The Board of Commissioners Thursday appointed 10 members to the Citizen Involvement Committee (CIC), a volunteer body established by the County Charter in 1984 to facilitate communication between citizens and the county.
The committee provides input on county policy and budget decisions. Members sit on the central budget advisory committee and recruit and support volunteers to participate in department budget advisory committees. They also hire the Office of Citizen Involvement staff
“We have to hold our government accountable; We have to demand that politicians stand up for the values of our nation and our people -- all of them,” Chair Deborah Kafoury said Thursday.
The board has strived to set strong values that include reform and equity, she said, by expanding culturally-specific and culturally-responsive services, and partnering with community organizations to work with communities impacted by racism and growing inequality.
“I strongly believe that it’s our duty to disrupt the dominant narrative that is the status quo,” she said. “Our government needs to not only ensure that the voices of all communities are heard, but we must also prioritize the most vulnerable among us and elevate community based solutions.”
The public should make sure the county works to meet those goals. And that’s where the CIC comes in.
The CIC is composed of 15 members; Three are nominated from each of the four county districts, and three are nominated at large. For several months the board had just five members, limiting its ability to carry out its mandate. Thursday’s vote welcomes 10 members to the committee to serve a term beginning Nov. 10 and end Nov 10, 2019. They are:
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Meredith Shield and Christine Dupres, at large.
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Thomas Aquinas Debpuur and Kevin Frazier, District 1
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Gregory Anderson and Judy Hadley, District 2
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Brian Balla and Ben Brady, District 3
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Sherry Willmschen and Gloria Ngezaho, District 4
“We couldn’t do this work without you,” Commissioner Diane McKeel said of the CIC members volunteers, who donate five to 20 hours a month to the committee. “People think you can’t be involved with government, but at Multnomah County, you can.”