A ballot measure to finance a new police station has failed for the second time in recent history, and Eugene Mayor Jim Torrey wants to spend millions to make a temporary solution for current facilities.
Measure 20-36 — intended to finance new downtown facilities for the police department and to cover the initial costs of a new downtown fire station — was voted down in Tuesday’s elections with 59.8 percent of the vote. Had the measure passed, it would have increased taxes to fund the projects.
“I’m really disappointed,” Torrey said. “We really needed [new facilities]. Either citizens felt we didn’t need it, or if they did, that we didn’t have the money to do it.”
Torrey said he is not going to put the measure on the ballot again.
Instead, he said, he will urge city officials to join him to find a solution. His plan is to move officers from the bottom floor of the Eugene City Hall to the top floor and put those currently on the top floor in rented offices. He said he would also move police cars to create more space.
“I will be spending a couple of million [dollars] to do this, but I’m not going to keep our police officers in this unsafe environment,” Torrey said.
Supporters of the measure said they understand why community members voted against a measure that would raise taxes.
“There were a lot of levies where people were asking for money and all of them went down,” said Rich Stronach, a sergeant at the Eugene Police Department. “People are not wanting to pay more taxes, and I understand that. I’m a taxpayer too.”
Stronach suggested people need to tour the downtown station and see its current condition.
“It goes above and beyond the fact that it needs work,” Stronach said. The station “just looks junky and run-down. City Hall is going to need renovation.”
But Gary Kutcher, co-chair for the Enough is Enough committee that opposed the measure, said 20-36 was overpriced.
“Many people think the current police station is adequate and only needs minor repairs,” Kutcher said, adding that the $50 million price tag “is way too much. The police already have enough money.”
Kutcher said he thinks the police need to be more accountable to Eugene citizens before citizens will fund a new station.
“There is a lot of concern that there is no accountability for police misconduct, specifically with violence against protesters in the community,” Kutcher said. “People are hesitant to give the police station more money until there is more accountability.”
Glen Potter, a fire department spokesman, said firefighters were disappointed that the levy failed.
“We will continue to provide the quality of service we do now until resources can be identified,” Potter said. “We could do a better job out of a better fire station.”