May 21, 2002 - Measure No. 26-30

AMENDS CHARTER: CHANGES FORM OF CITY GOVERNMENT

QUESTION: Shall Portland be governed by nine member Council (seven elected by district) and managed by a Mayor with veto authority?

SUMMARY: This proposed measure changes the City’s government from the Commission form to Mayor/Council form with distinct and separate roles for the Mayor versus Council members. Currently, the executive and legislative branches of the City’s government are combined. The Mayor and each Council member manage several departments and vote on legislation. The measure gives the Mayor all executive and administrative authority and the Council all legislative and quasi-judicial authority. The Mayor is not a Council Member, but has veto power, subject to Council override by six affirmative votes.

The Council is increased to nine members; two elected at large and seven elected from geographically defined districts. Each Council candidate must have resided in the district for one year. The presiding officer is the President of the Council. Each of the seven district Council members will have an office within their district, and the two at large Council members will have an office at City Hall. Each council member is entitled to at least two paid staff members. No cost estimate has been provided.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN FAVOR

26-30 for district elections
and
Representative government.

A YES vote will give us:

1. Representation by district, and city council members having offices in their districts, improved neighborhood representation and better access to council members for all citizens.

2. City Council members more accountable to voters because the cost to elect new representatives would significantly decrease with district elections.

3. More economic, geographic, gender, and ethnic diversity to the council.

4. A more efficient government with elected officials no longer directly managing bureaus.

5. Streamlined city functions because supervision would be in the hands of professional managers under the executive branch, and less cross-bureau conflict because of the more efficient system.

6. A council free from day-to-day administrative duties focusing on serving citizen needs, policy making and long-range planning.

7. A balance of power in our city government as found in most other municipal governments of Portland’s size, as well as in state and national government.

Measure 26-30 is endorsed by [partial list:]

Mayor Vera Katz
State Senator Kate Brown, Democratic Minority Leader
State Senator Frank Shields
State Representative Randy Leonard
State Representative Jeff Merkley
State Representative Steve March
Multnomah County Commissioner Lonnie Roberts
Hon. Dick Springer, Former State Senator
Hon. George Eighmey, Former State Representative
Hon. Jo Ann Bowman, Former State Representative
Tanya Collier, Former Multnomah County Commissioner
Dick Levy, Former Interim Multnomah County Commissioner

VOTE YES ON 26-30

(This information furnished by Robert Ball, Chief Petitioner, The Good Government Committee)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN FAVOR

What’s been said in the press about Measure 26-30?

“…However attached old-timers may be to the system, you have to admit that there’s some functional illogic to it…”

The Oregonian, Editorial, February 8, 2002

“…Fond as some commissioners are of Portland’s system of government – because it immerses commissioners up to their elbows in running city bureaus – the system also has an illogic all it’s own…”

The Oregonian, Editorial, January 2, 2002

“…They call it the Good Government Initiative [26-30], and I happen to agree. If passed by the voters, it would change the form of government from a council, with no one representing anyone in particular, to a city council with seven councilors representing neighborhood districts.”

Phil Stanford, Portland Tribune, November 9, 2001

“…We think this kind of change [26-30] would liberate the council, would mean a more efficiently run city, and there’d be a system of checks and balances… Too often good intentions developed by one bureau and the council member who heads it conflict with other good intentions. There’s a lack of coordination.”

Kink FM 102, Published on Kink FM website, July 13, 2001

“And it [26-30] would create more accountability to the public, too. It’s time anyway. Considering we’re a city that’s so ahead of the curve on any number of issues, we’re one of the few that still elects its commissioners and mayor citywide. And we have countless examples to prove it’s not working as well as it should.”

S. Renee Mitchell, Columnist, Commenting on Measure 26-30, The Oregonian, July 27, 2001

“This is long overdue…so long as the commissioners were elected in city wide races, they would ignore us the moment the votes had been counted.”

Dave Mazza, The Portland Alliance, Editorial about 26-30, July 2001

YES for your own Neighborhood Representation
YES for less expensive government
YES for ACCESS to our city council

VOTE YES on 26-30

(This information furnished by Robert Ball, Chief Petitioner, The Good Government Committee)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN FAVOR

Who Supports 26-30?

