Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I've spent most of my adult life working with lawmakers at the local, state, and national level, so I came into this job with a broad understanding of how most governmental bodies make decisions. I also had a general understanding that Multnomah County was something of an outlier when it came to how we make laws, but it wasn't until recently that I came to see just how much our outdated rules got in the way of good governance.
My colleagues and I are working to change that.
- Earlier this week, I joined Commissioner Vince Jones-Dixon in issuing a press release proposing several changes to the Board Rules. The revised rules will make it easier for residents to participate in county decisions. These rules also clarify roles and powers of the Chair and Board Members regarding board meetings and processes.
- I am also proud to support the work done by Commissioners Julia Brim Edwards and Shannon Singleton on Multnomah County’s first lobbying and transparency ordinance. We held a productive work session on the ordinance in March and are currently seeking public feedback.
- I voted to improve transparency and oversite for Supportive Homeless Services Funding. Many thanks to our partners at Metro and City of Portland for working together on our region's most pressing problem.
Taken together, these reforms go a long way toward creating a more efficient county government. Thank you for putting me in a position to do such important work.
March Highlights
As I went to events last month, I couldn't help but feel that the mood in Multnomah County is starting to change for the better. That suspicion was confirmed in a recent poll published in the Oregonian. More people think Portland is on the right track than any time since 2020.
We might be on the right track, but I still think we need to move a lot more quickly to get to our destination. These changes to county governance will help.
Some of the groups I visited in March:
- Sauvie Island Community Association Public Meeting
- OSU Food Innovation Center
- East County Clinic Tour with Congresswoman Dexter
- 4D Recovery Capital Announcement Event
- Sobering and Crisis Stabilization Center Public Discussion
- Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association Meeting
- Multnomah County Library Orientation
Does your neighborhood association, community group, or community organization have an event that I should attend? Please don’t hesitate to contact my office at district1@multco.us. The schedule can fill up pretty fast, but I love being in community and will do my best to attend. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Meghan Moyer
Multnomah County Commissioner District 1