Eugene voters approve Clean Energy Fund measure by wide margin

Eugene voters appeared to handily approve a ballot initiative creating a Clean Energy Fund on election night Tuesday, with about 58 percent of tallied votes in favor as of 11 p.m., according to initial returns.

Supporters of Measure 20-388 declared victory at a watch party shortly after the first results were released. The measure will require some large retailers and banks to pay a new annual licensing fee equal to 2 percent of their gross profits in the city, with the revenue directed toward clean energy projects.

"I could feel the enthusiasm and the support behind this campaign throughout every stage, but to have that confirmed with this decisive victory is just wonderful," said co-chief petitioner Aya Cockram. "I think it just really shows that our community is ready for change and ready to build something better."

A coalition of environmental groups led the campaign, drawing inspiration from a similar policy that Portland voters approved in 2018. Backers argued that billion-dollar companies should pay more to help make Eugene more climate resilient.

Co-chief petitioner Joel Iboa told KLCC on Tuesday evening that the effort was "a well-oiled machine," describing it as a conversation that had been going on for a few years across state, regional and local infrastructure, guided by what he called a well-balanced steering committee with both political acumen and fundraising ability.

The campaign raised more than $730,000. In the final weeks before the election, Eugene households were hit with online advertisements and a flood of campaign mailers, and according to the campaign, canvassers knocked on about 26,000 doors.

Opponents, organized under the Stop the Hidden Tax on Eugene campaign, contended that the fee would be passed down to customers and that the resulting revenue could be misused. They were unable to match the supporters in funding, reporting just $155,000 in fundraising as of Monday.

"Our concerns about the measure's impact on affordability, its potential costs to local families and businesses, and the accountability of the fund remain unchanged," the Stop the Hidden Tax campaign wrote in a statement Tuesday night, adding that it hopes city leaders will take those concerns seriously as they move toward implementation.

The fee requirement is set to take effect in 2029. This report comes from KLCC, part of the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.