Congratulations to Multnomah County District Attorney-elect Nathan Vasquez on his May 21st victory in the Multnomah County DA’s race!
Revitalize Portland endorsed Nathan and we look forward to working with him to improve conditions downtown and across Portland! This is an important step in our recovery and signals that voters want to see decisive action toward progress.
We saw positive momentum in the other races, as well. Now, we all look toward the landmark November election for city of Portland offices & two County Commission seats.
In the Multnomah County Commission, we saw two of our endorsed candidates win outright: Julia Brim-Edwards & Vince Jones-Dixon.
In District 1, Vadim Mozyrsky, an RPC member & neighborhood champion, finished in the top-two and faces a general election matchup with Megan Moyer in the Fall.
Sam Adams, also RPC-endorsed, will face a general election matchup with Shannon Singleton in the Fall.
We are fully committed to dedicating our time, energy, and resources to support our candidates leading up to the crucial month of November. Join with us in standing firmly by our candidates every step of the election! Sign up here and we'll put you on our Action Team list.
What threaten’s Portland’s future?
Increased drug activity and use, addiction, the proliferation of unsheltered homelessness, significant structural challenges for law enforcement, & dirty, unsightly streets. Understanding and addressing these issues is crucial for maintaining the vibrancy and attractiveness of our city center.
Why is Multnomah County government important? Why should I care about these candidates?
As RPC first pointed out in 2022, Multnomah County holds nearly all of the purse strings for local response to homelessness, behavioral health, substance & addiction treatment, and ambulance services. We deserve to know where our tax dollars are going, and how we can help revitalize the City we love.
As Jordan Schnitzer reminded the IREM Forecast Breakfast in 2022, 70% of people living on the streets of Portland have drug, alcohol, or psychological issues, who need "counseling, not a just a roof over their heads."
When Multnomah County opened their Behavioral Health Resource Center, downtown in the middle of eight hotels without a security or community outreach plan, it became painfully clear that the center was bringing unintended consequences to the area, as street camping and drug-dealing in the immediate vicinity soared. RPC joined with local businesses & residents and asked the county to put in place a security plan and a community agreement.
After we read the devastating audit results of the County's inability to spend all of its money AND to keep even basic client service data tracked, RPC and 160 co-signers called for a complete programmatic audit on the County’s expenditures and for the County to use a by-name list approach to improve and track homeless services.
The Oregonian agreed with us:
“Without leadership, a sound strategy and commitment to outcomes, we will be stuck in the same housing emergency” for years to come.
- The Oregonian
Finally, here, here and here, RPC has called for greater public/private collaboration to address these issues. It is our hope that the next Multnomah County Commission will act with greater urgency, transparency, and effectiveness to turn things around.
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