River Road/Santa Clara Urban Services Committees Final Report and Recommendations

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COR~INIITTEE'STATEMENTS ach member of the River Road Santa Clara Urban Services Committees was given the E opportunity to write a personal statement. The statement could cover any topic related to ` the work of the committee or the members personal recommendations or experiences. It was thought this would give the "personal side" in addition to the committee report and ( recommendations. ~ It is really a pocketbook issue with an underlying issue of representation. j As I have attended all the meetings and discussion of provision of "urban" services for the River Road and Santa Clara areas, I continually return to one base aspect on the controversy that surrounds "urban" services. ~ Money. Either the citizens are unhappy because they are not receiving the level of service they feel they are paying for, or citizens do not wish to have the service because it costs more than they wish to pay for it. i, Whether it is the City resident in Santa Clara who feels he is not getting sufficient police coverage or the County resident in River Road who does not want library service at the cost of either annexation or a non- resident library card. j There is also a prevailing sentiment among County residents that the benefit of increased "urban" services they would receive upon annexation would not equal the additional tax burden they would be assessed. They also question some of the "urban" services provided and the necessity of them. There is a fear among .County residents that the City will force them to annex without benefit of meaningful representation in the process. I have two strong recommendations to City of Eugene that will ensure a smooth transition of the provision. of "urban" services in the River Road and Santa Clara areas. First, make the provision of services by the City more efficient and effective. Demonstrate that efficiency and effectiveness through asimple-to- understand and transparent accounting of the City budget. If residents believe they are getting a value for the additional tax burden, it removes the financial disincentive of being annexed. In fact, it may even generate voluntary annexations if the services provided were considered a bargain. ~i Second, provide the non-city residents a meaningful voice in any annexation agreement negotiations ~ or annexation vote by interpreting ORS 195 to mean separate majorities from both city residents and the non-residents in order to approve annexation. Do not use the island annexation process that does not require a vote of the non-residents being annexed. The double majority would ensure that any annex- • i ation process would protect the existing residents of the City from subsidizing the newly annexed area by giving them the power to vote against the annexation and it would give the non-residents being annexed the ability to negotiate the best terms of annexation or they can vote against the annexation. j l All citizens want to know that they are receiving value for the taxes they pay and all citizens want meaning- i' ful representation in government processes. This applies to the City resident in Santa Clara concerned about adequate law enforcement or the River Road non-resident concerned about being forced into annexation. 49