Ineligible applicants

Date: November 15, 2022
To:Mayor and City Councilors
From:Katie LaSala, City Recorder
541-682-5882

Memorandum

Subject: Ward 7 Interim Appointment – Ineligible Applicants

In order to verify eligibility of Ward 7, City Council applicants, Lane County Elections provided the City of Eugene with Voter Profiles. Voter Profiles are the mechanism Lane County uses to verify candidate eligibility for elective offices in Lane County. Voter Profiles confirm that the applicant is a legal elector, indicates current ward/precinct and residential address, and contains a history of residential address changes.

Eugene Charter stipulates three requirements for holding an elective city office (legal elector, resident of the Ward they are representing, resident of the city for 1 year immediately before taking office):

Section 8. Council – Qualifications. During a councilor’s term, the councilor shall reside in the ward from which the councilor was elected or to which he or she was appointed. In addition, to be elected or appointed as a councilor, a person must meet the qualifications described in Section 19.

Section 19. Qualifications. No person may hold an elective city office unless a legal elector under the laws and constitution of the state, a resident of the city for one year immediately before being elected or appointed to the office, and unless, if elected, receiving a majority of the votes cast for candidates for the office at the election at which the office is filled. The city council shall provide for such election by majority vote.

The following applicants have not been confirmed as meeting the eligibility requirements:

Barbie Walker

  • On 1/18/2022, residential address was changed from an unincorporated address in Eugene, Oregon (part of the UGB), to a Ward 7 address within city limits

Based on this data, Walker would not be eligible to serve as a City Councilor until 1/18/2023 (resident of the city for one year immediately before being appointed to the office). Council has until 1/1/2023 to make an appointment to meet the charter requirement of filling the vacancy within 90 days.

Thomas Hiura

  • On 3/18/2022, residential address was in Springfield, Oregon and changed to an unincorporated address in Eugene, Oregon (part of the UGB)
  • On 11/9/2022, residential address was changed to a Ward 7 address within city limits

Based on this data, Hiura would not be eligible to serve as a City Councilor until 11/9/2023 (resident of the city for one year immediately before being appointed to the office). Council has until 1/1/2023 to make an appointment to meet the charter requirement of filling the vacancy within 90 days.

Stephanie Dugger

  • Did not provide a valid residential address within city limits in her application. Staff reached out to Dugger multiple times and received no response to date.

Daniel Takamori

  • Lane County Elections has not been able to confirm identity and to initiate the Voter Profile with the information currently provided. Staff reached out to Takamori multiple times and received no response to date.

If the eligibility status for any of the four unconfirmed changes, Council will be notified immediately. Please let me know if you have any questions.