Springfield council appoints 4J schools employee as interim member

After more than an hour of deliberation, the Springfield City Council on Monday, April 20, chose Jill Cuadros to be interim city councilor for the vacant Ward 4 seat. 

Cuadros, who is the support services director at Eugene School District 4J, was among six residents who applied for the position, left open when Councilor Beth Blackwell resigned at the end of December.

In her interview with city councilors during an April 6 work session, Cuadros said she grew up in Port Orford and moved to Springfield in 1988 to attend Lane Community College. She had started her college career in California and moved back to Oregon after breaking her leg. She said she moved into student housing in Springfield and relied on Lane Transit District to get around. 

“As a councilor, my priorities would be grounded in maintaining that accessibility and stability that was there for me in 1988, supporting thoughtful housing growth, strengthening local economic opportunity and making fiscally responsible decisions that protect the long-term health of this city,” she told councilors. 

During Monday’s City Council meeting, more than 15 people spoke during the public comment period in support of candidate Callee Ackland, asking councilors to appoint her to the role and saying she would bring fresh perspectives to the council as a young person who is a veteran and a renter. Some of the people who spoke were Eugene residents. 

“In the times that I have been on council and we’ve had input, I don’t know that we have ever had so much input from Eugene, that Eugene had such strong opinions about who we put on our City Council,” Councilor Kori Rodley said. “I found that to be a very interesting new development.”

Rodley also said there was an “incredible pool” of candidates for the seat. She said that oftentimes people who run for offices or are appointed in Springfield are unopposed. 

“It just makes the democracy and the process so much better to make this very difficult to choose,” she said. 

Several people sent councilors letters and emails in support of Ackland, Cuadros and candidate Luke McAllister. The letters were included in the council’s packet ahead of the meeting. 

City Attorney Mary Bridget Smith said the city charter requires a vote of four councilors to select an interim member. Because the five sitting council members voted, Mayor Sean VanGordon did not vote as he would not be breaking a tie. 

Councilors deliberated and voted during the meeting, initially becoming deadlocked between Ackland and McAllister, with multiple councilors saying they were taking the community’s input about both candidates into consideration. 

Councilors could have continued deliberations at a future meeting, but VanGordon encouraged councilors to keep deliberating and voting. 

“Coming away and not having selected anybody is a huge mistake,” he said. “We have to figure out how to get at least four people comfortable with some sort of decision.” 

Unable to come to agreement on either of those candidates, councilors chose to consider a third option and ultimately all five councilors voted in favor of Cuadros. 

She will serve as interim councilor through this year. In the November general election, voters will elect a Ward 4 councilor to serve the remaining two years of Blackwell’s term, which ends Dec. 31, 2028. Cuadros could run for the seat in the election.

Payroll tax public hearing

The City Council also held a public hearing for a payroll tax ordinance. 

The tax is being established through a council-adopted ordinance, meaning it will be voted on by the council and not subject to a vote by the public. The payroll tax was a recommendation of the Fiscal Stability Task Force established by the mayor, which suggested the city implement the tax at a rate of 0.1% to 0.2% to help address its growing general fund deficit.

The City Council has agreed on a rate of 0.1% applied to both employees and employers working in Springfield. It is expected to generate $2.45 million within its first year. 

The rate can be changed only by a council vote, and the ordinance restricts Springfield from increasing the rate for three years. It also requires payroll tax revenues to be accounted for in a separate fund and be subject to annual reporting.

Ten community members spoke during the hearing, some in support of the tax and some against it. 

Steven Schmunk asked councilors to reject the tax. 

“Attacks on wages sends the wrong signal at a time when Springfield needs to retain and attract jobs,” he said. 

Paige Walters, senior director of advocacy and economic development at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, said the Chamber supports the payroll tax.

“But our support is grounded in one key condition,” she said. “It must be paired with a sustained focus on long-term economic growth.”

A payroll tax can help address immediate fiscal needs but it’s not a long-term solution, Walters said. 

Tammy Inglis-Drew, owner of Aims Mobile Nursing, told councilors she supported the payroll tax. 

“Costs are rising. Everyone knows that,” she said. “But, I trust that the mayor and task force have put great thought and analysis into this payroll tax proposal and I’m trusting that with the guidelines that have been set forth.”

Multiple people said they supported the payroll tax but wanted the tax to be set at a higher rate. A five-year budget forecast shared earlier this month shows that even with payroll tax revenue factored in, city expenses are projected to outpace revenues beginning in fiscal year 2029. 

“A modest increase to the proposed payroll tax could maintain city staffing and keep the library open six days a week without burdening tax payers like myself,” said Taylor Harwood, who said she works at the Springfield Public Library. 

A final reading for the payroll tax is scheduled for May 18.