Regardless of these hijinx in
Salem, I am voting "yes" on this measure. The elected governing body should be the budget committee for urban renewal, rather than a board of Mayor-appointees. If they want to make a positive change to oregon budget law, they should eliminate the loophole that allows Portland (and Multnomah County) to escape the State Law that requires an equal number of citizens sit on the City budget committee - each having an equal vote, along with the City Councilors. That may restore some sanity to City finances.

So, let's see . . . through the vote we can reject the council's role in approving the PDC budget, leaving it to the mayor's appointees, but the legislature can override that by putting it with the council, but then we can, through the vote on the charter change, transfer all the council's responsibilities to the mayor? Can I lie down for a minute or two?

I dont think that will help, Allan. It will still be confusing when you get up.

Whats going on with these people we elected? Did they all have a meeting and decide to hose the public?

I hate to break it to you, but this is what you get when you have one party rule in a state for long enough. Eventually they realize they can just do whatever they want without fear of consequences. It is strange that the same people who supported Measure 37 and Measure 36 would turn around and vote for candidates that they knew would overturn those decisions if they could. For it is the doom of men that they forget.

My understanding is that for City Council to become the PDC's budget committee, BOTH (charter ammendment and legislative change) have to pass. Neither has any impact without the other.

City Council put this change on their legislative agenda earlier in the year, tasking their lobbyist with getting it done.

DOes it matter if PDC or Erik/Randy et al blow the $300M a year PDC gets?

That's what this boils down to is a big pot of money, so that if Erik has control, he can go tilt after his windmills, Sam can build more trollies, Randy can provide cover for PFDR, etc.

Now if you had a vote disbanding PDC and returning the money to taxpayers, I am interested.

I wrote about this after interviewing Leonard and Sten for my column in Brainstorm NW's January 2007 issue. They have not been silent about their interest in taking this to the legislature. The negative bazillion dollar appraisal of the Oak Street property was the straw that broke the camel's back on these PDC ripoffs.

Thank you for clarifying the need for the legislation in Salem, Chris. You are absolutely correct.

The city attorney advised that since the PDC is empowered from both a state statute and the city charter, both the statute and the charter would need to be amended to give the council oversight of their budget.

Sorry...I have to go now...Erik is calling.

The bill in Salem says the Council IS the budget committee. Not "may be the budget committee if approved in the city's Charter".

26-92 says "If authorized by state law, the City Council shall be the budget committee for the Commission and shall have the duties and responsibilities of a budget committee as provided by state law."

So it's true the State law has to pass before 26-92 changes can be enacted, but not the reverse. I don't see any wiggle room in HB 3104. How can the Council say, "Ok, well, we're just not going to implement that State law", if HB 3104 passes and 26-92 fails?

HB 3104 says the Council is the budget committee. Read the bill, Chris and Randy, and please tell me how you interpret it to be permissive rather than mandatory.

My understanding is that for City Council to become the PDC's budget committee, BOTH (charter ammendment and legislative change) have to pass. Neither has any impact without the other.

Posted by Chris Smith

Nope - if 26-92 fails and the State passes the bill - the State trumps our lovely Charter.

Now if 26-92 passes - it does need the State pass the bill in order for it to be effective.

From hearing the Mayor Tom speak on this, he said that he at least wanted people to be able to vote on it and not have the decisions made in Salem without Portlanders having a voice.

OK, I will admit to being officially confused :-)

I am not certain it's true that the legislation trumps the charter, but the finality of the legislative phrasing is daunting.

The elected governing body should be the budget committee for urban renewal, rather than a board of Mayor-appointees. If they want to make a positive change to oregon budget law, they should eliminate the loophole that allows Portland (and Multnomah County) to escape the State Law that requires an equal number of citizens sit on the City budget committee - each having an equal vote, along with the City Councilors. That may restore some sanity to City finances.

Frank (not Dufay), I think this is a contradiction. If you think PDC's budget should be controlled by the elected officials, why would you then argue that a panel of unelected citizens should have a vote on how to spend taxpayer dollars?

