As you likely know, in the ’90s, major property tax limitation legislation was passed (Measure 5, later reworked as Measure 50). The intent, I believe, was primarily to protect citizens from ever-increasing property taxes – often well more than general inflation rates –particularly fixed-income households. Except for local levy options and capital bonds, school districts and cities were expected to live within their means, as defined by this legislation.

The recent move by Eugene’s City Council in treating the stormwater utility fee as a general tax seems to be an illegal end run around Measure 50, and could – and probably should – be challenged in court. “Redefining” any utility fee as an open-ended tax not subjected to voter approval, and using that as a way to fund parks or any other nonutility part of city operations is just plain dishonest.

Where does it stop? What is to stop city government from offloading fire, police, library, public works – you name it – to this fee in the future, as well? Measure 50 intends these sorts of normal municipal services to be limited-property tax funded, not offloaded randomly to utility fees. Hence, this seems like an illegal end run.

The stormwater fee is (or should be exclusively) for stormwater runoff management. It is assessed based on a property’s quantity of impervious surfaces, including roofs. Which leads to another point to consider.

Eugene’s 4J school district is the largest single payer of this fee in Eugene because of its substantial amount of school building roof area, playground area and parking. Any substantial increase in the stormwater fee has an oversized effect on our school districts, essentially diverting public dollars intended for education into funding city operations.

Instead of this abuse of our stormwater fee structure, the council should be taking a hard look at the budget impact of the Multi-Unit Property Tax Exemption. On the expenditure side, the council should look at crazy and expensive projects, such as putting dedicated two-way bike lanes on one-way streets (I am and have been dedicated bike commuter for more than 35 years).

Please, let your councilor know we can do better.

Gary Heldt
Eugene