On Monday, June 26, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. the Eugene City Council will hold public hearings and take action on the 2023-2025 Biennial Budget as previously recommended by the Budget Committee. Members of the public are encouraged to provide their feedback on the 2023-2025 Proposed Biennial Budget. Information about how to access these meetings will be available at www.eugene-or.gov/webcasts.
You can view the Agenda Item Summary for the City of Eugene 2023-2025 Recommended Budget at https://www.eugene-or.gov/DocumentCenter/View/70479/2023-2025-COE-Budget-Adoption-AIS-and-Attachments and the Urban Renewal Agency 2023-2025 Recommended Budget at https://www.eugene-or.gov/DocumentCenter/View/70480/2023-2025-URA-Budget-Adoption-AIS-and-Attachments.
The Proposed Budget was reviewed and deliberated on by the Eugene Budget Committee during four meetings throughout April and May, which included public input. The Budget Committee’s final recommendation, approved on May 24, 2023, is as follows:
Move that the Budget Committee recommend to the Eugene City Council the 2023-2025 Budget for the City of Eugene that consists of the City Manager's Proposed 2023-2025 Budget that has been modified to provide up to $250,000 in one-time dollars to the Human Services Commission (HSC) using opioid settlement funds and reduces 24.0 FTE and related costs to the Ambulance Transport Fund for non-emergent transport, including updated property tax levies and/or rates, amended to reflect appropriations for prior year encumbrances and prior year capital projects with the following amendments:
- Move to recommend that the City Manager restore $400,000 of funding for the Animal Sheltering and Adoption Services Contract for the 2023-2025 biennium using General Fund money made available by funding the Mental Health Services Contract for the 2023-2025 biennium with one-time Community Safety Payroll Tax underspending.
- Move to recommend that the City Manager restore for the 2023-2025 biennium $4.3 million funding for a fire engine using a combination of funds from the Community Safety Payroll Tax and the General Fund made available by: 1) eliminating $2,809,000 in Community Safety Payroll Tax funding for a Community Response Unit Squad (CRU); 2) eliminating $602,000 of Community Safety Payroll Tax funding for the Ambulance Transport Fund; and, 3) using $901,000 in General Fund resources allocated in the 2023-2025 proposed budget to support funding the CRU Squad proposal.
- Move to recommend that the City Manager add one-time, 2023-2025 biennium funding of $50,000 for publicly accessible electric vehicle charging stations in areas of Eugene underserved by charging stations, by utilizing one-time Sustainability program underspending.
In addition to the amendments made by the Budget Committee, on May 24, the City Manager stated she would bring to Council a proposal to add one-time funding for youth library programming and materials. Staff have determined that $30,000 in programming directly focuses on youth services and $50,000 in the materials budget is for youth materials. These additional services can be funded on a one-time basis with Community Safety Payroll Tax underspending to support prevention and youth-related services.
The full text of the Budget Committee motions is available to view at https://www.eugene-or.gov/DocumentCenter/View/70179/5-24-23-Budget-Committee-Final-Motions.
At the same meeting the City Council is also scheduled to hold public hearings and take action on the current fiscal year (FY23) June Supplemental Budget. View the Agenda Item Summary for the City of Eugene FY23 June Supplemental Budget at https://www.eugene-or.gov/DocumentCenter/View/70478/FY23-June-SB-AIS-and-Attachments.
Visit https://www.eugene-or.gov/3360/Webcasts-and-Meeting-Materials to learn more about how to provide written or public testimony to City Council.