One of the measures on the ballot for Eugene’s special election next Tuesday is an amendment to the City Charter. It has to do with what happens when a City Councilor is appointed.
Measure 20-274 amends a city charter amendment from 2005.
“And that original charter amendment was to try to ensure that anyone who was appointed to a city council seat would have to run for that seat as soon as possible after that.” Councilor Chris Pryor says, “In the next general election.”
Eugene City Councilor Chris Pryor says there was no problem until earlier this year when Councilor George Poling retired from his Ward 4 seat. The council appointed Jennifer Yeh to finish out the term. But since it ends in 2019, she’d be on the ballot twice in 2018.
“It really brought to our attention this discrepancy in that final year where the appointee Jennifer Yeh would not only have to run for the next 4 year term but would also have to run for the unexpired term.” Says Pryor.
Pryor says the amendment is meant to avoid the confusion and cost this would create. He says it only applies to positions that are appointed in the final year of an elected term. There’s no organized opposition to the measure.
