My name is Tai Pruce-Zimmerman and I am running for Eugene City Council in Ward 6. I was born and raised in Eugene and after spending my twenties living elsewhere in Oregon, my wife and I chose Eugene as our forever home in 2015 to put down our roots and raise a family. For me, putting down roots meant throwing myself into community service.
Now, after over a decade of extensive volunteer work in government and non-profits, I am running for office. When I look at the challenges facing our city, the issues I’ve worked on from other angles, and the skill set and knowledge I bring to the table, I know this City Council seat is where I belong. I know that this is where I can do the most good for our community. And I know I’m the best person to serve for the next four years.
My Priorities
Housing and Homelessness
Housing supply has failed for decades to keep pace with population growth, so city policies must support the building of as much new housing stock as possible. At the same time, construction costs are high and new housing is inevitably expensive and unaffordable for large swaths of our community. We also need short term policies to keep housing and shelter accessible to everyone, across all income brackets, to protect renters, and to ensure pathways from shelter to transitional housing and eventually to permanent housing for those experiencing homelessness.
The city is limited by state-level restrictions and true stability will only come through reforms to state tax law. But in the meantime we need a more thoughtful approach to our budget challenges than just cutting services year after year. As a city, we need to develop a cohesive long-term plan that blends thoughtful economic development, equitable new revenue, and careful budget prioritization.
Budget Stability
Protecting City Services
Eugene has spectacular libraries and parks, dedicated public safety and emergency services. City dollars fund pools and community centers, fire engines and parks. These sorts of vital public resources define what is best about our community. We cannot shy away from preserving them.
We are facing many challenges as a city, and it will take real work to overcome them. I don’t believe this is work that can be done in a silo or a bubble of like-minded voices. I believe in collaboration and hearing from as much of the community as possible. As Co-Chair of Active Bethel Community, I do my best to bring the whole community together. As Chair of the Eugene Budget Committee I opened every meeting with a call to consider who wasn’t in the room. What voices were missing, and why. As a Councilor, I will always seek out those voices. I believe deeply in this community and I have always committed myself to being present in service.
We are facing many challenges as a city, but we can overcome them together, with Tai.
