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Name: Noah Ernst
Neighborhood: Hazelwood
Renter/homeowner: Homeowner
Education: Central Washington University: B.A. — Art, B.A. Philosophy. University of Oregon, School of Law: J.D.
Occupation: Superintendent and in-house attorney at Radio Cab Co.
How long you’ve lived in the city of Portland: 20 years
Age: 52
Pronouns: He/him
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:
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 seven votes on the council to make them happen? Please avoid broad, sweeping statements and instead provide details.
I would eliminate the Vision Zero program. It is expensive, it doesn’t work, and people hate what it does to the streets. Vision Zero has failed in every single city in the United States that has adopted it. Since it was introduced in Portland, traffic fatalities have doubled. Street changes cost huge amounts of money, have created congestion, confusion, and longer commute times, and have been fought against by residents and businesses along affected streets. Rational council members should be motivated by objective evidence.
Portland needs a centralized process for accounting for and ensuring that the money that it spends is getting results. City council needs to have the information about what money has been spent, how it has been spent, and what the result of that spending was. Not just the “Webgrants” program for grants, but for all spending. I hope city council members will not object to accountability.
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What previous accomplishments show that you are the best pick in your district? Please be specific.
I have a proven track record of working with diverse groups of people, from mill workers to attorneys, from cab drivers to city staff and commissioners: people of every economic, educational, political, cultural, racial, and gender background.
I have spent the last decade working with city staff and commissioners to try to make changes to city code governing for-hire transportation. I know how code gets written and changed. I have revised existing code sections and drafted new code for submission to City Staff and City Council. I can hit the ground running.
I have run a small business. I have worked as an attorney in construction litigation. I will be able to work with businesses, contractors and developers to identify and remove barriers to economic growth. We must make Portland a place where businesses be, where their employees will want to live, and where developers will want to invest.
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?
Developers and contractors are not going to invest in building multifamily housing in Portland they don’t perceive that Portland is a safe place to live, work, and invest. We need to address crime and homelessness and restore Portland’s national reputation as a wonderful city.
I will work to continue the process of streamlining the permitting processes so that it is competitive in terms of speed and costs with other comparable cities and neighboring jurisdictions. I will work to create a stable source of funding for our permitting and inspection system so that, when there is a downturn in construction, it will not result in layoffs resulting in not enough trained staff when construction picks back up to process permits or conduct inspections, delaying our recover. I will listen to developers and contractors to understand the barriers to housing development in Portland, including the disincentives created by policy, however well-meaning.
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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 must provide the very basics first, public safety: police and fire. We need enough officers to reduce 911 hold times and improve response times.
The city needs to fund basic street maintenance. Until the city is able to fix potholes, pave unpaved streets, and install sidewalks on busy streets that don’t have them (all real problems in East Portland) then it should not be spending huge amounts of money on other types of street projects.
The city should find stable funding mechanisms for departments that provide services to businesses and people who create economic value for the city such as permitting, licensing and inspections. Under funding those types of departments can hamper growth and development, discourage businesses to start, grow, and relocate to Portland.
People in Portland and Multnomah County already pay high taxes. We must focus on what is working and stop funding things that aren’t.
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 eliminate the arts tax. It has become shorthand for a tax Portland residents pay but get no benefit from. It has been cited by almost everyone moving out of Portland I have ever spoken to. I would eliminate the $.05 gas tax. It was sold as going to repair streets, but the potholes seem to never get fixed. The residents of Portland already pay extremely high taxes, so I don’t currently support any new taxes or levies. I believe the city needs to focus on ensuring programs we are funding are actually achieving results we expect. If we are already paying some of the highest taxes in the country our city should be able to provide some of the best services in the country. Instead of new taxes, we need to look at where are tax dollars are being spent and stop funding programs that aren’t returning results.
Do you have any concerns with the changes coming to city elections and city governance? If so, what would you like to see change?
My biggest worry is that Portland’s voters will not understand the current ranked-choice voting system, especially in an election with as many candidates as are running this year. It is complicated and difficult to explain clearly. We will need to carefully analyze this election to see if it worked the way it was intended and to see if people understood it. If not, it may need to be revised to a simpler voting system.
There are a lot of unknowns about how the new form of city governance will work and how the new city council and mayor will make the transition as seamless as possible. Those are the types of concerns that I look forward to addressing as a member of city council.
Related: Listen to 'OPB Politics Now'
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?
I don’t favor arresting and jailing people, but unfortunately we may have no choice. Portland can no longer allow camping on every sidewalk, park, and public space in Portland. Public spaces need to be safe, clean, and accessible for all members of the public.
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?
Yes. Portland has far fewer officers per capita than is average for a city of its size. We need to have enough officers to properly and quickly respond to emergencies and to reduce 911 hold times. If necessary, reduce funding to other non-essential programs to ensure necessary funding.
Do you support putting the Clean Energy Fund measure back on the ballot? What, if any changes, would you support?
Because the Clean Energy fund tax has raised more money than anticipated, I would not object referring a measure to the ballot that would ask taxpayers to decide how to spend that money or weather to reduce the tax burden on business.
Which would you prioritize: Creation of more protected bike lanes and priority bus lanes or improved surfacing of existing degraded driving lanes?
Improved surfacing of existing degraded driving lanes. That is what I’m hearing voters in District 1 want. I support bike infrastructure but don’t support removing lanes, increasing congestion, and making life harder for the vast majority of Portlanders who commute, take their kids to school, and go shopping by car.
Have the problems impacting downtown Portland received too much or too little attention from current city leaders? Why?
Yes and no. No, because downtown is what people think of when they think of Portland, and its very real problems reflect on Portland. Yes, because the problems of East Portland have chronically been given too little attention and investment, and residents of East Portland have too often been ignored.