how about simply "Not Sam Adams"

I would say willingness to hire good competent managers for their bureaus (people with actual experience in that respective field), and then stay the heck out of the way.

Or even better, willingness to vote to turn our commission form of government into a normal city council.

You left out strong thumbs, excellent spelling skills, and the ability to craft coherent messages in 140 characters or less.

It'd be a much better event if you had to do a shot every time someone says "equity."

Strong value for and skill at working in partnership with the community.
- Ability to grasp and understand important policy issues.
- Cultural competency and the ability to work with diverse communities.
- Ability to hire strong staff members with good policy development and community involvement skills.
- Willingness and ability to ask tough policy questions.

Perfect. Anyone can claim to have those.
They are the qualities that every local politician and government administrator uses to make sure no one ever measures their true worth or holds them accountable for anything.

Everyone from Vera to Sten to Fred Hansen to Ben Canada to the Creep had those qualities. And so does everyone running for city council.

why is it official city business to pick its next leaders?

"ostensibly in the abstract" is right! it seems like they have people in mind, and made the list of qualifications to fit those people.

Intelligence. Integrity. Restraint.

The ability to know that we do not have endless resources and how to get the best results for the most Portlanders from the limited resources we do have.

The ability to say 'NO' to half-fast demands of developers and entrenched financial interests and staunch the hemorrhaging of city finances.

A commitment to maintaining what we already have, and forgoing new projects which interfere with maintenance. End deferred maintenance and whoring after expensive 'legacy' projects.

Just give some candidates that will promise to cut sewer/water rates, get rid of food composting and fix the potholes. Everything else will take care of itself. That will never happen in Portlandia though. I am so disgusted with the phony hacks that are running I probably won’t even vote. This pseudo green speak, diversity garbage and cultural competency baloney just doesn’t cut it.

"why is it official city business to pick its next leaders?"

Because that's what oligarchies do...

"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligarchy"

...Our list would include fiscal responsibility, personal integrity, ability to communicate clearly without an army of p.r. flacks, and respect for the rule of law.

Good List.

...why is it official city business to pick its next leaders?...

Good question.

Mr. Grumpy,
Within three minutes we both focused on:

"why is it official city business to pick its next leaders?"

Does the city anticipate a rebellion here against their agenda?
Best to get a movement going then
to direct/control the community for continuing support?

I might add,
perhaps those who blog here ought to attend
and push for critical issues to be put on the table for discussion,
even if not "on the agenda of topics for discussion"......

I doubt if any ordinary citizen would be allowed to enter the room, let alone voice a coherent opinion.
And should a bunch of us actually have the audacity to show up and demand to be allowed to speak, the meeting would be postponed because there would not be enough seating or some other lame excuse.
I have see that happen!

"the personal qualities that are needed of the next mayor and City Council members." Abilities needed:

- Dealing with actual problems (potholes, bad schools, gang shootings) and not made up ones (number of different garbage paisl and color of bike path markings)

- Talking for five minutes without pegging the BS meter.

- Not playing SIM city with taxpayers money

- Creating a sustainable environment by intelligent spending and reasonable fees (can you hear us PWB?).

- Being sustainable by managing energy usage wisely and locking all thermostats in city offices at 60 (heat) and 80 (cool) degrees.

- Communicating with the people who fund your ideas by talking with them intelligently instead of engaging in finding even more obscure terminology to describe how you are wasting time.

- Using video conferencing instead of hopping on planes every other week to go offshore to some no-name conference.

Oh well, perchance to dream.

My list of required skills:
* Ability to read beyond the Sierra Klub Weekly Reader
* Ability to do grade school arithmetic.
* Ability to do high school logic.
* Passed Econ 101
* Working BS detector

That should clean up government and get rid of 99% of those currently in power.

Thanks
JK

I can guarantee you that they aren't going to cut water/sewer rates, John - though it sure would be nice if they spent our money on the infrastructure rather than pet projects.

It appears to be a national problem:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/billions-needed-to-upgrade-americas-leaky-water-infrastructure/2011/12/22/gIQAdsE0WP_story.html?hpid=z4

Because this event is (A) apparently being organized by the City of Portland's Office of Neighborhood Involvement and (B) is certainly being promoted by the City of Portland's website, does this imply the City's endorsement of the views and opinions expressed by the groups in attendance? And can/should a government entity utilize its resources to advance or promote the agenda of any one particular group? This isn't to say that the groups' agendas aren't valid or worthwhile, but is it the city's job to provide time/space/bandwidth to promote these groups? I sure don't think so.

Since Amanda Fritz is the Commissioner in charge of the Office of Neighborhood Involvement-the major sponsor, and she is running for Council, wouldn't this be at least a ting of conflict of interest? Government/tax dollars shouldn't be in the business of formulating "guidelines" of candidate standards.

Totally Orwellian, Amanda. But, what is just as bad is your opponent probably supports this misuse of taxpayer dollars and sponsorship.

"- Strong value for and skill at working in partnership with the community."

Does this imply some doubt the current leadership has these qualities ?

"- Ability to grasp and understand important policy issues."

This would be a refreshing change.

"- Cultural competency and the ability to work with diverse communities."

Cultural competency ?

"- Ability to hire strong staff members with good policy development and community involvement skills."

Why are staff doing the policy development?

"- Willingness and ability to ask tough policy questions."

That would require holding people accountable.