Residents urge scrutiny of Creekside Quarter campaign spending as councilors deny personal financial interest

Several members of the public used the meeting’s public-comment period on Nov. 5 to criticize the Creekside Quarter project and to press councilors about potential conflicts of interest.

Chris Turner told the council the recent ballot measure (Measure 15‑238 as referenced in the meeting) was "not a done deal," and he alleged that a pro‑project “pack” spent roughly $52,000 on consultants and marketing. Turner also said the Eugene Emeralds contributed $50,000 to the effort and asked whether people who stood to gain financially from the project should resign. His remarks asked the council to make more data public and framed the issue as one of transparency and accountability.

Bill Dames, a Medford resident, urged the council to locate a proposed ballpark at the Rogue X site rather than downtown (Hawthorne Park), arguing downtown placement benefits the Emeralds more than the city.

Councilor Kevin Stein, speaking from the dais, said he volunteered on the ballot campaign but stated, "I have 0 personal financial interest in anything that gets created" and that campaign work complied with Oregon law. Councilor Mike Kerlinger also addressed the chamber, saying he had turned down potential private work that could have created the appearance of conflict and that he did not expect to financially benefit from the project.

The meeting record shows these concerns were raised publicly; council members responded on the record denying personal financial interest. The transcript captures claims about campaign spending and donor contributions; those specific numeric claims were not corroborated during the meeting and were presented as allegations by public commenters.