Measure 20-359: repeal of limits on expenditures by Lane County which contains that no longer apply or are outdated.
Official title:
Repeal of Section 32 of Lane County Charter Financial impact: Because this measure refers to repeal of guidelines on spending that out of date and no longer appropriate, and are not currently applied, there will be no financial impact other than the cost of putting the measure on the ballot.
Background:
Lane County government operates under a home rule charter approved by voters in 1962. In 2010, Lane County voters approved an amendment to the Charter directing the Board of Commissioners to convene a Charter Review Committee (CRC) for the purpose of reviewing and recommending changes or updates to the existing charter every ten years. The current CRC completed its work in October 2023 and presented a final report to the Board in October 2023. The Board held a work session and several public hearings. There were three sections of the Charter that were recommended for repeal because they were out of date. This section concerns spending limitations on the general fund. The section was established prior to current state laws and practices that govern spending by the county. It contains terms which are out of date and have shifted in meaning since this provision was included in the Charter. The Committee discussed this provision and determined that this section serves no modern purpose for the County. Additionally, the County is out of compliance with some elements of this provision as they are past practices that are no longer applicable. The committee agreed that this provision serves largely as a historical artifact and provides no or minimal value to the county. The 2011 Charter Review committee also recommended repeal of this section
Proposal:
The proposed amendment would repeal Section 32 of the Lane County Charter, which imposes specific limits on annual County expenditures. State laws governing county budgets would continue to apply, as appropriate.
Supporters say: that repeal of this provision is basically housekeeping because the provisions in the section are out of date. Failure to repeal the provision would require the County to continue to be out of compliance with practices that are no longer applicable.
Opponents say: There is no organized opposition to the measure and there was no public comment against the repeal of Section 32. The primary benefit to retaining the section would be as a historical artifact.