Recorded on : Friday, April 26, 2019
Air Date: Monday, April 29, 2019
From the City Club of Eugene
Speakers: Steve Mokrohisky, County Administrator; Joe Berney, Lane County Commissioner; HON. Judge James Hargreaves, retired Judge
Coordinator: Joel Korin
There seems to be consensus that the current courthouse needs to be replaced. It lacks security, with prisoners, victims and jurors on occasion forced to share an elevator or hallway. Lack of conference room space forces trial delays so attorneys and clients can confer. The building denies access to public spaces for people in wheelchairs. The building cannot be repaired: heating, cooling and plumbing systems are no longer reliable or functional.
Lane County wants to build a new courthouse, partially funded by almost 90 million dollars from the state. The remaining 158 million dollars is to be funded by a bond issue, if the voters approve the ballot measure on May 21st. What will the cost be to the average homeowner? How long will taxpayers have to pay off the bond? Could it be done for less?
Come hear proposal, learn the arguments for and against and question speakers for both sides.
Steve Mokrohisky. County Administrator Steve Mokrohisky (Mo-crow-hi-ski) joined Lane County in May 2014. He has served in county government leadership in Oregon, Nevada and Wisconsin for more than 17 years. Steve has led with a focus on utilizing limited resources for critical services, practical financial management and meaningful public engagement. Lane County’s recent financial management efforts have been recognized by several independent agencies, including the Oregon Secretary of State and Moody’s Investors Service. In 2017, Lane County’s bond rating was raised to its highest recorded level due to efforts to create long-term financial stability.
Steve received a Bachelor of Arts from Marquette University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin. He is also a public policy graduate of the Les Aspen Center for Government in Washington, D.C.
Joe Berney. Commissioner Joe Berney began his first term as Lane County’s District 2 –Springfield commissioner in January 2019. His career has spanned four decades of entrepreneurship and leadership in business, economic development, education and training. Most recently he built a business developing and financing commercial and industrial energy efficiency, renewable energy, and energy storage retrofits, creating new markets for the building trades. Projects included the nation’s largest PACE-financed commercial energy efficiency retrofit, and the nation’s largest Net Zero Plus facility with and for IBEW 11 (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) and Los Angeles NECA (National Electrical Contractors Association). Commissioner Berney received his Bachelor of Arts in economics and a secondary teaching credential from the University of California Santa Cruz in 1975.
Judge James Hargreaves. Jim Hargreaves was born and raised in Eugene. He received both his Bachelor of Law and Juris Doctorate degrees from the University of Oregon. He went on to become a judge of the District and Circuit Courts in Lane County, serving as Presiding Judge of the Circuit Court and, later, headed the Juvenile Court. After leaving the bench he worked the Public Safety and Justice Group of IBM, Deloitte, the American Bar Association., teaching, consulting and lecturing around the world to lawyers, judges and with an emphasis on the republics of former Soviet Union. He now a principal in his own company, Amicus Curiae Consulting.
About the City Club of Eugene
The mission of the City Club of Eugene is to build community vision through open inquiry. The Club explores a wide range of significant local, state, and national issues and helps to formulate new approaches and solutions to problems. Membership is open to all and Club members have a direct influence on public policy by discussing issues of concern with elected officials and other policy makers. The City Club’s mailing address is: PO Box 12084, Eugene, OR, 97440. For more information please call (541) 485-7433 or visit us online at cityclubofeugene.org.