Below is a partial list of supporters:

Current and former elected officials

“I encourage your YES vote on 26-20. I am very concerned with Portland city council’s lack of diversity and representation, especially in regard to the people of east Portland. I support Measure 26-30 because it calls for district elections which will move us in the direction of fairness.”
Senator Kate Brown, District 21, Democratic Minority Leader

Some of the many neighborhood leaders

Ross Monn
Ruth L. Jones
Glenn Taylor
Cynthia Peek
Thamas G. Johnson
David C. Austin David J. Redlich
Susan Hamilton
Frank Dixon
Frank Yost
Donald B MacGillivray

“People of east Portland: please encourage your neighbors to vote yes on 26-30. It means better representation for east side residents through district elections. It means our own city council members elected by us from our own parts of town, and answerable to their neighbors who elect them.”
Ruth L. Jones, Northeast Portland activist

Labor Organizations

AFSCME Local 189
National Assoc. of Letters Carriers, Br. 82
PCC Federation of Classified Employees
Portland Fire Fighters Association
SEIU Local 49

“District elections mean less expensive campaigns and better representation. We want everyone to have the opportunity to elect a council member from their own union, their own part of town, their own neighborhood. Portland workers in every walk of life deserve better city government.”
Tom Chamberlain, President, Portland Fire Fighters

(This information furnished by Robert Ball, Chief Petitioner, The Good Government Committee)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN FAVOR

Why Change Our Form of Government?

“The commission form of government is creaky, turf bound and Byzantine. Today’s complex issues do not fit into its 89-year old independently managed bureaucratic silos.”

Mayor Vera Katz
State of the City address
Published on Mayor’s website, February 22, 2002

“Policy and software are different jobs, …and I’ve always focused on the policy side of things…We’re making a bad bet if I’m the fire wall between good and bad decisions on software.”

Commissioner Erik Sten
As quoted by Stev Duin
The Oregonian, August 7, 2001

“But in this form of government, [Administrative] oversight from another commissioner is viewed as more of an insult, as an affront.”

Commissioner Dan Saltzman
As quoted by The Oregonian, June 22, 2001

“…I also believe it is difficult to stick with a strategic plan and that the council could be more diverse.”

Commissioner Jim Francesconi
Explaining the CURRENT city council
As quoted by Just Out, July 6, 2001

THE SOLUTION: VOTE YES ON 26-30.

Fair representation for all neighborhoods
City government that’s more accountable, efficient, costs less, better planned, and coordinated.
Day-to-day administrative management of bureaus by professionals – not politicians.
Council members liberated to openly question the bureaucracy in our city government.

VOTE: YES ON 26-30 YES ON 26-30 YES ON 26-30

(This information furnished by Robert Ball, Chief Petitioner, The Good Government Committee)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN FAVOR

26-30 is Supported by Our Diverse Community

“RAINBOW COALITION BACKS GOOD GOVERNMENT MEASURE

Neighborhood groups, minorities, labor unions and other grassroots organizations have been fighting for representation on the Portland City Council for years. The Good Government Initiative opens a place for us at the decision making table, through district representation.
In the current at-large elections a winning candidate has to be independently wealthy or sell themselves to wealthy sponsors. The going price tag for a winning race is $300,000 to $500,000. Working people, small business people, people of color and other minorities cannot run for city council without peddling themselves to big money

District representation means districts small enough so even the “little guy” can afford to run for office. It means having a representative who lives in your part of town and understands your local issues. It means that candidates’ local reputation and ability to work hard for their community will mean more than their ability to raise campaign money.
District representation means elections, not auctions. It means political campaigns, not public relations campaigns. It means the councilors will listen to you, because they were elected by you, not selected by the financial elites.”

Jamie Partridge, Portland Rainbow Coalition

Representative government
Democracy at it’s best

It’s Ballot Measure 26-30

Representative government means electing someone from your part of town to represent you.
It means your council member who knows you, knows your neighborhood concerns, has an office nearby, and speaks for you at City Hall.

VOTE YES ON 26-30
May 2002 Primary

It’s the American way.

(This information furnished by Robert Ball, Chief Petitioner, The Good Government Committee)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN FAVOR

26-30 Will Reduce the Cost of City Government

Independent sources have come to the same conclusion; measure 26-40 will not cost more…but save money because of better efficiency.

