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QuickTake:
One of the proposals would remove language from the charter requiring city department heads to live in the city. The other would remove gendered language from the charter.
Eugene voters will decide two proposed amendments to the city’s charter in the May 19 election.
City councilors in November voted to place two charter revisions on the city’s primary election ballot: Measure 20-377, which would remove the residency requirement for leaders of city departments, and another, Measure 20-376, which would eliminate gendered pronouns from the charter.
The charter functions as Eugene’s constitution, setting the rules for city government. Any amendments require voter approval, either by council referral to the ballot or by citizen-led petition.
If voters approve the revisions, the city would remove the charter rule requiring city department heads to live in Eugene during the tenure of their position, and would replace gendered pronouns like “his” and “her” in the charter with neutral terms like “they” or “their” when referring to elected officials or appointees.
Councilors said the residency requirement can complicate promotions, cause costly relocations and hinder recruitment.
The charters of Salem, Gresham, Hillsboro, Bend, Beaverton and Medford do not have such requirements. The cities of Hillsboro and Beaverton have already updated the use of pronouns in their charters.
In their argument supporting the measure in the city’s voters’ pamphlet, councilors Eliza Kashinsky and Randy Groves said the residency requirement still would apply to the mayor, the city manager and city councilors.
No arguments opposing the measure were submitted to the voters’ pamphlet.
Writing in support of the gender-neutral measure, councilors Matt Keating, Jennifer Yeh and Lyndsie Leech said the measure would “ensure the charter uses clear and modern language while maintaining the same meaning and legal effect.”
They emphasized that the measure would “not change the structure of the city’s government, the powers of elected officials, or how the city operates.”
No arguments against the gender-neutral measure were submitted to the voters’ pamphlet.
