Vote “YES” on Eugene Street Bond Measure 20-333!

BEST urges you to vote “YES” on Eugene Street Bond Measure 20-333 because it…

1. Continues repairing our streets. In 2007, Eugene had a backlog of $200+ million in needed street repairs. The community wanted the streets repaired, but federal and state funding was inadequate. Thanks to bond measures that voters approved in 2008, 2012, and 2017, the backlog had been reduced to roughly $88 million. Measure 20-333 continues this successful program.
2. Continues the same tax rate. Measure 20-333 is not a new tax. It continues the current street repair program at an estimated tax rate of $0.63 per $1,000 of assessed value, or about $169 per year for an average Eugene homeowner.
3. Shares costs. A tax on property spreads the burden broadly. Whether you own or rent your home or business, you will benefit and help pay.
4. Is financially smart. Repairing a leaky roof today costs less than replacing a water damaged home tomorrow. Similarly, Measure 20-333 provides funding to resurface streets in “fair” condition before they deteriorate to “poor” or “very poor” and would be much more costly to rebuild.
5. Repairs some streets before others. Counterintuitively, it doesn’t make financial sense to repair the worst streets first. For the large cost of rebuilding a few streets in “very poor” condition, the City of Eugene is able to resurface many more streets in “fair” condition. Doing so prevents the backlog of needed repairs from growing. The worst streets won’t get much worse and will eventually be rebuilt, but not all at once.
6. Benefits people everywhere. Measure 20-333 identifies a list of 42 street repair projects in every corner of the city to be completed over five years.
7. Benefits people walking or biking. Roughly 1 in 4 Oregonians isn’t licensed to drive. Measure 20-333 will benefit youth, seniors, people living with a disability, and others who walk, bike, or use a mobility assistive device. Projects can include improvements to our popular off-street paths, addressing dangerous intersections by building better pedestrian crossings, and creating safer routes to schools, parks, and commercial areas.
8. Saves lives of people, too. Measure 20-333 not only saves the “life” of pavement, it also saves human lives by investing in safety projects for everyone.
9. Plants street trees. To make our streets more attractive and cooler during hot days, Measure 20-333 invests in street tree projects, especially in parts of town with little canopy.
10. Engages the public. The public will have a chance to weigh in on potential walking, biking, safety, and street tree projects before the Eugene City Council approves a specific list to be completed.
11. Leverages local dollars. Some walking, biking, and safety projects will be funded by grants requiring a local match, turning $1 of local taxes into as much as $10 invested in our community.
12. Ensures accountability. Each year, a volunteer citizen oversight committee and an outside auditor certify that taxpayer monies are being spent as intended.

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See also

• Frequently Asked Questions (City of Eugene)