Alan Zelenka announces he won’t run for 6th term on Eugene City Council

Presenter: After three decades of public service to Eugene, the councilor from Ward 3 announces he will not run for re-election. At the City Council meeting Feb. 23, Alan Zelenka:

Councilor Alan Zelenka: I have an announcement to make. I have had the honor to serve the city of Eugene for almost 20 years, and as councilor in Ward three five terms in office, plus another 10 years on the Budget Committee for a total of 30 years of service to the city of Eugene. 

And shortly after I started as a councilor, we elected Barack Obama as president and there was an air of hope, and of thinking government could be an agent for positive change and people embraced community and unity and the power of people was very palpable. 

And through the years we were able to accomplish a great deal together. And now it’s a very different time. Unfortunately, we’re headed into a period of tight budgets and lack of resources that make it very difficult to make positive change.

At the same time, I have a real profound fear about the future of our country and our community, and we’ve become an incredibly divisive society, pitting neighbor against neighbor. Many people have become angry and disillusioned, and even violent. Elected officials should never have to fear for their safety to serve in office.

Looking forward, unfortunately, we have to deal with Trump and the Republicans’ horrible, regressive, brutal, and racist policies, as well as their cruel budget cuts that amount to a war on poor people, a war on the environment, and a war on the climate. We need to make sure that they don’t succeed.

My goal when I first ran for City Council in 2007/2006 was to have a positive impact on Eugene, and I think I’ve been pretty successful in doing that, creating right policies that can be implemented by staff.

I’ve been an advocate for people, human services, and human rights; been an advocate for climate and the environment and for a better city and better community.

I along with Councilor (Bonny) Bettman created the structure for our repeatedly successful road bond votes. In doing that, we doubled the funding for bike and ped projects, and then we did that twice more, so getting them up to a pretty good substantial amount of money for bike and ped projects.

I helped reform the MUPTE so that it creates real public benefits, most notably the 10% for proceeds of the MUPTE going to our affordable housing fund, and requiring buildings to be 10% better than current energy code.

I also led the charge to save Civic Stadium. While the fire was a tragedy, the new Kidsports and soccer field rose from the ashes like a phoenix.

I’ve also been a tireless advocate for climate change and the environment. And I authored the—I was very proud to author the Climate Recovery Ordinance and helped shepherd it into existence.

I also pushed for the creation of the Climate Action Plan and CAP 2.0, and I helped create the ad hoc committee which helped create that and make it a real impactful document. 

I authored the plastic bag ban. I worked with Mayor (Kitty) Piercy and made the motion to create the Sustainability Commission, served on it for the first 10 years, heralded in a town hall meeting and authored the ‘No Coal Trains’ council resolution.

And I was honored by getting appointed by Gov. Kitzhaber to the Oregon Global Warming Commission, or the Oregon Climate Action Commission as it is today.

I was also a longtime advocate for people, human services, and human rights. I. authored Eugene’s paid sick leave policy with Mayor Piercy and Councilor (Claire) Syrett that eventually became state law.

I made the motion to create the first Opportunity Village, our first homeless shelter for homeless people. I made the motion to create safe camp sites. I authored a resolution opposing the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling, pushed for a vote, which resulted in a massively overwhelming vote in opposition to that ruling.

And I authored the anti-white supremacy council resolution and most recently standing up and talking about mass surveillance and the brutal treatment and racism of the Trump administrations and thugs in ICE. 

I’m really proud of all those accomplishments. It’s been my honor to serve the citizens of Eugene. I’ve enjoyed my time as a councilor. I’ve enjoyed working with all of you and the staff and many of the past city managers and city councilors, and I wanted to thank the people of Ward 3 for allowing me to serve them and represent them for the last 20 years. 

Most importantly, I want to thank my wife, Susie, Susie Smith, for all the sacrifices that she allowed and made so that I could be a councilor over those many years. And my dogs, Sabina, Toby, Sadie, Murphy, Sophie, and Shasta, who sustained me through all of that. 

So I’ll finish out the rest of this year, but I won’t be running again for a sixth term. So fellow councilors, I look forward to working with you for the rest of this year—for the rest of ‘26. Thank you.

Presenter: Councilor Alan Zelenka announces that he will not run for re-election.