The NW Examiner is sponsoring a District 4 City Council candidates debate at 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5 at the Armory.
What would you like to ask them?
What is most important to the future of the city?
What issues in your neighborhood need to be addressed?
What changes in city operations or governance are needed?
What will it take to win your vote?
There will be no questions from the floor at the debate. Your question may be selected by the moderator. It will also help shape the questions asked by panelists.
Please submit questions in “comments.”
You may also email questions to allan@nwexaminer.com
Please reply by Sept. 4.
Why are departing Managers given such huge (taxpayer funded) payouts?!
1. Harm Reduction vs. Enforcement
Where do you stand on the balance between harm‑reduction strategies and enforcement‑based approaches when addressing the large number of people on Portland’s streets who are acutely addicted to fentanyl and other substances? Specifically, what role do you believe accountability, mandated treatment, or enforcement should play in helping people move toward recovery?
2. Out‑of‑State Arrivals & Budget Impact
Police and community groups report that a significant portion of newly arrived homeless individuals (50%) are coming from out of state, often because Oregon is perceived as offering generous services and permissive street‑living policies. Comprehensive treatment programs can cost Portland up to $70,000 per person. How would you address the budget impact of providing these services to people who recently arrived from other states?
3. Effective Street Outreach
What specific steps would you take to ensure that county and city agencies deliver effective, substantial, and consistent outreach to people on the streets who are acutely mentally ill or acutely substance addicted? What performance standards or accountability measures would you require?
4. Police Staffing
Portland currently ranks near the bottom nationally in police staffing. What priority do you place on improving police staffing levels, and what concrete actions would you take to ensure that Portland is no longer ranked 47th in the U.S.?
5. Post–Grants Pass Enforcement Authority
Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Martin v. Boise, how important is it to you that Oregon remove remaining “Martin‑style” restrictions from state law or administrative rules that limit how Portland can manage tents, camping, and loitering in public rights‑of‑way? Would you support allowing local jurisdictions to fully enforce camping bans without 72‑hour notices or curbside camping allowances?
6. Funding Programs With Demonstrated Results
What is your position on funding programs such as Bybee Lakes, which report measurable success in helping people achieve long‑term recovery and stability, compared with siloed programs that address only one aspect of homelessness and offer little accountability or outcome measurement?