Current Situation:

4 Councilors +
24 Staff assistants (6 apiece) = 28 persons

After 26-30 Passes:

9 Councilors +
18 Staff assistants (2 apiece) +
1 administrator = 28 persons

AFTER 26-30 PASSES, CITIZENS OF PORTLAND GET NINE COUNCIL MEMBERS REPRESENTING US FOR THE SAME PRICE AS FOUR!!!

The Explanation:
The current authorized total number of council members and staffers for the city council is 28 (not including the Mayor’s office.) With Measure 26-30, that number stays the same because each council member will be limited to two personal staffers (by charter – only changed by voters), instead of the six they each have now.

Also, because the council members will have offices in their districts, half the office space the council now uses will be available for other City uses, and the savings can be used to pay for the district offices – in our neighborhoods.

IGNORE FALSE STATEMENTS THAT GET IN THE WAY OF THIS SIMPLE MATH.

YES for getting elected officials working for us, not staffers
YES for having YOUR own council member
YES for more efficient city government
YES for fair neighborhood representation

Do you want to finally have a council member that represents you and your area of the city? Opponents are trying to cloud the real issue – representation for ALL areas of the city.

VOTE YES ON 26-30

(This information furnished by Robert Ball, Chief Petitioner, The Good Government Committee)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN FAVOR

26-30 Is Not a Strong Mayor System.

What is a “Strong Mayor?”

Gets to chair city council meetings while heading executive branch
May make appointments to bureaus regardless of qualifications of appointees
Sets budget without council approval
Council approval not required for contracts
Council approval not required for any expenditures
Council confirmation to boards and commissions not required
Council confirmation for city attorney not required
Auditor does not check mayor’s official actions
Gets to vote on city council and act as executive
Gets to create and eliminate boards & commissions
Veto cannot be overridden by council
Is the only person who can introduce legislation & policy
Decides all zoning
Decides all land-use issues

Measure 26-30 Is None of the Above!

Why is 26-30 NOT a “Strong Mayor?”

26-30 is considered a Weak Mayor/Council system. The mayor is primarily responsible for setting the budget and administrative management.

The council has all legislative and quasi-judicial authority. The mayor has veto authority but it’s subject to override by the council. The mayor in this system gets to appoint bureau heads without confirmation but is restricted in this duty by hiring requirements.

The mayor must get council confirmation for appointments of the city attorney & all boards and commissions. They can remove members from boards and commissions but cannot do this without consequence if the council disagrees. The council has the ultimate authority to abolish the commissions or boards altogether.

26-30 is a balanced form of government – with equal executive and legislative branches.

VOTE YES ON 26-30!

(This information furnished by Robert Ball, Chief Petitioner, The Good Government Committee)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN FAVOR

WHERE’S THE FIRE?

Smoke Screen: “This measure strips the city council of any power to get things done.”

That’s just a smoke screen from the folks who don’t want us to govern ourselves by electing a city council member from our own part of town:

Fact:
Initiative 26-30 simply separates the branches of government. The new City Council will not supervise bureaus, it will be the legislative branch – a proper balance of power – with time to “get things done” for us.

Today, the members don’t work together and don’t oversee all bureaus. There’s code of silence between commissioners. One of them even described that code as: don’t ask questions about my bureaus and I won’t ask questions about yours. Sounds a lot like: Don’t ask, don’t tell doesn’t it?

NOW

26-30

Vote on every City Law
our entire City Code!
Make policy decisions YES YES
Approve Budget YES YES
Approve every expenditure YES YES
Approve all city contracts YES YES
Politicians manage bureau heads NO YES
Create urban renewal zones YES YES
Create and change all zoning YES YES
Decide all land-use issues YES YES
Confirm Board Appointments YES YES
Confirm Commission Appts. YES YES
Create boards and commissions YES YES
Eliminate boards and commissions YES YES
Confirms city attorney YES YES
Provide oversight of all depts YES limited YES- full
Politicians manage bureau heads

YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
NO
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES limited
YES

YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES- full
NO

MARK YOUR BALLOT YES

YES for representative government
YES for more efficient government
YES for smoother future growth
YES for better planning
YES for access to your city council representative

VOTE YES ON 26-30

(This information furnished by Robert Ball, Chief Petitioner, The Good Government Committee)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN FAVOR

Why doesn’t the opposition want you to have representation?

