How Eugene is run
Who runs Eugene, what it costs, and where your money goes
The city manager, council pay, the budget, your property tax bill and who provides each service, from Eugene's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Eugene
The council hires a city manager, who runs day-to-day operations, prepares the budget and supervises city staff. The eight councilors, elected by ward, set policy. The mayor presides, votes only to break a tie, and can veto council decisions; two-thirds of the council can override a veto.
What they are paid
- Transportation allowance of $500 a month
- Smartphone allowance of $70 a month
- Deferred compensation of $19,000 a year
- Severance of 9 months' total compensation if the council ends her employment, none if fired for a felony or similar misconduct
- 192 hours of vacation a year, plus an 80-hour starting bank
- Moving expenses reimbursed up to $10,000
- Stipends are paid in addition to reimbursement of actual official expenses
Eugene city staff
1,686 full-time-equivalent positions. FY2025-27 adopted budget. City of Eugene · Jul 1, 2025
The adopted budget publishes FTE by fund and department. We found no city-published list of pay by employee. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Eugene in the red?
Cities must pass a balanced budget, so "profit" and "deficit" mean something different here. The useful questions: does the city's everyday money (the general fund) cover its everyday costs, how much does it keep in savings compared with its own target, and how big are its pension and debt bills.
The city's own outlook
The six-year forecast shows a slight general fund deficit in FY2025-27, growing larger in FY2027-29, then a modest surplus in FY2029-31 after the pension bonds are paid off in FY2028. The adopted budget includes $17.8M of ongoing gap reductions and $7.9M of one-time steps to rebuild reserves. City of Eugene · Jul 1, 2025
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $28.6M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: Keep a Reserve for Revenue Shortfall of 4% of two-year general fund spending, about $17 million per biennium; the FY2025-27 budget sets it at 3.9%. A separate reserve of two months of spending is held as assigned fund balance. City of Eugene · Dec 29, 2025
Why we skip the "budgeted deficit": many cities plan to dip into savings, then spend less than planned. The audited result tells you what really happened.
Where the money comes from and goes
The general fund only: the city's everyday money for FY2025-27 adopted (two years).
Comes from
- Taxes$326M · 66%
- Fund balance carried in$60.5M · 12%
- Charges for services$44.4M · 9%
- Transfers from other funds$28M · 6%
- Licenses and permits$13M · 3%
- Intergovernmental$11.6M · 2%
- Other (miscellaneous, fines, rental)$13.1M · 3%
Goes to (FY2025-27 adopted (two years))
- Police$146M · 29%
- Library, recreation and cultural services$91.7M · 18%
- Fire and emergency medical services$88.4M · 18%
- Central services$59.8M · 12%
- Reserves and ending balance (budgeted, not spent)$58.8M · 12%
- Planning and development$26.3M · 5%
- Transfers to other funds$18.7M · 4%
- Other (public works, special payments)$7M · 1%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
About 42 cents of each property-tax dollar goes to the city ($8.38 of $19.82 per $1,000). These are the rates in the city's audited report for one representative tax code area; Oregon's Measure 5 and Measure 50 limits can lower what an owner actually pays.
42¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Eugene
- School districts8.47 · 43%
- City of Eugene (operating)7.6 · 38%
- Lane County1.99 · 10%
- Community college0.91 · 5%
- City of Eugene (bond debt)0.78 · 4%
- Upper Willamette Soil and Water District0.07 · <1%
- Total ($ per $1,000 of assessed value)19.82
FY2024-25 rates for property in the city of Eugene (Lane County, tax code area 4-00). City of Eugene · Dec 29, 2025
Who provides your services
Not everything in Eugene is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityEugene Police DepartmentCity of Eugene · Dec 29, 2025
- Fire protectionThe cityEugene Springfield Fire (merged Eugene and Springfield department)Protects both cities and seven contract fire districts.City of Eugene · Jul 1, 2025
- Ambulance (EMS)The cityEugene Springfield Fire, through the city's Ambulance Transport FundCity of Eugene · Dec 29, 2025
- 911 dispatchThe cityCentral Lane 911 (Eugene Police Department)City of Eugene · Jul 1, 2025
- Water and electricityAnother agencyEugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB)City of Eugene · Dec 29, 2025
- SewerThe cityCity of Eugene, operating the regional plant for the Metropolitan Wastewater Management CommissionMWMC is a joint venture of Eugene, Springfield and Lane County.City of Eugene · Dec 29, 2025
- LibraryThe cityEugene Public Library (city department)City of Eugene · Dec 29, 2025
- Parks and recreationThe cityCity of EugeneCity of Eugene · Dec 29, 2025
- StreetsThe cityEugene Public WorksCity of Eugene · Dec 29, 2025
- AirportThe cityEugene Airport (city)City of Eugene · Jul 1, 2025
- Bus transitSeparate districtLane Transit DistrictCity of Eugene · Jul 1, 2025
Compared with similar cities
The cities in this state closest in population that we cover. Read it for scale, not as a ranking: cities provide different services.
| Per city | BendOR | GreshamOR | EugeneOR | SalemOR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 107,342 | 111,513 | 178,618 | 181,779 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | $260,000 | $306,000 | $305,000 |
| Council member pay | $30,000 | $28,956 | Not confirmed | No salary |
| General fund per resident | $1,885 | $1,171 | $2,779 | $1,087 |
| Debt per resident | $5,387 | $814 | $359 | $1,394 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $991 | $1,372 | $1,702 | $1,273 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 7.7 | 6.2 | 9.4 | 7.5 |
Figures as shown in each city's section, divided by its population. Years differ by state, and pension figures are measured differently in each state (each city page says how).
What Eugene publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Audited financial report filed on timeThe FY2025 audited report, with the auditor's opinion dated Dec. 29, 2025, is posted on the city's Financial Reports page. City of Eugene
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe 2025-2027 adopted budget is posted as a PDF and an interactive book on the city's budget documents page. City of Eugene
- Yes: City manager's contract findable onlineThe city manager's employment agreement is in the Feb. 9, 2026 council agenda packet. City of Eugene · Feb 9, 2026
- Partly: Council pay stated in a public documentThe charter sets the 2001 stipends and a yearly CPI adjustment. We found no document stating the current amounts. City of Eugene · Jun 17, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The budget forecast shows the general fund deficit growing in FY2027-29, before the pension bonds are paid off in FY2028. Which services or revenues will close that gap?
- The Reserve for Revenue Shortfall target is 4% of two-year spending, about $17 million, and the FY2025-27 budget sets it at 3.9%. When does the city expect to reach the target?
- The city's share of the Oregon PERS net pension liability was $303.9 million on June 30, 2025. How will rising PERS rates affect the general fund?
- Police take $145.6 million of the $496.4 million two-year general fund budget. How does the council measure what that spending delivers?
Help decide what comes next
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