Does Eugene’s city government promote a healthy environment? According to a new “scorecard” by the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, the City Council is making improvements toward a healthier local environment.
Last Thursday, the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, an organization that educates voters on how legislators vote on issues regarding the environment, issued an environmental scorecard showing the voting records of Eugene City Council members regarding the environment.
The organization’s semi-annual scorecard documents the city legislature’s voting records on environmental issues.
In 2002-03, the league calculated 41 percent of City Council votes were pro-environment, compared to a 62 percent in 2004-05, a 21 percent increase.
Also in 2004-05, five of the 10 City Council members voted pro-environment more than 50 percent of the time.
Issues included protecting Eugene’s drinking water and the support of a city program that informs citizens about toxic chemicals used in the community.
Jennifer DeMuth, the Lane County organizer for the Oregon League of Conservation, said that much of the improvement is attributed to newly elected Mayor Kitty Piercy.
“We are encouraged by the change in leadership,” DeMuth said.
Piercy said her record stood on its own merits.
“I think (my votes) speak of my commitment to the environment,” she said.
OLCV’s Lane County Chapter Steering Committee member Jan Wilson agreed.
“The replacement of Jim Torrey with Kitty Piercy represented a giant step forward in the city’s protection of stewardship of our environment,” she said in a press release.
In three instances in years past, former Eugene Mayor Jim Torrey broke ties within the Council with anti-environment votes, while Mayor Piercy broke two ties with pro-environment votes.
DeMuth also said she thinks the City Council will continue to evolve.
“I think the Council will continue to face choices in the upcoming future in regards to air and water quality, and we hope they will not buckle to industry pressure,” she said.
City Council member David Kelly believes there is still room for improving the city’s scorecard.
“I wish we had a greater percent of the Council voting pro-environment,” he said.
He also said there are environmentally helpful things the city government does that are not reflected in the report. Kelly believes the population of Eugene reflects the voice of the City Council in regards to environmental issues.
“By and large, councils try to reflect views of the people who elected them,” he said.
Mayor Piercy agreed. “I hope all of us will move towards voting to strengthen our environment,” she said.
 

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