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Chris Flanary, candidate for Portland City Council District 3, in an undated photo provided by the candidate.
Courtesy of the candidate
Name: Chris Flanary
Neighborhood: Montavilla
Renter/homeowner: Homeowner
Education: B.S. Sociology, minor Women and Gender Studies (College of Charleston
Occupation: Housing Program Specialist at the City of Portland
How long you’ve lived in the city of Portland: 11 years
Age: 37
Pronouns: They/them
Portland is facing an historic election involving a new voting system and an unusually high number of candidates. Journalists at The Oregonian/OregonLive and Oregon Public Broadcasting share a goal of ensuring that Portland voters have the information they need to make informed choices, and we also know candidates’ time is valuable and limited.
That’s why the two news organizations teamed up this cycle to solicit Portland City Council candidates’ perspectives on the big issues in this election. Here’s what they had to say:
Related: What you need to know about voting in Oregon and Southwest Washington
For each of the following questions, we asked candidates to limit their answers to 150 words.
Name two existing city policies or budget items you’d make it a priority to change. Why did you select those and how do you plan to line up at least 7 votes on the council to make them happen? Please avoid broad, sweeping statements and instead provide details.
Priority 1 - living wage requirement for all city workers, subcontractors and recipients of city incentives. Living wages are the base for a strong community and economy. I believe District 3 will elect three councilors on board with this policy, and that we can count on at least one councilor in each of the remaining districts who will vote in favor. Everyone doing the work of the city should be able to afford to live here, and we shouldn’t be subsidizing the operations of businesses who are paying their employees poverty wages.
Priority 2 - establishing district offices so constituents can meet with their representatives without traveling downtown. The charter reform has created geographic representation for the first time in Portland, and we must be connected to and accountable to our voters. I believe most councilors outside of District 4 will be supportive.
What previous accomplishments show that you are the best pick in your district? Please be specific.
It’s my recovery from failure that makes me the right choice for District 3. When I withdrew from grad school I didn’t have a job, I lost my loans, and I was adrift. I entered the AmeriCorps VISTA program, and that service led to a job with my hosting nonprofit. I found a good union job with the city of Portland, and that changed my life. I was finally making enough money to pay my bills, save for retirement and take care of my health. I had been taught that I was the problem because I was struggling, but this showed me that poverty is systemic. My failures opened my eyes to how many issues are policy failures, and how we could make life better for people with the right leadership. We need a Portland where workers can thrive, and we need to start at the root with living wages.
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Portland is on track to permit the fewest number of multifamily units in 15 years and remains thousands of units below what’s needed to meet demand. What steps would you take to dramatically and quickly increase the availability of housing?
Let’s pilot and scale up modular construction components right here in Portland, developing not only the base materials for the needed housing boom but an economic driver for our region. We can approve some ‘stock’ plans for expedited permit review, a system that’s been successful elsewhere. We can convert unused office space into residential units.
The big issue is - who will pay to build the units? One of the reasons developers aren’t building in Portland is that folks don’t make enough money to pay the rents needed to make a project financially feasible - pushing up wages will help make us a more attractive market. I also support building social housing, as in publicly owned units. There are successful models around the world we can emulate.
The next City Council is going to have to make some very difficult decisions regarding what to fund and how. What essential services must the city provide and how should the city sustainably fund them?
The city of Portland is responsible for our water and sewer systems, our transportation infrastructure, our parks and natural areas, and land use decisions. We need to collect enough in taxes to support the administration of the city, and the more services we want to provide the more funding we will need. We can’t save our way out of an income problem - we need to boost revenue by encouraging economic activity in our town, and we also need businesses to pay their fair share. Addressing high-cost issues like houselessness with preventative measures will also save us money over the long run, allowing us to invest that money in other places.
Related: Listen to 'OPB Politics Now'
Portlanders have approved many tax measures in the past decade – supporting affordable housing, free preschool programs and green energy initiatives. Are there specific taxes or levies you want eliminated or would choose to not renew? Are there specific taxes or levies you would support creating? Why?
I would support having a taxation system that appropriately funds public services so we can discontinue the use of limited or one-time levies. Until that point, I will continue to vote in favor of measures that fund the services we find essential - green energy, libraries, childcare, schools, fire fighters, affordable housing, etc. I do not currently have taxes or levies in mind for creation, but I am open to the conversation.
Do you have any concerns with the changes coming to city elections and city governance? If so, what would you like to see change?
I am excited for the changes coming to the elections and City Council. We have an opportunity to have real representative government and address concerns in neighborhoods and communities across the city. Ideally, we would elect a group of people ready to hit the ground running together. I would like to see the Small Donor Election Program funded appropriately, and for candidates and electeds to be held accountable to campaign finance rules and regulations so we can build trust in this public funding system.
For the five remaining questions, we asked candidates to answer in 50 words or fewer:
Do you favor arresting and jailing people who camp on public property in Portland who refuse repeated offers of shelter, such as the option to sleep in a city-designated tiny home cluster?
No, I am against arresting and jailing people for camping on public property. Taking away someone’s freedom is an expensive, extreme measure, and a power that can easily be misused. I want to streamline access to services, address the underlying issue of poverty, and invest in housing and support services.
Would you vote yes on a proposal to fund hundreds more police officers than the City Council has already authorized? Why or why not? How would the city pay for it?
No, I believe any additional funds would be better spent on preventative programs groups like Portland Street Response. Let’s reduce the scope of calls where the police are dispatched, fund programs to effectively respond to people in acute crises, and invest in basic needs like housing and medical care.
Do you support putting the Clean Energy Fund measure back on the ballot? What, if any changes, would you support?
No. The voters were clear about the Clean Energy Fund and what it is for.
Which would you prioritize: Creation of more protected bike lanes and priority bus lanes or improved surfacing of existing degraded driving lanes?
I would prioritize bike and bus lanes, and protected pedestrian walkways. We have prioritized cars for too long, resulting in unsafe roads, insufficient bike paths and traffic that interferes with reliable public transit. It is time to prioritize people over cars.
Have the problems impacting downtown Portland received too much or too little attention from current city leaders? Why?
Too much attention has been paid to landlords and office space, and not enough to real people in crisis. We are stuck in an outdated paradigm that sees downtown as nothing more than a central repository for office workers. Let’s be creative about what a thriving community downtown could be.