Measure 26-30 will make two important changes –

Electing council members from each area of the city (now, you don’t have a council member) and,
Requiring professional managers to head departments instead of elected officials.

Who is opposing Measure 26-30?

Select insiders – people who are currently “in the system” or have been in the system and learned how to make it work for them.
People who don’t want neighborhoods to have a strong voice.
A few “special interests” that currently fund every citywide campaign.
Those who are opposed to a more diverse city council.
Political insiders that don’t want to lose power.

Why are they opposing this change?

They don’t trust us (citizens) to make important decisions.
Our elected officials always think they know what’s best for us.
The cost of elections will drastically go down – meaning any citizen can run for office.
They don’t think every area of the city can elect qualified council members.
All citizens will have more input into decision-making.

VOTE YES ON 26-30

(This information furnished by Robert Ball, Chief Petitioner, The Good Government Committee)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN FAVOR

People opposing 26-30 have hired fancy consultants to manage their campaign.

WHO are our advisors? The citizens of Portland.

Over 40,000 citizens signed a petition to put 26-30 on the ballot. Why?

All neighborhoods will be fairly represented and your area of the city will have their own council member – accountable to neighborhoods…not a few big money special interests.
St. Johns, Northeast, East, Southeast, Southwest, North, and Northwest Portland will each have their own representative on City Council.
Who is your council member now?
Our city councilors need to use their time to help us with problems and to make policy. They don’t have the time, and usually don’t have the experience to directly manage several bureaus – like the $15 – 20 million dollar water billing system error.
City services are now being cut after costly mistakes. City government will be more efficient and will cost less when we have experienced managers, with proven track records managing our bureaus and saving money. Twenty-one neighborhood leaders, countless other citizens, community groups, business leaders, elected officials, and labor organizations are supporting 26-30.

Representative government, as the citizens of Portland requested. It’s right for Portland.

VOTE YES ON 26-30

(This information furnished by Robert Ball, Chief Petitioner, The Good Government Committee)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION

The League of Women Voters of Portland Urges
a NO Vote on Measure 26-30.

The League supports the commission form of
government because it is accountable, flexible and responsive to citizens.

Ballot Measure 26-30 increases the mayor’s powers.

The mayor would control all bureaus and appointments to boards and commissions.
The council would have no veto power over the mayor’s proposed budget.
The mayor could remove appointed members of citizen boards and commissions without cause or explanation.
The mayor would control the independently elected auditor’s budget.
The council would have unspecified legislative roles and little effect on day to day operations.

The League supports city-wide elections for elected officials.

Representatives elected at-large address issues with the interests of all of the city and its residents in mind.
Narrow neighborhood issues may come first with representatives elected from districts. This could lead to parochialism and conflicts between neighborhoods and downtown interests or between the east side and west side.

A charter change of this magnitude deserves broad public discussion and debate.

Portland has operated under the commission form of government for nearly 90 years. Our city is regarded as one of the most livable in the United States and its citizens rate highly the quality of services and the quality of life.
Any proposals for changes to the commission form of government should be led by a citizen commission that considers the opinions of all interested individuals and organizations, develops a proposal, and forwards it to the voters as required by our city charter.

We need a clearer picture of the cost of implementing Measure 26-30.

Voters need to carefully consider the potential financial impact of this measure. At a time of budget shortfalls, adopting a new form of government could lead to more program cuts.

(This information furnished by Janet Wolf, president, League of Women Voters of Portland)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION

26-30 – The ‘Big’ Government Initiative

I don’t want bigger, more expensive government, and I don’t think you do either. But, that’s exactly what you get with 26-30. When I was your mayor we worked to make city government more efficient and less costly. This measure expands the council, creates new staff positions and makes government less efficient.

It was also my intent, to make Portland’s government more accessible to you, the citizens, as I had become mayor largely through my role as a neighborhood activist.

As mayor, I had an open door policy, making sure you, the people of Portland had my telephone number, and that of the commissioners, so we could make sure that your concerns were addressed. Under our current form of government you have access directly to the elected officials in charge of the bureaus, which results in faster, more efficient, less costly service to you.

Measure 26-30 creates more layers of government and increases costs while it will reduces accountability.

