The Eugene City Council is still pursuing a potential replacement to the embattled fire fee in the face of widespread budget cuts.
Most council members however still don’t agree on how much to collect and for how many years.
The city council did vote Wednesday to ask the city attorney to bring back a draft ordinance for a fire fee alternative next week that would bring in either $6 or $8 million and sunset over four years. They would need to start the hearing process on that proposal in the next few weeks to be able to include it in their budget.
That option might let the city avoid further cuts to animal services, closing the library a few days a week, as well closing Amazon Pool and Community Center permanently. There would still be $3 to $5 million in cuts to other, slightly less public city services.
City Council also asked for details on temporarily hiking stormwater fees to bring in about $4.7 million in revenue as a third potential option.
Councilor Eliza Kashinsky was the lone no vote, saying the original fire fee was already designed to be a long-term, more equitable solution that would provide stability.
“Putting a sunset on this, going with this sort of compromise proposal is not the best for our community in the long term,” Kashinsky said. “We're basically going to be exactly in this same place in x number of years having this exact same conversation."
City Council member Matt Keating also said he opposed a four year sunset, but voted in favor in hopes of keeping the conversation going.
City Manager Sarah Medary also cautioned the city council about a four year sunset, saying it would complicate the city’s ability to do six year revenue forecasts and potentially impact its credit rating.
Councilor Mike Clark has for months said he wanted voters to decide any fees. On Wednesday, he said he was open to supporting an alternative replacement to the fire fee if it was smaller and had a sunset.
“I recognize the spot we’re in and the outpouring of emails from so many people for weeks now makes it very clear to me that the wise person moves to compromise in a moment like this,” he said.
The city council as a whole hasn’t decided whether to repeal the existing fire fee or let voters decide its fate in November.
The city council will get their first look at the draft ordinance and a second look at their budget on May 21. A public hearing on the budget is May 28 and the city council is scheduled to adopt it June 23.
