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1. Why do the City’s community safety services need more funding?

The Community Safety System works to keep everyone safe. This system is made up of interdependent City departments and community partners. Each relies on the other in different situations. 

What is the problem? 

Our Community Safety System is stressed:

• Calls for Eugene Police increased 21% from 2014-17.
• Staffing levels have remained relatively flat.
• One out of three non-life-threatening police calls for service receive no response, and general response times have increased by 20 minutes. 
• The number of unsheltered single adults is significantly higher than in similar communities.

What is the plan? 

The Eugene City Council passed the Community Safety Payroll Tax Ordinance (No. 20616) in June 2019 to provide long-term funding for community safety services. The Community Safety Payroll Tax is expected to generate funds to provide faster, more efficient safety responses, deter crime, connect people to services, engage and help at-risk youth, support more investigations and court services, and add jail beds to reduce capacity-based releases and hold those who commit crimes accountable. 

2. How did the Council decide on a payroll tax?

A Community Safety Revenue Team was formed to develop a funding recommendation for the City Manager. The Revenue Team included three City Councilors, current and former Budget Committee members, and the Chair of the Police Commission. The revenue team studied many different types of funding options, ranging from levies to a combination of other taxes or fees. You can see the list and analysis of all revenue alternatives considered in the Revenue Team’s Final Report. Also see key discussion points from the Revenue Team’s recent analysis of two specific alternative funding options: River Road/Santa Clara Annexation and a City personal income tax.

The team took into consideration the amount of money needed, the administrative effort and potential costs, and the stability and reliability of the funds. They also considered the fairness of the different options, their feasibility within Eugene and how the option related to the community safety need. The team also reviewed the potential economic, environmental, and social equity impacts – also known as the triple bottom line. They focused on a payroll tax as they concluded their research.

In the long term, gross payroll appears to be a sustainable and growing revenue source that can weather economic cycles and keep pace with general and wage inflation impacts on recommended service funding levels.

3. What is a payroll tax?

A payroll tax is paid by employees, self-employed persons, and/or employers and is usually calculated as a percentage of gross payroll or wages. Learn more about the Community Safety Payroll Tax.

4. How will the City be held accountable with money earned from the payroll tax?

The measure passed by Council includes critical accountability requirements to ensure the funding is used as directed including:

• Lock Box (separate fund): Funds collected through the payroll tax will be “lock boxed” in a separate fund that is easily identifiable by members of the public, established to track the receipt and use of these funds.
  
  
• Annual Performance Review: Specific performance measures have been included in the ordinance and additional measures will be established, tracked, and reported on annually. Some of these measures include:
  • Reducing the number of calls for service with no response
  • Reducing the number of minutes to respond to non-emergency requests for service
  • Increasing the number of minutes per hour officers are available for community policing
• Outside Annual Audit: An outside auditor will review and document the City’s use of the tax funds to determine whether the tax funds proceeds were used in compliance with the terms of the ordinance and how the specific performance measures are being accomplished through use of the payroll tax funds.
  
  
• Citizen Advisory Board: The City Manager has convened a Citizen Advisory Board which will prepare an annual report and conduct a comprehensive seven-year review.
  
  
• 7-Year Public Vote: After seven years, the public will vote on whether continue the payroll tax.
  
  
• Charter Amendment: Voters approved an amendment that caps the rates and limits use to community safety.
  
  
• The purpose of the payroll tax is to raise additional revenue to be able to increase community safety services beyond what the City was able to fund in fiscal year 2018 (FY18), before the $8.6 million Bridge Funding. The ordinance ensures that revenue from the payroll tax will supplement, not replace, existing community safety funding.

5. Who will be on the community review panel?

To ensure accountability for the expenditure of Community Safety payroll tax, the City Manager has convened a Community Safety Citizen Advisory Board. This group will review the use of payroll tax funds and report on the City’s use of the tax revenue each year. In addition, after seven years the board will conduct a comprehensive review of the City’s community safety system, use of the payroll tax revenues, and compliance with the ordinance. All reports will be provided to the City Council and public. 

Read more about the Citizen Advisory Board and see a list of members. 

6. Will public employees have to pay the payroll tax?

Yes, all employees earning wages and salaries within the City of Eugene would pay the employee portion of the payroll tax – including public employees.

Public employers would be exempt from the proposed payroll tax because intergovernmental taxation is prohibited. Without express authority, one government entity cannot tax another.

7. What do I get for my money?

Watch the July 20 City Council Work Session. Eugene Police Chief Skinner gives a presentation and the Council has a discussion about public safety funding and how to most effectively bring a broad array of perspectives and priorities into our discussions of structural change.

Faster, More Efficient Response

• More 911 dispatchers and officers to respond to calls
• A 911 field medical triage using smaller Community Response Units to respond to situations that aren’t life-threatening
• More Community Service Officers (CSOs) that provide public safety support and assist with non-emergency calls, freeing patrol officers’ time for proactive, community policing

Deter Crime – Connect People to Services – Engage Kids Early

• A 10-person Street Crimes Unit to proactively deter crimes
• Increased officer presence in neighborhoods allowing more time for problem-solving and traffic patrols
• Homeless services that help people stabilize and improve their lives by increasing collaboration with social service and medical organizations
• Expanded youth programs to engage and help at-risk youth, including after-school programs, 15th Night and inclusion programs

More Investigations – More Court Services – More Accountability

• More detectives to investigate more crimes
• Opening and staffing a third court room to reduce the backlog of cases, resolve cases more quickly, and the needed prosecutors, court appointed attorneys and court staff
• More jail beds and probation officers to reduce capacity-based releases and hold those who commit crimes accountable

Allocation of Funds:

• Approximately 65% of the funding will go toward police services including: 40 patrol officers, 5 detectives, 4 sergeants, 10 community service officers, 9.5 staff for 911, animal welfare and traffic safety officers, and evidence control and forensic analysts.
• Approximately 10% will go to fire and emergency medical services including the creation of a 911 triage program and field triage/community response unit.
• Approximately 10% will go toward prevention and homelessness services including adding emergency shelter options, a day center and funding after school programs at Title 1 schools.
• Approximately 15% will go to Municipal Court services including opening third courtroom with additional staffing, expanding Community Court and mental health court programs, and adding 10 jail beds and increased jail services.

8. Why isn’t money from the marijuana tax, or other taxes, being used instead of a payroll tax?

Funding from the local marijuana tax does support community safety. The local marijuana tax collected almost $1 million in 2018; that money supports parks security, Community Court, human services, and a portion has been set aside to fund homeless shelter options. Funding for a local option levy was also considered by the Community Safety Revenue Team, but a new levy would yield less than $10 million annually and isn’t considered a permanent funding source as a levy would need to be renewed every five years. These other options do not meet the funding needed to provide services for our Community Safety System.

9. How is it legal that I can be taxed for local services if I don't live in Eugene and don't have representation there? (i.e., no taxation without representation)

The majority of city funds (78.3%) come from user fees and property taxes, which are primarily paid by city residents. There are some taxes that come from other sources to help provide the services used by residents, visitors, and others who spend time in Eugene. The local transient room tax, for example, is paid by people who visit Eugene and stay in a local hotel or similar accommodation. The local gas tax is paid by people who stop for gas in Eugene. While the people paying those taxes do not live or vote in Eugene, they do take part in the services provided by the city, including use of local roads, public safety and emergency services, and the cultural events and programs held in Eugene. Likewise, when Eugene residents travel or work outside of the city, they also contribute to local taxes in other communities.