City of Eugene Technical Advisory Group on Fiscal Stability
Facing a longstanding structural budget deficit and significant constraints on traditional revenue options, the City of Eugene needed a different approach to long-term financial stability. Rather than revisit past solutions, the City sought to engage community leaders in a new way, bringing outside expertise and perspectives into an independent process. The goal of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) was to develop a shared understanding of City finances, operations and economic development, then identify short-, mid- and long-term strategies for stabilizing the City’s budget and services.
Building on our successful fiscal stability work with the City of Springfield, Funk/Levis was brought in to design and lead a process built specifically around Eugene’s financial challenges. Working alongside then-City Manager Sarah Medary, Funk/Levis helped identify, invite and convene 12 business and civic leaders who could bring different areas of expertise to the table required for the process to succeed.
The resulting team intentionally included leaders with backgrounds across multiple industries, described as “problem solvers, thought leaders, and operational executives running large, complex organizations.” Every individual initially invited to participate accepted, creating a group that brought a wide range of perspectives while sharing a deep investment in Eugene’s future.
“Through every step of the process, we had front and center: How do we build and retain trust?”
– Karen Gaffney, Funk/Levis
Funk/Levis then designed a process that gave those participants the information, structure and space they needed to engage candidly with difficult questions. From September 2025 to January 2026, the group moved from learning about the City’s financial challenges to generating ideas around operational efficiencies, revenue and economic development, then evaluating and prioritizing those ideas into a cohesive set of recommendations. City staff served as subject-matter resources while TAG members remained at the center of the discussion and decision-making.
Our role extended well beyond facilitation. Funk/Levis edited and designed the final report, prepared presentations for the City Manager and TAG team, supported media relations and stakeholder communications and helped the group present its work to the Eugene Chamber of Commerce. We also worked directly with City leadership on the final report and strategy for moving the work into implementation.
The result was a comprehensive framework addressing operational efficiencies, revenue and long-term economic development, with recommendations spanning near-term action through the next decade. Rather than ending with the final report, we were invited to continue supporting implementation and public understanding. As a part of that continued effort, Funk/Levis developed a video series designed to demystify Eugene’s budget, explain the constraints and tradeoffs that shape City decisions and build greater public trust and understanding.
That momentum has carried into TAG 2.0, the ongoing advisory group recommended by the original TAG and established by the City to help move recommendations into implementation. With a particular focus on economic development strategy, we continue to work alongside the City as the effort moves from recommendations to action.
For Funk/Levis, one of the clearest measures of success was that the process produced more than a static document; it created actionable momentum.
