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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (July 6, 2001)
17 rid:H!M44Jnews S howing I nitiative A petition to restructure the Portland City Council reflects one man's quest for better government by Timothy Krause t’s often hard for people that are on the inside of the establishment to stand up and be changed,” Robert Ball says. "You have to have someone who has the interest, the resources, the desire and the belief in an idea.” Ball thinks he is that someone. And the establishment he wishes to change is the Port land City Council. This gay reserve police cap tain and real estate investor filed a petition June 12 with City Hall on behalf of the Good Government Committee seeking to change city government into a council-and-mayor format. “Portland is the largest city in the United States that continues to operate under the com mission form of government,” says Ball, chief petitioner for the initiative. “As our city grows and becomes more diverse, it is important that we, as citizens, are involved in council decisions.” Ball, 35, traces the roots of his civic activism back to Jan. 15, 1995, when he was held up at gunpoint outside the home he and his life part ner share in Northwest Portland. He decided public safety was an important issue and began Robert Ball says his plan will improve diversity, to volunteer at the local community policing and division of powers office. He soon joined the police reserve pro people is a natural conflict. It’s the climate not to gram, where he has had the opportunity to see question another commissioner’s business. We’ve city government from the inside. had a history of known turf battles, but this [peti Ball considered challenging Mayor Vera Katz tion] will allow all of our bureaus to work under in last year’s election. Before his campaign got one common, united vision.” off the ground, however, a business opportunity The Gcxxl Government Com arose to renovate the Pearl Districts historic mittee’s initiative seeks to divide Marshall-Wells warehouse building. His profes the policymaking and administra sional career led him from seeking office to sell tive duties into distinct branches. ing lofts, but certain issues continued to res City Council members would set onate with this young politician. policy, while the mayor, no longer a “One of the things that came to me was that member of the City Council, would people were feeling more disconnected with administer professionally managed City Hall,” he states. “So, I started to research city bureaus. why we are having this disconnect.” The amendment also increases He began reading everything he could about the number of council members to nine. Two city administration and representative govern council members and the mayor would continue ment. At his own expense, he traveled to cities to be elected at large. The remaining seven such as San Francisco, Denver and Phoenix to members would be elected by districts roughly study model administrations in action. After more equivalent in population. The districts initially than a year of investigation, Ball established the would be drawn by the council but would be reviewed with every feder al census or annexation. Greater diversity among city commissioners is an ormer council clerk Cay Kershner writes on the city’s Internet other anticipated benefit, site at www.ci.portland.or.us; "[Portland’s] commission form of says Ball, who cites recent government differs from most municipal governments in that its census data revealing 25 members (four commissioners and the mayor) serve both as the city’s percent of Portland resi legislative body and as administrators of city departments, individu dents are ethnic minorities. ally overseeing bureaus and carrying out policies approved by the District elections not only council while wearing its legislative hat. The assignment of depart would encourage wider geo ments and bureaus is determined by the mayor and may be changed graphic representation but at her/his discretion. Council members also act in a quasi-judicial also would foster other capacity when hearing land-use and other types of appeals.” demographic diversity. Rather than a large, city Good Government Committee and finalized an wide campaign, elections within a district would be outline for a new municipal government featuring smaller and less expensive. what he describes as separate but balanced powers. “Politics used to be going out, shaking hands, "Many of the limitations of our elected offi talking about issues, meeting people and under cials are not because of their not wanting to do a standing what their concerns are,” Ball says. great job but because the system does not allow “We don’t have that in our city. We get a flier in them to," he says. “Having to run several bureaus the mail or what we see on television. This will and do the best job that they can do representing be an opportunity for somebody who doesn’t il 1 have as much money to run, because the cost of elections will be less.” And he sees this diversi ty extending to Portland’s sexual minorities communi ty simply by increasing the opportunity to participate. “This initiative will give all minorities a better chance to be on our City Council,” he suggests. “1 think we’re very close to having a member of the LGBT community on our City Council. 1 would anticipate that, with a greater number of opportu nities, we would see more diverse representation.” For the petition to appear on the May 2002 ballot, 26,095 valid signa tures must be gathered by Jan. 21. Ball indicates the committee will use a com bination of paid and volun teer signature gatherers, many of whom will go door to door. “We have a plan to get there," Ball states confi dently, “and the reaction so far has been fantastic.” The Good Government Committee's plan included a strategic decision not to reveal the petition to the local representation public before it was filed with the city. Ball explains he wanted to prevent any misconceptions until its content was finalized. Although he is meeting with each of the commissioners, he recognizes the petition might have come as a surprise to some. “They listened, and I felt that was great,” Ball says of the city’s elect ed officials. “You’ve got to believe that they want to do what’s right for the community.” Commissioner Jim Fran- cesconi says he has yet to examine the petition in detail but comments: “I believe our current system is very responsive to the citizens and has worked very well for years. But I also believe it is difficult to stick with a strategic plan and that the council could be more diverse.” Commissioner Dan Saltzman says: “One defi nite impact is that citizens would have a local rep resentative from their area of Portland on the City Council. It could be argued, though, that on a nine- person council, these council members’ ability to influence policy would be more limited than the current five-person structure. The council members would also lose their current ability to enact direct administrative controls over city bureaus, which may be a good thing. The proposed changes would heighten the management qualifications of the mayor as well, since that position would be the chief executive of the city government.” Commissioner Charlie Hales declined to comment. At press time Commissioner Erik Sten had yet to meet with Ball and Katz’s office had not returned calls. jm "I think we're very close to having a member of the LGBT community on our City Council" —Robert Ball D ifferent S ince 1913 F Further information about the GOOD GOVERN MENT COMMITTEE and its petition is available online at www.fiortlandgixxlgov.org or by calling 503-226-4663. TIMOTHY K rause is a Portland writer and editor. He can be reached at timkrc^millerucom com. M r . M an ' s C leaning M ichael R obert Commercial Residential ^44444= 503-892-8227 mrmanscleaning@aol.com Will You Be Shut Out When Your Partner Needs You? Richard B. Schneider A ttorney A t L aw is well versed in the special estate planning needs of the GLBT community and can help you with care and professionalism. FREE REPORT! “Gay & Lesbian Couples Face Special Challenges In Estate Planning.” What Every Gay And Lesbian Couple Should Know About Estate Planning. 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