Issues
Thank You!
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for joining our effort to defeating the proposed income tax. We want to thank all of the wonderful volunteers and supporters that made this victory possible. Without you, we could not have achieved this victory.
Lane County, Oregon
Special Election
May 17, 2011
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
20-182 CITY OF EUGENE
Income tax for schools Vote for 1
Yes . . . . . . . . . . 16,326 37.77
No. . . . . . . . . . . 26,894 62.23
Over Votes . . . . . . . . 0
Under Votes . . . . . . . . 392
http://www.lanecounty.org/Departments/MS/CountyClerk/Elections/Pages/CurrentElectionSZAD.aspx
From the News
KVAL
May 2011 Election: ‘Even in losing, we have won’
By Beth Ford and Lauren Allison KVAL News
EUGENE, Ore. – Crying to the crowd, city measure 20-182 supporter Hillary Johnson said, “Even in losing, we have won.”
Ballot returns had the income tax for schools failing and the capital bond for school infrastructure renewal passing. >>> Election Results
“It’s always a challenge to ask people to tax themselves a little bit more,” Johnson said. Read More >>>
Register Guard
School income tax is soundly defeated
BY EDWARD RUSSO
The Register-Guard
Published: Wednesday, May 18, 2011 05:01AM
Even supporters of Eugene’s income tax for schools were surprised by the size of the defeat.
Eugene voters on Tuesday soundly rejected the tax measure, 64 percent to 36 percent.
“I’m surprised, but the voters have spoken,” Hillary Johnson, chairwoman of Strong Schools Eugene, the tax proponents’ group, said Tuesday night. “The fact of the matter is our schools need help and we need to work on a solution.” Read More >>>
Income tax vote no shock to many
BY MARK BAKER
The Register-Guard
Published: Thursday, May 19, 2011 05:01AM
Disappointment, not surprise.
That was the reaction Wednesday of many supporters of the city income tax for schools that was soundly defeated Tuesday by 62 percent of Eugene voters. Read More >>>
Register Guard Recommends NO for Eugene Income Tax
We are proud to announce that the Register Guard has endorsed our position against the Eugene Income Tax. This adds to already stellar endorsement from the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce. Read an excerpt below:
EDITORIAL: City tax for schools — no
Income tax plan is imperfect, uncertain and unfair
Published: Sunday, May 1, 2011 07:01AM
Even supporters can see that Measure 20-182 on the May 17 ballot is far from perfect. Yet a city of Eugene income tax is the only available means to soften the effects of budget cuts in the Eugene and Bethel school districts, cuts that will result in layoffs, fewer school days and larger class sizes. The malady is plainly serious — but the cure is harsh. The Register-Guard cannot recommend a yes vote.
ELECTION 2011
The defects in Measure 20-182 are many, starting with the fact that one local government, the city of Eugene, is proposing to use its taxing authority for the benefit of others, the two school districts. The Eugene City Council has attempted to ensure accountability by requiring that the Eugene and Bethel school districts use the income tax revenue for no purposes other than limiting class sizes and restoring school days.
But there’s unavoidably a blurring of responsibilities, and even a potential for conflict. If a school district extends a bus route or buys a textbook, who’s to say that the funds didn’t indirectly come from the income tax? And if a school board believes that its top priority is adding a librarian or a counselor, why should the city be in a position to insist that the money be spent on a teacher instead?
Eugene Chamber of Commerce Opposes Tax
Earlier this week the Eugene Chamber of Commerce issued a press release stating their opposition to the proposed Eugene city income tax. Here is an excerpt from the press release:
“The Eugene Area Chamber has a long history of supporting ballot measures to support schools. But after much discussion and careful consideration, its board voted not to support a proposed ordinance that would implement a local income tax to fill budget gaps in 4J and Bethel School District 52.
“The best way to characterize the Chamber’s position on the proposed local income tax is ‘No, not yet,'” Hauser said. “While we understand the concerns and motivation to find additional funding, there are simply too many unknowns at this time for an income tax to be prudent.”
In addition, that while the proposed local income tax could be modified or repealed at any time, it is not known whether the money collected from the proposed income tax would be enough to plug the expected budget gaps, particularly if $7.2 million of the $24 million expected to be collected would need be used to pay the expenses associated with collecting the taxes themselves.“
Coverage from The Register Guard >>
Tax Proposal Creates a Gap
As recent our recent emails have noted, the new income tax proposal is the wrong solution to help Eugene schools and it’s structure allows the tax to be altered in the future with a vote from the city council. As the Register Guard pointed out by it’s headline in Tuesday’s paper, “If tax passes, schools still face gap”.
This “gap” in budget is created because the schools’ budget is taking in expenses on the assertion this income tax will pass. However the revenue from the tax will not be collected until 2012 leaving the school districts with the issue of paying for their expenses that exceed their current means.
Details About Tax Proposal
As we learned March 17th that the proposed income tax is the wrong solution to help Eugene schools. It would raise taxes on middle class families while Eugene’s unemployment is high and there’s no guarantee the funds will help kids.
Proposed Tax Increase is an Ordinance
To add to this list the proposed income tax is going to be implemented as an ordinance instead of a charter. An ordinance would allow a simple majority of the Eugene City Councilors to change it. This could have several negative implications. One of which is the current tax breakdown could be changed at any time if the revenues are less than expected. Here is a letter to the editor that explains this further from City Councilor Mike Clark.
Citizens Group Announces Campaign to Oppose Unfair Tax Burden on Eugene Working Families
Citizens for Jobs and Schools have announced an effort and fight to organize a united campaign to oppose the proposal by the Eugene City Council to raise income taxes on working families in order to boost the budgets of Eugene schools
Reasons not to support the Income Tax:
1. With record high unemployment and struggling local economy, this is not the time to be asking middle class working families to pay an additional hundreds of dollars in new taxes.
2. If the tax passes, there’s no guarantee the funds will help kids. It’s probable the funds will be used for ballooning and unsustainable benefits and retirement plans for state employees.
3. School administrators and staff should contribute a small portion of their salaries to their benefit packages, creating no need to lay off teachers and add furlough days to save funds.
Please see the tax increase scale below to learn more about how the tax will negatively impact nearly every Eugene resident. A family of five earning a combined income annual income of $70,000 will pay an extra $224 for their tax bill, more than enough for a week’s groceries for the family.