Council held a public hearing and voted to adopt the fiscal year 2021-2022 (FY22) budget for the City of Eugene. State Local Budget Law requires budget adoption by the City by June 30. Budget adoption provides for the legal appropriation of funds and sets the City tax rate, which is legally required for the County to collect taxes on behalf of the City. If the budget is not adopted by June 30, the City cannot legally spend money as of July 1, which includes payroll, bond payments, and paying suppliers and contractors.
The City Manager presented the FY22 Proposed Budget to the Budget Committee on April 28. The Budget Committee heard public comment, reviewed, and deliberated on the proposed budget during four meetings. On May 26, the Budget Committee voted to recommend that the City Council adopt the FY22 budget with the following additions:
For the City of Eugene budget:
- Recommend that the City Council allocate an additional $75,000 in one-time funding to the Human Services Commission (HSC) in the FY22 Proposed Budget to continue funding for increases in the City of Eugene portion of subcontractor contracts.
- Recommend that the City Manager prioritize $50,000 to the FY22 Urban Forestry tree planting program from the American Rescue Plan Act funding and identify funding for this amount to be added to the base budget for this program beyond FY22.
- Recommend to the City Council that they direct the City Manager make the highest priority for funding the restoration of the cuts to the Eugene Fire Station #2 from the American Rescue Plan Act funding.
- Recommend to the City Council to remove the $310,000 budget allocation for the Community Response Unit from the FY22 Proposed Budget.
- Recommend to the City Council to add $125,000 of one-time funding in the FY22 Proposed Budget for support to CAHOOTS for maintaining the additional five hours per day of service, and to instruct the City Manager to bring back a plan for stabilization and potential expansion of the CAHOOTS program as part of Community Safety Initiative discussions in the fall.
- Recommend that the City Council direct the City Manager to reconvene the Budget Committee for a minimum of two meetings for discussions and a recommendation to City Council regarding the FY22 Supplemental Budget specifically related to allocations of the Community Safety Initiative fund and American Rescue Plan Act funds.
The full text of the Budget Committee motions is available online.
Acting as the Urban Renewal Agency Board of Directors, the City Council also approved the FY22 Budget for the Eugene Urban Renewal Agency.
The new budget will go into effect on July 1, 2021. Once the document is finalized later in the summer, the adopted budget will be posted on the City’s website at www.eugene-or.gov/budget and the Eugene Open Budget website, www.eugene-or.gov/openbudget, will be updated with the FY22 Adopted Budget and Capital Budget data. The FY22 Proposed Budget, approved Budget Committee motions, and other agenda materials are available on the City’s website at www.eugene-or.gov/budget.
City Council also held a public hearing and adopted the third supplemental budget for FY21. View the Agenda Item Summary for the City of Eugene FY21 June Supplemental Budget online.