Responsible Governance.
It has been a long time since Portland was happy with those who represent them. In fact, I can’t remember a time when I asked someone what they thought of our city government, and got an answer I could actually put on this website! Government is supposed to work for you. That’s what government of the people, by the people, and for the people means. In my first 90 days I will focus on engaging with you and every neighborhood association in District 3 to ensure that the people of our district are heard at city hall.
Public Safety - Hold Portland Police Bureau accountable for violations against their stated directives, and stop sending police to non-emergency situations or situations they are untrained for. Ensure all Public Transit has proper ride-safety officers in place at all times. Fund neighborhood association street cleaning committees or volunteer programs that would work in concert with bureaus like the Portland Street Response. And provide city funds to groups like Rose Haven and other homeless service establishments.
Traffic Safety - Ensure traffic safety improvements are completed fully and on-time. In the past two months in Montavilla alone two Portlanders were seriously injured due to traffic safety improvements that were not properly completed and fully marked.
Reduce 911 call times - Many candidates are talking about this, without providing clarity on how it can be accomplished. I will push to reform who is dispatched on calls, and to hire more patrol officers and Public Safety Support Specialists. Police hiring has been falling in Portland since 2016, long before the events of 2020. PPB does background checks on less than 40% of applicants. We need to examine waterfall charts from the HR department to identify where applicants fall out of the hiring process. There is some evidence that a large portion of applicants are being rejected due to marijuana use in the previous 12 months. We need to revise hiring to be in line with our community perspective.
Citizen Oversight Committee - This has been needed for a long time. It wouldn’t cost a dime. Portland’s Government Transition Advisory Committee has already been doing fantastic work documenting issues in Portland’s transition to a new form of government. When the committee’s work wraps up in March 2025 I would like to see this committee shift its focus to general oversight of the new council. As part of this, I also support the creation of a Transparency Advocate in the Ombudsman’s office to have oversight on City Hall.
Police Accountability Commission - Restore the recommendations of the voter-approved Police Accountability Commission, which was watered down by the current city council.
Participatory Budgeting - Although the campaign for Participatory Budgeting has shifted to the 2026 election, I believe that the next council should investigate whether we can implement some or all of their recommendations immediately.
Public Official/Candidate for Office Financial Disclosure Reforms - We expect presidential candidates to release their financial information, why would we expect less from local candidates who live and work in our community?