26-30 doubles the number of full-time politicians
26-30 requires the city to provide new district office space and staff for seven new Commissioners
26-30 provides “at least” two staff per Commissioner
26-30 creates a new Council Administrator position
26-30 gives the mayor a raise

VOTE NO ON MEASURE 26-30
Bud Clark, former Mayor

(This information furnished by Bud Clark)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION
Why Vote No on 26-30?

“This initiative is one of the worst ideas that has ever
come down the pike: You lose the ability of the council
to care one whit about you.”

Richard Ellmyer, North Portland activist
Oregonian, 2/19/02

“When presented with a fix, it helps to know what’s broken. But it’s hard to deal with that question when the initiative itself is flawed and Ball is claiming that they very City Council he wants to eviscerate is obligated to fix it. Good government? I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

Columnist Steve Duin
Oregonian, 2/19/02

“The council has no role. All the power in city government is handed, on a platter, to the mayor.”

Ethan Seltzer
Oregonian, 2/19/02

“There was no long citizen process to look at the problems. Now we’re throwing everything in the garbage can and replacing it with something that a lawyer did in his office.”

Neil Goldschmidt, Former Mayor
Willamette Week, 2/12/02

Vote ‘no’ on Ball Reorganization

Editorial
Oregonian, 2/24/02

(This information furnished by Keep Portland Portland Committee)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION

“…the mayor would dominate the bureaus, control all appointments to boards and commissions and absolutely dictate the budget.”

The Oregonian, 2/24/2002

In over 20 years of public service as an elected official, I have learned a simple truth – good public servants can make any government structure work well, and those who are destructive, can make any government function poorly.

The City of Portland has worked well for a century because, for the most part, committed people have served the citizens. Examples of other governments in our area have not fared as well – and have seen structural changes in hopes of improving their efficiency.

Portland currently has five directly elected and accountable council members. Why would citizens give up this access for one strong mayor? The mayor will not serve with other council members and will be under no obligation to work cooperatively to solve critical citywide problems. You will be doubling the number of full-time paid elected officials, but the expanded council will have little influence over the decisions that are made by the Mayor and the new council administrator.

Vote No on 26-30

Protect your directly elected,
directly accountable city government.
Gretchen Kafoury, Former City Commissioner

(This information furnished by Gretchen Kafoury)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION

PROTECT NEIGHBORHOOD REPRSENTATION
VOTE ‘NO’ on MEASURE 26-30

This measure doubles the number of politicians, promotes the mayor, drastically demotes the council, all at the expense of citizens concerned about their government, their neighborhoods and their city. The measure:

Doubles, from five to ten, the number of paid full-time city politicians.
Creates a strong mayor form of government by shifting all the power from the council members to the mayor.
Creates a less accountable city hall by reducing the number of council members citizens can vote for.
Makes it easier for special interests to elect the mayor and ignore district concerns.
Authorizes the mayor to create a new layer of government – including new directors, new deputy directors and a new council administrator.
Increases the cost of city government by requiring new offices, new staff positions, and a raise for the mayor.

This measure goes too far. It pretends to offer more neighborhood representation by adding new city district positions, but it strips those positions of any power to get things done.

VOTE ‘No’ on 26-30

(This information furnished by Keep Portland Portland Committee)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION

MEASURE 26-30 SHIFTS POWER TO THE MAYOR
[Drastically changes the operation of Portland city government]

Measure 26-30 amends the City Charter to significantly increase the mayor’s power and reduce the role of city commissioners. For the first time in 80 years:

Only the mayor can hire and fire bureau directors;
Only the mayor can direct city bureaus;
Only the mayor can veto the city budget; and
Only the mayor can remove appointed citizens from boards and commissions at any time and with no explanation.

And even the city’s independently elected auditor – the city’s watchdog – will find their independence threatened by the mayor’s new control over the auditor’s budget.

Measure 26-30 changes the structure and form of our government and eliminates the current checks and balances. It creates the path for a powerful mayor and a few special interests to decide our future.

“…the mayor would dominate the bureaus, control all appointments to boards and commissions and absolutely dictate the budget.” –

The Oregonian, 2/24/2002

‘NO’ on 26-30

(This information furnished by Keep Portland Portland Committee)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION

NO ON MEASURE 26-30!

