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Eugene council repeals ordinance tied to fire service fee, cancels related ballot action
Summary
On July 14 the Eugene City Council voted 7–1 to repeal the ordinance establishing a fire service fee and to cancel the related election effort tied to a referendum petition (2025-1); councilors described the repeal as a compromise to avoid a divisive and expensive ballot campaign while continuing longer-term financial work.
The Eugene City Council on July 14 voted 7–1 to repeal an ordinance establishing a fire service fee and to remove the related item from the ballot process tied to a citizen referendum petition identified in the meeting as 2025-1.
Council members framed the repeal as a reluctant but pragmatic step after months of debate and local compromise. "I think it's really important, to maintain good faith with the public," Councilor Clark said, noting he had voted for a replacement fee after an earlier proposal was withdrawn and that he intended to vote to withdraw the current ordinance. Councilor Kaczynski said the fire fee had been developed to address a long-standing problem and that repealing the ordinance felt like reversing a decision "that I still think was a good idea to pass." Councilor Yeh said continuing a ballot fight would divert time and resources from the city’s ongoing financial work.
Transcript context and motion: The council considered two related motions: (1) a motion to repeal Ordinance 20171 (the ordinance establishing the fire service fee) and (2) companion procedural items to cancel the upcoming election tied to the referendum petition. Councilors who spoke acknowledged the tension between allowing petition signers to take their issue to the ballot and avoiding what several called a divisive, expensive campaign. "Continuing to fight this out at the ballot box is taking away time and effort that we could be putting ... into this committee, to these conversations," Councilor Yeh said.
Vote and outcome: The motion to repeal the ordinance and cancel the associated ballot action passed 7–1. Several councilors said they voted in favor to preserve community trust and to focus resources on the new financial advisory work and other planning efforts. "The compromise that's been alluded to was, in my opinion, good faith efforts by everyone at the table tonight," the council president said during discussion.
Next steps and implications: Staff and councilors said the repeal is not the end of the underlying fiscal conversation. Multiple councilors urged participating in the ad hoc financial advisory process and the upcoming winter planning to address the structural budget gaps that prompted the fee discussion. The motion to repeal was made as part of the same July 14 session where the council authorized the city-manager advisory committee; staff said the committee and subsequent budget work are intended to identify strategies and alternatives, including evaluating other revenue and cost-management options.
Details recorded in the meeting: The ordinance was identified in discussion as "Ordinance 20171" and the citizen petition was identified as "referendum petition 2025-1," both referenced during the July 14 work session. Councilors repeatedly described the decision as a compromise and emphasized the need to continue the financial planning work that staff outlined earlier in the meeting.
