EUGENE, Ore. – The Eugene Clean Energy Fund will appear on the November ballot after city officials verified the initiative secured enough signatures earlier this month.
If approved by voters, the measure would impose a 2% license fee on large retailers that earn more than $1 billion in profits nationwide and more than $500,000 within Eugene. There are no locally owned companies that fit these criteria. Instead, the initiative would impact multi-national billion-dollar corporations.
The measure is estimated to generate at least $15 million annually towards city funds. Backers of the initiative say the measure follows the same blueprint as a clean energy fund initiative from Portland, which passed with 65% of the vote in 2018…