Larger Government Means More Politics

The so-called “Good Government” Initiative would double the number of full-time paid politicians running the City of Portland from 5 to 10, substantially increasing the closed-door “horse-trading” within city government

Larger Government Means More Expensive Government

The charter change adds more city staff, more salaries and creates still more bureaucracy with a new highly-paid Council Administrator, in addition to raising the mayor’s salary
To accommodate new council members, taxpayers will be paying rent for seven new district offices as well as remodeling city hall
Supporters of this measure have not explained how they will pay for the increased number of politicians on the public payroll, except to take money from other city programs or raise our taxes

Consolidated Power Means Less Representation

The “strong Mayor” form of government would give new powers and authority to the Mayor. The Mayor, without the council, will be able to hire and fire bureau heads, veto council ordinances and remove citizens from advisory committees
The “strong Mayor” form of government allows special interests to more easily control the city
Today, each of the five city commissioners needs your vote on a citywide basis. You will have less representation under the new city government because you will vote on only four of the ten elected positions

VOTE “NO”
ON MEASURE 26-30!

(This information furnished by Keep Portland Portland Committee)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION

TOP TEN REASONS TO VOTE “NO”
On Measure 26-30

10. The measure was drafted in a lawyer’s office without public input.

9. Neighborhoods would be pitted against neighborhoods and east side against west – a return to pork barrel politics in Portland.

8. The measure inflates the number of council members and mayor from five to ten. That’s double the trouble – are you ready for that?

7. Separating the mayor from the rest of the council doesn’t work. Portland tried it from 1835-1864; Multnomah County from 1979 to 1986; Metro from 1979 to 2002. Haven’t we learned from past mistakes?

6. The mayor already has ample power – authority to reassign bureaus from her fellow commissioners, power of the gavel, preparing the annual proposed budget, access to the media, a bully pulpit from which to address the public, and status in the eyes of the world.

5. The mayor would dictate the city budget, with no provision for council override. That’s way too much control and power for one politician.

4. The present system of checks and balances with a five member council and independently elected auditor would be knocked off kilter by the mayor’s excessive budget and administrative powers.

3. The mayor could arbitrarily fire citizen board and commission members without cause. That’s a bad idea!

2. Make no mistake about it. This measure would cost the taxpayers a hunk of change.

1. Portland doesn’t need a czar.

(This information furnished by Keep Portland Portland Committee)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION

Measure 26-30 Bad for Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods will lose clout, representation and access to City officials under this initiative.

Even critics of the commission form of government point out that it provides strong citizen accountability for bureau operations. Since the bureau heads – the Commissioners-in-charge - are directly elected, citizen and neighborhood issues quickly get addressed to the appropriate officials. City department managers can’t duck; their Commissioners are watching. In the proposed form, citizens will be separated from City departments by the Mayor and a layer of senior managers.
The math of the proposed Council organization is rigged against neighborhoods. Today all Commissioners are accountable to every neighborhood. In the proposed arrangement, six out of nine Council members do not have to seek votes in the neighborhood. It’s a bad trade-off to get one highly motivated district representative in exchange for six who have no motivation to pay attention to the neighborhood.
Council questions often comedown to balancing business economic interests and neighborhood livability interests. Business interests have the opportunity to influence the Council candidates through campaign contributions, while neighborhoods are armed with only their votes. Under the proposed scheme, businesses can still make campaign contributions in all nine Council races, while a given neighborhood can only vote in three council races.
The initiative strengthens the Mayor far too much. A neighborhood that is out of favor with the Mayor has no recourse for four years.

Portland’s form of government may be unique, and so are Portland’s many accomplishments. Our government is not broken. We don’t need five more politicians to make it ‘better’.

Don’t throw away two-thirds of our representation!

Please vote NO on 26-30 and cast a vote against a bigger government.

(This information furnished by Chris Smith, NW Portland Neighborhood Activist)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION

The citizens of Portland will be greatly disappointed if they approve Measure 26-30’s proposal to create a strong mayor/weak council system of local government. They will find themselves shut out of City Hall and cut out of the decision-making most critical to our city. Got an issue? Take it to your new District Councilman. But don’t expect results: the City Council won’t have any real authority to solve your problem. They must take their requests to the Mayor. Only the Mayor will have the power to effect change and control the budget.

Measure 26-30 will just turn the City Council into yet another level of bureaucracy that will stand in between the citizens and their Mayor.

