Lane County News

Eugene City Manager Sarah Medary presented the 2023-2025 Proposed Biennial Budget for the City of Eugene to the Eugene Budget Committee on April 26 (watch the meeting). The proposed budget, $1.5 billion total, includes strategies to reduce a $15 million General Fund budget gap and shifts $5 million towards urgent community needs. View the interactive 2023-2025 Budget Document online, or see a non-interactive PDF of the document on the City’s website.  

“The City is facing financial pressures that require us to reduce costs in the biennium. We used a sound financial approach that reduces, but does not eliminate, services while also making some new investments in areas of great community concern,” said City Manager Sarah Medary. “These changes contribute to a significant gap in revenues and expenses requiring cost reductions and other course corrections for the fiscal year that begins July 2023.” 

“We are experiencing many challenges noted throughout Oregon and across the United States, including high inflation, hiring and retaining a work force, and the cost of operations outpacing property tax revenue. Any one of these alone is a challenge to solve and we've had to make some very difficult budget decisions. I propose using multiple, interconnected strategies for an all-in approach that is intended to make immediate impacts while preparing us for a brighter future.”      

The City has set a budget course correction by shifting to a Priority Based Budget approach and a biennial budget process. This combination provides a longer-term planning horizon, making more time to be strategic with investments while responding to Council and community priorities. This shift also allows the City to better evaluate where its investing tax-payer dollars, encourages more creative conversations about services, and helps identify the critical programs that meet community and organizational goals.   

The Budget Committee is a standing committee that reviews the proposed operating and capital budget each fiscal year and makes a recommendation on the budget to the City Council for final Adoption. The Committee is composed of an equal number of City Council members (8) and appointed citizen members (8). The Committee will meet virtually on the following dates: 

• 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 10: Budget Deliberation and Public Comment 
• 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 17: Budget Deliberation and Public Comment 
• 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 24: Public Hearing and Recommendation
• 5:30 p.m., Monday, June 26: City Council Public Hearing and Action

Original source can be found here