Legislative Policies for the 2007 Oregon Legislative Session

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City of Eugene Legislative Policies for 2007 Oregon Legislative Session City of Eugene Legislative Policies for 2007 Oregon Legislative Session ~i ,r them to assume services cut by the State. In Eugene-Springfield, where a State institution, Recommendation the University of Oregon, is the largest employer, the community's dependence on the ~ Support proposals to require State-owned property within cityboundaries to State's financial structure and viability is profound. Local governments are more intricately contribute to police, fire and emergencyservices, using payment-in-lieu-of-taxes associated with the State taxation and budgeting structure than is commonly realized. Fore (PILOT) funding mechanisms. example, the State's inability to provide adequate funding for human services has had a direct impact on cities, because the demand for services did not disappear. C7. Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) The City's employer rates for the Public Employees Retirement System grew at a volatile D1. Department of Higher Education and alarming pace in the last 10 years. The 2003 Legislative Session produced HB 2003, The City deeply appreciates the investments the citizens of Oregon have made, through the PERS Reform and Stabilization Act. This reform package was spurred on at the the Legislature, in facilities and programs at the University of Oregon. These investments longtime urging of local governments, joined later on by the state's business community have allowed the University to return numerous dividends to the State through education, and eventually the leadership of Governor Ted Kulongoski. The bill provided corrections research and public service. The Ciry encourages increased investment in higher for employee/employer crediting practices of the PERS board found to be erroneous in a education. previous lawsuit and slowed the growth of employee accounts in an effort to reduce the unfunded liability of PERS and employers. It has been estimated that these reforms D2. Department of Land Conservation and Development shaved nearly five percent off employer rates in the first valuations adopted by the PERS The City supports the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DECD) budget board subsequently. for the coming biennitam, with special emphasis on providing continued funding of the DECD-ODOT Transportation and Growth Management Grant Program; full funding of local These reforms were challenged and mostly upheld by the Oregon Supreme Courtin 2005. planning grants and an increased level of technical assistance and data/research capacity The PERS reforms improve the stability of the PERS system, but stabilization does not within the agency. fully reverse the spiral of PERS casts brought on in the last 10 years by incorrect crediting practices and the fiscally unsound structure of PERS. D3. State Library The City will support legislation to continue funding for the Library Link program. This Recommendation frees up Federal funds for local library development and meets the purposes of Federal ~ Support efforts to uphold PERS reforms and mitigate volatile rate increases to law. The City supports .State reimbursement of local libraries that lend to other libraries public employers, in a fashion that upholds a fairand adequate retirement forpublic more materials than they borrow,. and continuatior of a formula distribution of State aid. to employees. public libraries. The amount allocated is very small ($1.00 per child through age 14), but assists in providing some library services targeted to children. C8. Repeal of Local Real Estate Transfer Tax Preemption Under current law, local governments are prohibited from enacting local real estate D4. Division of State Lands transfer taxes or fees. Real estate transfer taxes have been used successfully in other The City of Eugene participated in the creation of the West Eugene Wetlands Plan which states as a way of funding and promoting affordable housing. has become a national model for addressing Federal requirements to preserve wetland. habitats. Programs administered by the Division of State Lands that support the Recommendation successful administration of this plan include the Wetland Conservation Planning Program, ~ Support efforts to repeal the prohibition oflocal real estate transfertaxes. technical assistance on wetlands regulatory issues, the wetland mitigation banking .program, coordination with and representation in Federal wetlands policy processes and C9. Local Flexibility for Enterprise Zone Criteria wetlands determinations for nonprofit development proposals.. Enterprise Zones have been useful tools available to local governments to attract employers. However, flexibility is needed to afford local governments the opportunity to b5. Department of Environmental Quality tailor enterprise zone proposals in a way consistent with important and specific city goals There are many examples where sufficient funding for Department of Environmental and values. Quality (DEQ) programs significantly benefits. local governments. These include groundwater protection, toxic use and hazardous waste reduction, solid waste reduction, Recommendation a spill-response programs, the state superfund program to clean up sites contaminated. by ~ Support efforts to allowadditionallocal flexibility to enterprise zone criteria for commercial or industrial use of hazardous materials, household hazardous waste qualifying businesses. collection, market development for recycled products, other toxic site cleanup and the sewer safety net. Adequate funding for DEQ to carry out its water quality programs is D. STATE BUDGET extremely important for local governments. Measure 50 impaired the City's ability to provide necessary services to its citizens. The City understands the constraints on the State's General Fund budget, but will oppose cuts in State agencies that would impose substantial burdens on local governments or require 14 15