The citizens of Portland have tremendous access to the decision-making power that is shared by our 5 member City Council. Our Commission form of government is highly democratic, fair and open to everyone. It prevents a lone Mayor or special interests from dictating decisions that will impact the city as a whole.

Vote “No” on Measure 26-30 and keep your access to your local government and all of its decision-making. Don’t concentrate the city’s political power into the single Office of the Mayor. Don’t expand the City Council and then reduce its responsiveness to its citizens. Don’t increase the cost of your local government and then diminish its ability to serve its citizens. Don’t giveaway your power as citizens and reduce your influence on your own local government.

Vote “No” on Measure 26-30 to keep the Mayor and City Council working together with its citizens – all of its citizens. Let’s keep the Commission form of government: it’s in our best interests as citizens who demand an open and equal system of local representation.

(This information furnished by Betsy Radigan, N/NE Portland Neighborhood Activist)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION

I am opposed to Ballot Measure No 26-30 for 3 reasons.

First, the process for developing this new form of government has been terrible. A few people sat down and wrote the biggest reform in Portland’s history without any public input or dialogue. Portland’s form of government should be reviewed. We’ve had it for 80 years, and we can certainly take a year with some type of Charter Review Committee to discuss all the alternatives and their implications with the public before voting.

Second, the form of government being proposed has the potential for great divisiveness and dysfunction. It is almost setting up 2 identical governments, a powerful one by the Mayor and a weak one lead by the City Council. In fact, it is nearly identical to what Metro had the past several years, which the voters wisely changed last year. Under the proposal, the Mayor would not sit with the Council to hear citizen testimony, have a dialogue with the Council and then vote like everyone else. This would create disharmony and is a disincentive to teamwork.

Third, I have reservations about creating districts in which a Council member’s primary mission will be to represent the interest of that district. During my tenure on the City Council we had to look at the citywide implications and all the trade offs before voting. I like the idea that an elected official’s primary mission is to look after the city as a whole. I hope you will consider voting against this measure and demanding a public dialogue before voting for the measure.

Mike Lindberg, former City Commissioner for 17 years from 1979 through 1996.

(This information furnished by Mike Lindberg)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION

Shop and Compare When Choosing a Form of Government

Driven in Seattle lately? While sitting in a massive traffic jam on your way to the Mariners game, did you ever find yourself wondering how the locals let it get so bad? Did you ever even consider that their strong-mayor form of government might be the cause, or at the very least, the most significant contributor to the problem?

Here’s the basic problem: the strong-mayor governance structure in place in Seattle makes it difficult, if not impossible, to create and sustain a common vision between their mayor and nine-member city council. And without a common vision, it is difficult if not impossible to generate and sustain the commitment necessary to make anything happen in our complex world of competing demands and constrained resources.

I lived in Seattle for 26 years and worked for city government there for 15 years prior to moving to Portland in 1995. After working in city government in both places, I have concluded that Seattle’s ineffective form of government has everything to do with the problems we all experience when attempting to navigate Seattle’s nationally recognized traffic mess. I guess you might say I’ve concluded that the traffic gridlock that Seattle experiences is a direct reflection of the decision-making gridlock created and sustained by their form of government.

Here’s my reasoning: Seattle’s traffic problems today are the results of failed decisions and failure to make decisions over the last 20 years and more. If results are what truly count, then the several failed attempts to bring light rail and more effective public transit to the city and the region simply cannot be ignored. And, if you dig a little deeper under the surface of these failures, you can’t help but conclude that Seattle’s strong-mayor form of government is a fundamental factor in these failures.

Rosemary Menard, Southeast Portland

(This information furnished by Rosemary Menard)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION

PORTLAND HAS A DIRECTLY ELECTED, DIRECTLY ACCOUNTABLE CITY GOVERNMENT. KEEP IT.
– Larry Hildebrand

Today, when you have an unsatisfied complaint about a potholed road, you can to go an elected official directly in charge of roads. When you’ve found a broken piece of equipment on a city playground, you can go to an elected official directly in charge of parks to seek correction.

Measure 26-30 would substitute a puny council, strong mayor and strengthened bureaucracy for the directly elected, directly accountable commission form of government that has served this community and its residents extraordinarily well for nearly 100 years.

