Martin Luther King Jr.
January 10, 2018
Page 25
2018 special edition
Pledge Calls on Restoring Trust
The Multnomah County Board of
Commissioners as pictured in a
photo from last January when the
governing body started the year
as the first such group in which all
members represented women and
minority groups for the first time
ever. After some recent tensions on
the board, a new statement signed
by each commissioner focuses on
restoring trust.
County Commissioners
tap down on conflict
by Michael Leighton
Portland Observer Editor
After some recent tensions on the Multnomah
County Board of Commissioners, a new statement
focuses on restoring trust, signed by each member of
the governing panel.
Multnomah County Board Chair Deborah Kafoury
came under fire last month when she gaveled a board
meeting to a close, shutting down a line of question-
ing by Commissioner Loretta Smith and ending the
meeting with a vulgar remark aimed at her colleague.
The only African American member of the panel,
Smith was raising concerns about institutional rac-
ism in the county as she opposed the appointment
of the county’s chief operating officer, Marissa Mad-
rigal, to serve in Kafoury’s absence if she were to
ever leave office or was otherwise unable to serve.
Kafoury later explained she felt a responsibility to
defend county staff and apologized for expressing
her feelings in the way she did.
The new statement, issued by the full commission
on Monday, said Smith and Kafoury met face-to-face
for the first time since the Dec. 21 board meeting and
took an important step toward restoring trust.
“The Chair apologized to Commissioner Smith in
person and both agreed they are stronger working to-
gether,” said the statement.
“As county commissioners, we are accountable to
the public and to one another. Toward that end, we
will begin a formal quality improvement process to
improve communication. We are committed to put-
ting our energy going forward into the many critical
issues facing the county. We know that to accomplish
that, we must maintain and vigorously uphold a pro-
fessional, respectful work environment.”
Faith is taking
the first step even
when you can’t see
the whole
staircase.
--Martin Luther
King Jr.