Dear Friends and Neighbors,When I unexpectedly took office after Commissioner Susheela Jayapal’s decision to run for U.S. Congress last November, I committed to serve through the County’s crucial budget process to provide a continuity of function and values for District 2 constituents. The entire District 2 team stayed on with me to help provide that continuity. I’m proud of the work we’ve done. That includes a number of budget amendments designed to update our governance and improve transparency — including working with the Chair to implement a small donor election program for future Multnomah County elections.
I’ve also had the privilege of sponsoring proclamations for Juneteenth, Black History & Futures Month, Disability Pride and Pride, celebrating the soon-to-be-open Arbor Lodge shelter, and advocating for investments in proven homeless prevention services like rent relief.
Despite the tone and tenor of local politics these days, this work has been an honor. The responsibility of governing for tens of thousands of my fellow Portlanders across a range of life experiences and opinions is not lost on me. As I said at my swearing in, it is a sacred one.
My promise to bear this responsibility through the budget process coincided with the hope that a majority of voters would elect a candidate to take my place at the May primary election. Then I could return to having just one job as the CEO of Northwest Health Foundation. (I am impressed by how many of my colleagues do two jobs!) With a competitive three-way race, that majority did not happen.
In our democracy, I support as many candidates that want to run to do so and timing elections when the greatest number of voters are likely to participate. So I don’t begrudge the outcome. But now a winner won’t be chosen and take office until November. (Because District 2 is a special election to finish Commissioner Jayapal’s term the winner will take office as soon as election results are certified).
May brought some non-election news, too. My mom ended up in the hospital and a nursing facility for a month. I did many budget hearings from her temporary rooms. And in late June I went in for some of my own delayed surgery. These are moments you find yourself thinking about what matters to you, what you owe those you love and what you owe your community.
I have decided that at this current pace I cannot be a good son, a good CEO, a good partner and a good Commissioner through November. Something has to give. So I have decided to step back my hours in public service (and my pay) and focus on my primary responsibility as Commissioner: preparing for and attending County board meetings.
I didn’t come to this decision lightly. My staff and I began exploring options in June. Based on the County Charter, we saw four paths. They all have drawbacks for District 2, some of which I considered significant. Here are the options we explored:
Option 1: I resign and the remaining County board members appoint my Chief of Staff Sara Ryan to represent District 2. Sara was Commissioner Jayapal’s Chief of Staff. She’s been in the role for six years. She knows the County. She knows the job. She’d follow a precedent of Chiefs of Staff serving temporarily as Commissioners:
- 1993: Chair Gladys McCoy - Hank Higgins
- 2010: Chair Ted Wheeler - Jana McClellan
- 2010: Commissioner Jeff Cogen - Babara Willer
- 2013: Chair Jeff Cogen - Marissa Madrigal
Appointing Sara would leave District 2 residents un-represented for as little as one week. But with all the politicking these days, we just could not be sure that path was possible.
Option 2: I resign and the remaining board members create a public appointment process. This would leave District 2 unrepresented for longer given the need to create a process, run the process, vet candidates and appoint her/him/them. They’d also be a real short-timer—two months at most—so their ability to come up to speed would be based on their familiarity and previous experience with governing and/or the County. That’s a tall order and a lot of work for a County that has plenty of important things to do.
Option 3: I resign and no one takes my place, leaving District 2 unrepresented. District 2 doesn’t get to vote on County matters. This option was possible if at least two of my board colleagues did not agree to Option 1 or Option 2. I liked this option the least. I can think of nothing more undemocratic than choosing to let 25% of the County go unrepresented when we don’t have to.
Option 4: That left us with Option 4—I remain representing District 2 but go part-time, prepping for and participating in Thursday board meetings only. I take a commensurate pay cut. My staff remains to help with constituent work, follow up on projects we’re still working on, prepare me for board meetings and make the transition for my successor a smooth one. It means I get less time through board briefings and directly with County staff to understand the complexity of County services and less time with stakeholders whose perspectives help shape policy. But my staff still would. And I’d bring the same time, focus and attention to matters before the whole board that I have done so far.
I recognize putting all of this out publicly is unorthodox. So is my decision to step back with mere weeks left on the clock. I wrestled with my options during the day and awoke often at night—what is right, fair and just for the people of District 2? What I’ve decided is bound to disappoint some people in District 2, maybe some of my colleagues. Just months away from an election, it is also fodder for spin doctors. I am not naive about that. Still, I am sharing this openly and honestly because I believe that most people recognize the complexity of governing. Residents put us here to help solve big problems across our differences and to explain ourselves in doing so. In my short time here, I have strived to do that from my seat in the boardroom and in long newsletters like this one. Mine is a small but important problem with no perfect solution—and to which I think you still deserve an explanation. The amount of thoughtful responses I get whenever I write to you all, even when folks disagree with me, keeps me hopeful that we can solve big and small problems together. I am not going anywhere yet, and neither is my staff. So I will save my departing thoughts for a future newsletter. Until then, I remain your (temporary) faithful servant.
Sincerely,
Jesse
