After winning the Eugene mayoral race by a narrow margin of 1,539 votes, Mayor Kitty Piercy is wasting no time diving into her second term.
Meanwhile, Piercy’s challenger, former mayor Jim Torrey, said University students may have sealed the incumbent’s victory.
Near the end of her first term, Piercy composed a 12-part public policy agenda titled “Building a Sustainable Eugene Economy – Creating Good Jobs and New Opportunities.” The document was designed in April in hopes of outlining her second-term goals as mayor.
Piercy’s first goal is to continue attracting sustainable businesses to Eugene. Additionally, Piercy’s plan supports specific strategies, which encourage established businesses to look for opportunities to make their workplaces greener.
“We can’t choose a project that is more important than the rest; however, jobs are very important,” Piercy said. “Trying to keep the economy in good shape, with environmental responsibility in mind, can only help Eugene.”
Piercy plans to strengthen the city’s public transportation system by working with congressional and state delegations to expand rapid bus service lines. She will also concentrate on walking and biking as alternative means of transportation. In light of the recent Lane Transit District cuts, Piercy worries the city is in danger of losing perspective.
“The reduction of bus routes is the opposite of the direction the city needs to move in. I understand having to raise rates on account of fuel. However, it doesn’t make it a good situation,” Piercy said.
For big-ticket items like potholes, Piercy will finally have a stronger budget to combat poor road conditions, thanks to the passage of city initiative 20-145, which will raise $35.9 million for street repairs.
Finally, Piercy will continue to address social issues such as homelessness in Eugene. She plans to reduce home losses by increasing the availability of quality housing and coordinating the strategies of inspired public, private and non-profit sectors.
The results of the race left Piercy’s campaign and supporters feeling energized; however, Piercy’s challenger, former mayor Jim Torrey, was left reflecting upon what went wrong.
“My reaction to the race is that it was an extremely tough one,” Torrey said. “The lynch point, or tipping point, occurred at the University of Oregon; we just couldn’t get students to see the significance in voting for me as mayor in comparison to my opponent.”
Piercy supporters are excited about the direction the city is moving now that Piercy has been re-elected.
Basic Rights Oregon endorsed Piercy as their candidate because of her steadfast vision of the city’s potential.
“Piercy respects the values of Eugene better than any other candidate,” said Becky Flynn, regional director of Basic Rights Oregon. “Eugene is a progressive, green and welcoming community, and I think Kitty won because she embodies those same qualities.”
Piercy acknowledged that her success may have been tied to her policies’ similarities to the president-elect’s.
“It helped our campaign that our policies and goals are in line with Obama’s on the national level, as well as the governor’s on the state level,” Piercy said.
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