I am totally opposed to random unelected citizens having any power over my taxpayer dollars. I already think the five citizens that Portland includes in their budget process (without voting power) lack any accountability. Who do they listen to? What do they base their recommendations on? At least elected officials can be voted out -- unelected citizens are immune from any public backlash.

I believe that if the statute passes, it would require the PDC’s budget to be overseen by the council.

However, there are others, primarily those who either work with or benefit from the PDC’s work that disagree. They believe, I have been told from reliable insiders, that Portland has “local control” over its financial affairs (arguing Portland is a “Home Rule” city) and that without a charter change any change in the state statute would be irrelevant. I have been told they are willing to go so far as to challenge the statute in court if the charter amendment fails.

Thus, there is in fact a group, led by PDC Chari Mark Rosenbaum, that has created a PAC and are raising money to defeat the PDC charter amendment ballot measure. Obviously, Mr. Rosenbaum and his fellow contributors (they include developers and former PDC members) are well aware of the state legislation. However, they are focused on stopping council oversight of their financial affairs even if it means going to court to challenge the state statute.

It is my opinion that the political will exists at the legislature and within the Portland electorate to reform how PDC does its business. Thus, to remove any doubt of the proposed budget oversight by the city council, I have advocated seeking the language change necessary in both the state statute and the city charter.

Miles - the citizen participants on local budget committees everywhere in Oregon - except here in Portland - have an equal vote with the elected body in "approving" the budget. The elected body has the sole authority to "adopt" the "approved" budget. The elected body can also change the "approved" budget prior to "adoption". Arguably the citizen members really don't have much authority in this model, but it's a model that works well everywere else in our State. Portland's efforts of late to include citizens, albeit informally, is laudable. Why not give Portland (and Multnomah County) citizens the same status they have in the budget process throughout Oregon?

PDC controls the money, or the City Council. Really, whats the difference?

The difference is that you elected the City Council, but the Mayor appointed the PDC Board. It's not a minor difference.

Sorry...I have to go now...Erik is calling.

Ain't it the truth. He just had another big idea.

I like what Randy is saying here. First, it seems to me that Mark Rosenbaum wouldn't fight this so hard if the PDC board was on the up and up. What graft is going to be uncovered if the measure passes?

Second, even if Erik Sten gets suckered into another crazy scheme to waste the PDC's budget, how would that be any worse than what's happening now? I have a little more confidence that City Council would be a better steward of taxpayer's money than the PDC board.

I'm not sure how the PDC board chair getting involved with a PAC (oh the horror) has anything to do with what's going on in Salem today.

As for graft, I see less opportunity for that at the moment than I did, say, three years ago. But if it exists, don't expect it to be uncovered, by anyone, ever. That is not how things are done in Portland, Oregon.

The quality of priority-setting isn't likely to improve much, if at all, under enhanced City Council oversight. But at least there would be one more avenue for the public to find out what's going on.

I just posted extensive new questions and analysis on my blog on this topic, too long to put in Jack's comments.

I have it on good authority that the State Senate won't be taking the bill any further until after the dust settles on the election.

Jack, I hope you're right.

Randy, you've spilled a lot of ink here, but seem to be missing the fundamental question:

If there is even a possibility that HB 3104 could trump 26-92, then why would you push for the consideration of 3104 before the election? Why should anyone give a damn what you're "confident of" regarding the electorate's opinion, when we will have a decisive answer next week?

If there's a good possibility, as you suggest, of litigation, that only compounds your apparent disregard for the process you set in motion with an apparent willingness to waste tax dollars on potentially senseless litigation.

The difference is that you elected the City Council, but the Mayor appointed the PDC Board. It's not a minor difference.

I meant that there is NO difference on what the money is spent on. Whatever it is, its not going to help Portland, and most likely the voters dont want it.

Let's see. Potter selected all the current members of the PDC, most of whom have close relationships, connections and even friendships with developers. After two years, Potter curiously has sought to give a number of developers what they want; often ignoring the pleas of neighborhood activists (and mayor Bud Clark) who helped get him elected. And developers are providing financial support to Potter's rush to change the city charter (when voter turnout is traditionally low).

Makes you curious and suspicious...