Candidates for the Eugene City Council outlined their positions on housing, economic development, and public safety during a forum hosted by Lookout Eugene-Springfield at WOW Hall in Eugene on April 15. The event took place ahead of the May 19 primary election and featured candidates from Wards 3, 4, 5, and 6.
The forum gave voters an opportunity to hear directly from council hopefuls about pressing issues facing the city. Housing affordability and availability emerged as key topics across both sessions of the evening.
Incumbent Ward 6 Councilor Greg Evans said there are few remaining sites for new housing in Eugene. He cited Bethel and the Lane Community College basin as possible locations but noted that some areas lack essential infrastructure like sewage and electricity. “We are looking more at multicommunity development, which we’re seeing happen in the downtown area and other areas of town. But there’s also a significant demand for single-family housing,” Evans said. He added that his son and partner recently bought a house in north Eugene but now work second jobs to afford it.
Ward 6 challenger Tai Pruce-Zimmerman echoed concerns about rising costs: “The housing market in Eugene has been pricing people out aggressively for at least that decade since we’ve been here. We absolutely need a dramatic increase in our housing stock.” Incumbent Ward 4 Councilor Jennifer Yeh supported more high-density options while Ward 4 candidate Tom Stedman called for better public transportation to serve denser neighborhoods.
On public safety technology, candidates addressed whether they would support bringing back automatic license plate readers after the city ended its contract with Flock Safety over data privacy concerns. Stedman supported using readers only on patrol cars; others emphasized community input and strong privacy protections before considering similar systems.
In Wards 3 and 5 discussions focused on budget challenges facing Eugene. Ward 5 candidate Jasmine Hatmaker said: “I would like to see a more detailed review of the budget and where all of these funds go.” Ward 3 candidate Jennifer Smith stressed maintaining quality-of-life services: “Our quality of life is what makes people move here… so to erode any of that would be detrimental.” Incumbent Mike Clark pointed out state property tax limits contribute to financial strain: “The only real long-term solution is for us to do economic development well,” he said.
Candidates also debated how job growth relates to affordable housing supply, with several pointing out that workers leave if they cannot afford local homes. Athena Aguiar remarked: “A lot of University of Oregon students end up having to move… after they graduate.” Other policy suggestions included tenant protections such as the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act along with incentives for building affordable units outside downtown.
