New Search
l <br /> March 13, 20 8 <br /> CONTACT: Eric Jones, Public Works, Public Affairs Manager, 541-682-5523 <br /> Mary Walston, City Manager's Office, 541-682-5406 <br /> From Public I formation Section, 682-5523 or 954-2938 <br /> FOR IMMED ATE RELEASE <br /> Eugen 's Gas Tax to Stay at 5 Cents Per Gallon as Petition Drive Falls Short <br /> Euge e's local gas tax will remain at 5 cents a gallon, following a review that concluded tax <br /> opponents fa led to gather enough signatures to put a portion of the tax on the ballot. <br /> The ugene City Council in January extended by three years a sunset provision that <br /> applies to a ~-cent-per-gallon component of Eugene's 5-cent-per-gallon fuel tax. The remaining 3 <br /> cents per gal on is not subject to the sunset provision. <br /> Local gas station owners mounted a referral drive opposing the sunset extension, gathering <br /> i <br /> ~ more than 1 ,000 signatures calling for a vote on the issue. However, on Wednesday the Lane <br /> County Elect ons Division notified the City of Eugene that the petitioners failed to get at least 6,365 <br /> registered E gene voters to sign the petitions -the minimum required to place a referral measure <br /> <br /> ~Irr on the ballot <br /> j Eachi' penny of local fuel tax raises about $650,000, which is dedicated to repairing and <br /> maintaining irity streets. Because the original sunset ordinance expired on Feb. 29 and the <br /> j extended subset was held in abeyance until the outcome of the petition drive was known, <br /> collection of he 2-cent component was suspended for the month of March, for an estimated loss of <br /> about $110, 00 in revenue. Collection of the tax at the 5-cent-per-gallon level will resume April 1. <br /> !n a ouncil work session earlier this week, councilors reiterated their intent to extend the <br /> sunset fora other three years to see if alternate street repair funding solutions, such as increasing <br /> the statewid gas tax, can be developed and implemented. Since Eugene's motor vehicle fuel tax <br /> first went int effect in 2003, it has raised approximately $13 million, all of which as been used <br /> exclusively fund the pavement preservation program. Over that same period, more than 125 <br /> lane miles o 80 city streets have been repaired through the program. <br /> According t the Public Works Department, the revenue raised by the 2-cent component of the gas <br /> tax will allo the City to repair three more streets -Country Club Road (Willagillespie to <br /> Southwood ane), Fox Hollow Road (East Amazon to Donald Street), and Bertelsen Road (11th to <br /> 18tt' avenues) - in 2009. <br /> Eugene Public Works • www.eugene-or.gov/pw <br /> 858 Pearl Street, Eugene, Oregon 97501 •541-682-5523 • fax 541-682-6826 • e-mail pwadmin@ci.eugene.or.us <br /> <br />