CITY OF GRESHAM - Mayor
SHANE T. BEMIS
OCCUPATION: Mayor/small Business Owner
OCCUPATIONAL BACKGROUND: Restaurateur
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Mt. Hood Community College; Gresham High School
PRIOR GOVERNMENTAL EXPERIENCE: Mayor, 2007-present, Gresham City Councilor 2003-2007, City Council President 2004, 2005, and 2006
Proven Leadership on Gresham's Priorities
Public Safety
“Mayor Bemis will always be known as the Mayor who started this whole second look at Tri-met and crime after he was so vocal about crime in his city.” Jeff Gianola, KOIN 6 News. (2/20/2008)
Shane Bemis led Gresham's effort to clean up the MAX line, actually putting police officers on the trains to get criminals off of them. Shane worked to sustain the East Metro Gang Enforcement Team and launched a highly successful volunteer program in the police department.
Under Shane Bemis' leadership, Gresham launched the most aggressive rental housing inspection program in Oregon to hold irresponsible landlords accountable for the negative impact they have on the community. The City formed the “Broken Window Task Force” to focus on chronic nuisance properties and reverse their ill affects before they can erode livability.
Jobs and the Economy
“Very few towns, if any, have done more than Gresham over the past year to attract business,” Nick Bjork, Daily Journal of Commerce. (7/14/2010)
Shane led Gresham in taking unprecedented steps to encourage small business growth in the City by removing bureaucratic barriers to entry. His focus is also on attracting large clean technology employers and recruiting multiple solar companies.
The result: tens of millions in new local investments and hundreds of job.
Livability and the Environment
In Shane's first term as Mayor, Gresham built the long-stalled Gradin Sports Park, a downtown community Plaza, and the City's first Skate Park. In addition, the City implemented a backyard burn ban, increased recycling rates by 15% through the use of curbside roll carts, and teamed up to protect Darby Ridge, Hogan Butte, and the Nadaka Nature Area.
The result: increased community amenities.
(This information furnished by Shane Bemis for Mayor Committee)
The above information has not been verified for accuracy by Multnomah County.