With the addition of incoming city councilors Andrea Ortiz and Chris Pryor, and the likely installation of Kitty Piercy as Eugene’s new mayor, some people are already labeling next year’s city council “liberal.”
The political change-up has even prompted a group of Eugene citizens — led by former mayor Jeff Miller — to launch “Run Jim Run,” a campaign aimed at re-electing Mayor Jim Torrey.
In the May primaries, Piercy defeated Ward 8 City Councilor
Nancy Nathanson in the mayoral race and garnered more than 50 percent of the votes, so her name will be the only one to appear on the November ballot. Ortiz and Pryor were elected in the same primary.
Torrey identified more with the business community, Ortiz said.
Ward 2 City Councilor Betty Taylor said she hopes and expects that Piercy and the incoming council will be more receptive to environmental concerns.
Piercy said she doesn’t want herself or the city councilors to be “pigeonholed as liberals.”
“The new councilors are independent thinkers,” she said, adding that they would consider each issue individually.
Ward 3 City Councilor David Kelly agreed. If past councils are any indication, Kelly said, it’s difficult to predict council decisions. He cautioned against overestimating the impact of new councilors.
“It’s hard to say whether their votes will be different from their predecessors’,” he said.
Piercy said she would listen to a wide range of ideas.
“I will make an effort to listen hard to all points of view and find common ground,” she said.
Andrea Ortiz said both Torrey and Piercy are “fabulous” at working in the community, and added that Piercy plans to continue many of Torrey’s programs and to institute many of her own.
Piercy said she plans to work hard on issues important to students.
“[Students] are part of the community and deserve to be part of the voices that are heard,” she said.
Piercy said she hopes students come regularly to city council meetings with issues and hopes to forge closer ties between the University and the community. She said she also hopes that the reopening of the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art will strengthen that bond. The city enjoys athletic events and benefits from the intellectual capital which is part of the student community, she added.
She said she plans to continue to work on housing standards, public safety, and ensuring clean water and air for the future.
Ortiz said she also wants to help schools and that she wants to see more ethnic minorities “coming out of their shells” and “feeling empowered” in elementary school, high school and college.
Kelly said Ortiz will offer a fresh perspective as someone from a working-class background and as
a woman who is part of an ethnic minority.
Ortiz agrees, saying that she
doesn’t mind sharing her perspective with people.
ASUO President Adam Petkun said he’s excited about the new council.
“I think the new City Council will be pretty responsive to students,” he said. “It’s important that we stay involved [and] get students to vote, so that we have a say, no matter who is on City Council.”
He added that the current City Council has been responsive to student issues as well, offering the housing standards issue as an example.
Piercy encourages students to come to her with concerns.
“We understand that [students] are the future leaders,” she said.
Kelly said Piercy would take a “broader approach to build consensus over political lines,” taking to heart everyone’s opinions.
“She’s not going to turn her back on everyone,” Ortiz said. “I’m amazed at how afraid people are of a middle-aged grandma and an undereducated Latino.”

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