Now that the municipal election has passed, I am pleading for Portland’s elected officials to resume the work of the city.
It’s apparent that hiring for the city’s critical positions were put on hold until the Charter Commission’s work was presented to voters for approval. A preoccupation with mayoral governance models took priority over city operations and the daily lives of its citizens.
At present, we have an interim city manager, an interim chief of police and public safety and an interim director of public works. The paralysis of our city’s elected leaders has led to the shifting of a huge burden of city operations on interim directors, who have enormous responsibility but lack the full weight of the position’s authority.
Operational leaders without actionable authority and oversight have led to what seems like a city run amok. With several municipal, roadway and utility construction projects in active progress, Portland’s citizens and workers are at the mercy of the contractors’ schedules, locations, conflicts and poor planning (think Congress Square) on a daily basis.
It took until Wednesday before Thanksgiving for the city to have the Free Street entrance briefly opened. Sadly, a popular restaurant was a casualty of that lack of authority and municipal guidance.
The jewel of our city, Baxter Boulevard, can be included in the list of languishing projects. Its closure has had an enormous limiting effect on citizen access and activities, up to and including local rodent infestations.
Empowered interim leadership and eventual permanent leadership should be a priority. City services deserve the support and backing of our city leaders. We could all benefit from some coordination, realistic deadlines and, where necessary, ultimatums.
In contrast to municipal operations being managed by interim appointees, we have a public school district with a permanent superintendent and school board chair (the latter of whom officially stepped down Monday, when the board elected new leadership). One would presume that we then have a school district that is quite stable. Quite the contrary.
Just before voting day we were told of a school budget shortfall for our current fiscal year. We then learn of ongoing delayed wages for hourly workers that preceded the vote and continue to this day. Although known to the superintendent and the then-board chair, this information was not released until after the vote on budgetary autonomy (Question 5). Fortunately, the citizens rejected that initiative.
I urge the Portland City Council to codify the rejection of school board budget autonomy in the city charter, or at least limit when it can come up again before the voters. Poorly managed resources, a blatant lack of transparency and an overzealous board chair do not meet standards for an autonomous fiscal entity. How can an entity be “autonomous” if the budget is all expenditures and no revenue? As Superintendent Xavier Botana leaves his position at the close of the school year, I urge our city leaders to seek forward-thinking candidates who can provide a quality education for Portland’s students. Perhaps a doctoral candidate grounded in education theory would be less vulnerable to political sway.
We need to shed the power struggles at City Hall and in our school district. It’s time for Portland to move beyond what I’m calling the Ethan Strimling era, where the Chamber of Commerce, contractors, business owners and corporations are presumed to be adversaries rather than potential partners. The work of the city’s leaders needs to be laser-focused on moving Portland forward. I hope they consider my vote and all others a vote of confidence. We’re counting on them.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
