Neighborhoods ask for ‘a seat at that table’ in future budget talks

Presenter: Eugene neighborhood leaders preserved funding by citing their role as the city’s ‘boots on the ground.’ Tom Bruno and Sandra Bishop spoke May 14. This recap from the last two Budget Committee meetings starts with comments by Jensina Hawkins May 21:

Jensina Hawkins (May 21, 2025): I’m Jensina Hawkins, and it’s my honor to come before you tonight as a co-chair of NLC, otherwise known as the Neighborhood Leaders Council. The NLC represents Eugene’s 23 recognized neighborhood associations and is where neighborhood leaders collectively work, communicate, and support each other.

[00:00:34] Neighborhood associations (NAs) are the very definition of grassroots activism and essential service to the residents of Eugene and an integral part of Eugene’s governance structure. We are not titans of industry or huge movers and shakers. We elected our city councilors to make decisions about the city’s spending and in return we are the city’s boots on the ground. We organize residents to work together with businesses, nonprofits, and city departments on addressing and resolving local issues.

[00:01:00] NAs bring residents together to address topics such as community safety, parks maintenance, homelessness and housing, planning, transportation and emergency prep, to name a few. This makes Eugene a better place to live and the value added to city government is noteworthy.

[00:01:15] Eugene allocates approximately $120,000 per year for expenses related to neighborhood-specific initiatives and public involvement. This goes towards printing and mailing newsletters, matching grants, and basic operational expenses. The city gets a high rate of return on that investment, with the 100,000 hours of volunteer work every year by dedicated citizens across every ward and in every neighborhood. Without funding, many of the extraordinary things NAs do would not be possible.

[00:01:43] In a previous meeting, Councilor (Jennifer) Yeh asked what would happen if support for the neighborhoods was cut out of the budget. To answer that question, without neighborhood associations, you would not have a citywide health care forum; the majority of all emergency preparedness outreach and training in Eugene; you would not have the numerous ‘Friends Of’ parks groups.

[00:02:01] Without neighborhood associations, you would not have Moon Mountain Park or Gilham Road improvements; you would not have ABC’s We Are Bethel event, River Road’s River Celebration, the Aubrey Park Wildflower Festival, or Whiteaker’s Last Friday Art Walk.

[00:02:14] And without neighborhood organizations, you would not have the countless number of volunteers who work to improve every aspect of daily life in our city.

[00:02:22] We are the Neighborhood Leaders Council. Eugene’s neighborhood associations are your secret power for public involvement and have been for 50 years. We are an asset and a value to the city. We are asking you, our elected and appointed officials, to find a way to keep us working.

[00:02:37] Presenter: On May 21, the City Council approved an increase to the stormwater fee. That allowed the recommended budget May 28 to include funding for the neighborhood program. At the final meeting of the Budget Committee May 28, Jensina Hawkins:

[00:02:54] Jensina Hawkins (May 28, 2025): On behalf of neighborhood organizations, NLC wanted to give you a resounding ‘thank you’ for listening to citizen comments diligently over the past few weeks. Thank you for seeing the importance of neighborhood associations, the Office of Equity and Community Engagement, and reinstating funds for neighborhoods.

[00:03:11] We organize thousands of residents to work together with businesses, nonprofits, and city departments to address topics such as community safety, parks maintenance, homeless and housing, planning, transportation and emergency prep.

[00:03:24] Eugene benefits from 100,000 hours of volunteer work every year by dedicated citizens across every ward and in every neighborhood. Eugene’s neighborhood associations are the city’s most prolific opportunity for public representation and have been for 50 years.

[00:03:42] We would like you to consider having an informed representative from the Neighborhood Leaders Council on the suggested Citizen Fiscal Stability Advisory Committee (and if you can make the name of that committee a little shorter, that would be great too).

[00:03:55] We believe it is not only wise but also practical to have neighborhoods as part of budgetary discussions moving forward. This is work we are willing to do together and we are asking for a seat at that table.

[00:04:06] Presenter: From the Bethel neighborhood organization ‘Active Bethel Community’ (ABC), Eric Dziura:

[00:04:13] Eric Dziura (May 28, 2025): Good evening, I’m Eric Dziura. I’m a member of the ABC neighborhood association executive board. My experience as such leads me to believe that continued funding of the neighborhood associations and the Office of Equity and Community Engagement is money well spent. Thank you for finding the means to continue the support. I’m truly grateful.

[00:04:32] And just as a side note here, if you want to see community neighborhood associations or ABC in action, there’s an annual event called ‘We Are Bethel’ celebration, which will be occurring this Saturday at the Petersen Barn from 12 noon to 4 p.m.

[00:04:46] Presenter: The Budget Committee wraps up its work, with these words from Vice Chair Ryan Kounovsky:

[00:04:52] Ryan Kounovsky (Budget Committee, vice chair, May 28, 2025): I move that the Budget Committee recommend to the Eugene City Council the 2025-2027 budget for the city of Eugene that consists of the city manager’s amended proposed 2025-2027 budget that has been modified to include City Council direction from the May 21, 2025 City Council work session and the city manager’s recommended allocation of that funding to raise the stormwater rate to collect an additional $4.7 million annually to fund moving $4.7 million in parks and open space expenditures to the stormwater fund and allocate funds as set forth in the document identified as the ‘Modified Budget Allocation Table,’ including updated property tax levies and/or rates, amended to reflect appropriations for prior year encumbrances and the prior year capital projects with the following amendments:

1. Move to recommend the city manager include in long-term financial stability conversation by the City Council potentially ongoing funding for programs that are currently funded with one-time funds in the city manager’s budget proposal including homeless service program transition, downtown cleanup and beautification, alternative response transition, Central Services communications, and the sustainability program.

2. Move to recommend the City Council direct the city manager to investigate how the alternative response program with CAHOOTS-like services could be provided and identify potential sources of funding for approximately $2.2 million annually, including potentially reallocating existing Community Safety Payroll Tax funds, and bring back the results before the end of October.

[00:06:36] Presenter: The essential role of neighborhoods is reaffirmed, with funding restored in the recommended budget. Whether preparing for emergencies, volunteering in your neighborhood park, planning or providing feedback on city-related matters, or just visiting with neighbors at social events like the May 31 ‘We Are Bethel’ celebration, your neighborhood association welcomes you. Learn more about your neighborhood at the city website.