Portland is nationally recognized for its livability and its solid management of municipal finances and services.

Sponsors of this initiative would restructure Portland’s government in the guise of making it more responsive and effective. It would do just the opposite. It would create a strong-mayor/city manager form of government.

The proposed restructuring would have you take your parks or road problem to a council member elected from your district. But that councilor would be only one of 9 elected councilors. Moreover, none of the 9 would be responsible for running a municipal department. The council’s job would involve sitting around and talking about new city laws and municipal policy matters.

The strong mayor would run all of the city’s departments – not even directly, but through an un-elected, hired hand, the city manager. Just how much attention is either of them likely to focus on filling a residential-street, axle-breaking pothole or on getting one voter’s child’s ball or jacket back?

Portland has the only form of government where an elected member of the City Council can promise voters change and then deliver it, for good or bad. It’s the only form of government where voters can see plainly who’s responsible for the service, or non-service, they’re getting for their tax dollars.

(This information furnished by Larry Hildebrand)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION

Big Government in Portland?

No Thanks! We can’t afford it!

NO on 26-30

There are six words at the end of this measure that make it clear why we should all vote “No.”

“No cost estimate has been provided.”

We are not surprised that cost estimate somehow got left out. When you DOUBLE NUMBER OF FULL-TIME POLITICIANS, then hire staff and rent office space for them, it’s going to be expensive.

VOTE ‘NO’ on 26-30 – The ‘Big’ Government Measure

(This information furnished by Keep Portland Portland Committee)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION

NEIGHBORS AGAINST MEASURE 26-30

QUESTION: Shall Portland be governed by nine member Council (seven elected by district) and managed by a Mayor with veto authority?

Please join your neighbors in voting NO on Measure 26-30:

Mike Houck
Ethan Seltzer
Ted Gilbert
Evelyn N. Pratt
Ron Paul
David August
Anita August
Caroline Fitchett
John J. Cox
Kurt Krause
Ralph E. Pratt
Renate Funk
Christopher P. Smith
Michael Fisher
Steve Fosler
Julia J. Pomeroy
Ernie Bonner
Ruth Frank
Janice Frater
Peg Malloy
Susan Pearce
Gretchen Kafoury
Ann Ebenreiter Lee D. Leighton
Margaret J. Bax
Cheryl L. Roberts
Lynn Hairas Ferguson
Carolyn A. Kelly
Cay Kershner
Ronald B. Lansing
Mike Lindberg
Staci L. Paley
Jerry Rust
Bobbi Waggoner
Nona Glazer
Julie Salamon Greene
M’Lou Christ
Joshua Alpert
Larry Hildebrand
Bud Clark
Mark Kirchmeier
Betsy Radigan
Chet Orloff
Jewel Lansing
The Oregonian 2/24/02
(Partial List)

(This information furnished by Keep Portland Portland Committee)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

Measure 26-30 | City of Portland

ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION

Nobody tells Portlanders how to vote, but as a lifelong Portlander who also served on the Portland City Council for ten years, I have strong feelings about how we should approach City Charter reform.

First and foremost, it is important for citizens of Portland to ask themselves what community has a structure that is producing better results than Portland. After working with cities across America for the past 15 years, I have found no city government structure producing better results than ours.

Under the commission form of government, the mayor has as much power as he or she chooses. The commission form of government has provided an opportunity for some people to grow into the job and at other times to have power sharing with individual members of the council. It would be devastating to concentrate all the power in the mayor if we had somebody who wasn’t up to the job. Would the creation of nine full time elected officials with nothing to do but pass laws serve the interests of the Portland?

As someone who has been involved with successful efforts at government reform, I would be happy to see a review of Portland’s commission form of government. But that review should be conducted in the open with public input and debate over each feature. It would need careful drafting to ensure that there are not obvious flaws like those in the current proposal.

As an elected official, I can appreciate the advantages of this proposal for politicians. As a Portlander, it is less clear what the advantages are for our city. People who would propose tampering with a system of government that has produced outstanding results for almost a century have a high burden of proof as to why we should take a chance. As someone who loves the city and who has tried to make it better all my life, I am not willing to take that chance.

Earl Blumenauer

(This information furnished by Blumenauer for Congress)

The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.

May 21, 2002 - Measure No. 26-30

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