Tuesday’s election results offer the city council an important opportunity for reflection. For the benefit of the city, I hope they’ll take it.
In the spring, Portland voters ordered a review of the city’s charter, even as the council openly advocated against it. Councilor Pious Ali said at the time it was up to voters to voice whether their government was working for them. Voters were clear – but the council seemed to have missed the message.
This week, voters sent another message, even as the council urged them to stay in their lane. If you don’t enact the changes our city needs, we will do it for you. Either way, our city must move forward.
The cost of inaction from the council is that we’ve passed initiatives that lack nuance and can’t be changed for five years. Instead of offering voters alternatives, or even promises to take up these issues, the council flatly campaigned against them.
Councilor Justin Costa lost his election bid running on a platform of the council’s current performance. It’s worth considering how many other councilors would have been replaced had they been up for election.
So here we are. Voters have repeatedly said they’re looking for more action from the council. Will they listen?
Richard Lations
Portland
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