Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the City Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City staff outline levies, street bond, and payroll‑tax review as budget gaps loom
Summary
City finance staff told the Budget Committee that voter‑approved levies and a measure‑5 tax cap constrain options, outlined the schedule for possible levy renewals, and summarized the Community Safety Payroll Tax review required in 2027.
City of Eugene finance staff reviewed potential revenue measures, tax‑cap constraints and the schedule for renewal of local levies during the Budget Committee meeting on May 14, providing detail on levy amounts and timing as the committee contemplates an $11.5 million set of recommended cuts.
Veil Miller, the city’s chief financial officer, told the committee that the city is roughly $0.34 per $1,000 of assessed value away from triggering Measure 5 compression across general‑government levies — a state tax‑cap consequence that can reduce revenue for multiple jurisdictions when local option levies are added.
Levy and bond details presented - Library levy (voter approved Nov. 2020): raises $2,850,000 annually and expires 06/30/2026; council would need to adopt a resolution by mid‑February 2026 to place a May 2026 measure on the ballot. (CFO presentation) - Parks and recreation levy (voter approved May 2023): raises $5,300,000 annually and expires at the end of fiscal year 2028. - Street bond (voter approved Nov. 2022): $61,200,000 over five years to repair 44.6 lane miles and fund walking and biking projects; bond expires at the end of fiscal year 2029.
Community Safety Payroll Tax (CSPT) Miller summarized the CSPT (established by city ordinance in June 2019 and implemented January 1, 2021), which funds a range of police, fire, municipal court, homeless and youth services. The ordinance requires a citizen advisory board review and a council hearing about continuation by March 30, 2027; if council refers continuation it could go to voters in November 2027, otherwise the tax would sunset after 12/31/2028.
Compression and tradeoffs Miller said new general‑government local option levies increase the risk of Measure 5 compression; the remaining 34¢ under the cap could produce about $6,000,000 per year if used but would raise compression exposure for other taxing districts. "Compression essentially creates competition among taxing districts," Miller said.
Ending Committee members asked staff follow‑up questions about the share of various budgets funded by the street bond and CSPT, and next steps to align work on potential ballot measures with council calendars; staff said council work would need to begin in the fall for a timely ballot placement.
