Readers respond: Don’t adopt failed government model

https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2022/09/readers-respond-dont-adopt-failed-government-model.html

The majority of Portlanders understand that our current model of government is not working. We need a city administrator to increase efficiency and collaboration across city departments. Additionally, we need citywide districts to improve representation for neighborhoods especially in East Portland.

The Charter Commission decided to go beyond this foundational change. They crafted a proposal, now before us for a vote in November, that is almost exactly the government model that the city of Baltimore had in place in the 1990s. That system had a mayor separate from council that worked with the city administrator. The council consisted of six (the Charter Commission’s proposal has four) three-member districts and a council president.

The people of Baltimore repealed that system in 2002 because it failed the community. ACORN, a coalition of community-based organizations that advocated for low- and moderate-income families, championed the effort to move from multi-member districts to single-member districts. The measure passed by a nearly 2-1 margin. Voters understood that single-member districts would make it easier for less-established candidates to get elected and increase accountability on the council. The single-member district model is still in place today with diverse representation and a large percentage of younger officials. If Portland residents vote yes for this charter amendment, we will be adopting an outdated Baltimore government model that is a proven failure. Vote no and we can work toward the model we need to move our city forward, not back to the 1990s.

Alisa Pyszka, Portland