Three-and-a-half years ago, when Portland voted for its first popularly elected mayor in 88 years, we both held high hopes for our city.

We envisioned a city that would work together to resolve our most critical issues: attracting good-paying jobs, ensuring responsible development, keeping rents affordable, making our streets safe and having the best schools in the state.

Unfortunately, over the past few years, we have seen firsthand as city councilors the impact of failed leadership under Mayor Michael Brennan.

Our council is divided, our school board is divided and our community is divided. The City Council leadership is rudderless. Nearly half of key city staff have left. Frankly, the frustration we have felt has been profound.

We are not alone in terms of our disappointment. Jill Duson and Kevin Donoghue, two of our colleagues on the City Council, have voiced their support for Ethan Strimling and did so publicly at a news conference Wednesday.

In addition, seven of the nine Board of Education members in Portland feel it’s time for a change. We agree with what one Board of Education member, Marnie Morrione, said this week: “I admire Ethan for all the work he’s done with education in our community. Ethan is currently the director of LearningWorks. LearningWorks with Ethan’s leadership has been a strong partner to the Portland Public Schools.”

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We are a city that shares common values, yet we have been unable to move forward together and make progress on these critical issues. We often ask ourselves: Why aren’t we able to move forward together toward these common goals? And sadly, the answer is leadership. Under Michael Brennan’s leadership, the city has languished.

A good leader must have a well-thought-out plan and take risks to bring people together to realize that vision. Without direction, our priorities are not defined and our path is not clear.

A good leader must listen. When residents feel like they have not been heard, and have been ignored, we end up as a city governed by referendum, as was the case with Congress Square and now the Portland Co. development.

A good leader must bring people together. Without collaboration, people become frustrated and divided. They concern themselves more with getting their way than they do with making their way toward long-term solutions that work for everybody.

We consider Michael Brennan a friend. But friends do not necessarily make good leaders, and ultimately our allegiances lie with the interests of our city. We feel we must support a candidate for mayor who has the proven leadership skills necessary to bring our community together and realize our collective goals.

Ethan Strimling has displayed these leadership skills time and time again. We have known Ethan for almost 20 years and have worked with him in his capacity as a state senator, when he worked tirelessly for the best interests of the city, and as director of LearningWorks, which has improved the lives of countless young people and Portland families.

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Ethan is a visionary. He took a fledgling nonprofit on the verge of bankruptcy and turned it into one of the most successful nonprofits in Maine.

Ethan is a listener. He has an extraordinary ability to listen to and welcome all viewpoints, even when they may differ from his own.

Ethan is a collaborator. He excels at bringing people together to find solutions that work, keeping us moving forward in the same direction toward our collective goals

With Ethan at the helm, we know he will bring us together based on our common values, and together we will become the great city that we deserve to be.

As a testament to our confidence in Ethan’s ability to lead us forward, neither of us will be running for mayor; instead, Nick will run for re-election to the at-large City Council seat that he currently holds, and Ed will remain in his District 3 seat.

We hope to serve with Ethan during this next term so we have the opportunity to work together to make real progress toward achieving Portland’s greatest potential.

 


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