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Name: Thomas Shervey
Neighborhood: Hazelwood
Renter/homeowner: Homeowner
Education: B.A. in Social Science from PSU
Occupation: Office assistant, Multnomah County Department of Community Justice
How long you’ve lived in the city of Portland: 35 Years
Age: 35
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 7 votes on the council to make them happen? Please avoid broad, sweeping statements and instead provide details.
I would change the ordinance on public camping. I think it takes a dangerous step towards criminalizing being homeless while not addressing the underlying issue of why people refuse to enter a shelter -- violence, bedbugs, mental health, availability, etc. Fines make a poor incentive to people who can’t/won’t pay them. We can accomplish the goals that the ordinance sets out to do more effectively and without criminalizing folks in need. I would also change how the city fixes unimproved/unmaintained roads. Safe roads should be a given for all Portlanders and the financial burden should not fall all on the homeowners. Getting the votes should rely on nonpartisanship; councilors are there for the city and for the people, not for themselves. Both of these issues have a direct positive impact on Portlanders, making it imperative for other councilors to vote in favor of them.
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What previous accomplishments show that you are the best pick in your district? Please be specific.
I would point to my lived experience. I’m a Portland native who has lived east of 82nd Avenue my whole life. My whole platform is advocacy for the outer eastside, which has been historically underrepresented and ignored by the local government, and I’ve seen that firsthand. There are a lot of people running with their own ideas about how the city should work or what the city should be doing. But this can silence the voice of the average citizen. Their concerns are ignored in favor of a particular commissioner/councilor’s agenda. And that’s where I commit to making a difference, to making sure that the people of the eastside are heard, their problems are brought to the table, and so they have confidence that the city works for them, not just downtown and other wealthy areas.
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?
I would use land banking to purchase vacant land for the specific intent of creating affordable housing/multi-family units. The Broadway Corridor Project comes to mind, but we need to actively seek out similar plots, particularly those adjacent to main arterials and existing infrastructure. Having the city commit to joint ventures with established companies to secure lower interest rates could spur growth as well. Stabilizing the Permitting and Development Bureau’s budget by allocating a yearly general fund would provide a consistent workforce to efficiently process permits for new construction. I would partner with the state to increase funding to the LIFT Rental Housing Program, which creates affordable rental units through grants, loans and tax credits. I would examine the data around the Inclusionary Housing Program, which seems to have increased units before the COVID crisis. Depending on that data we could increase/alter the offsets to push growth even further.
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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?
First off, public safety; fully funding and expanding Portland Street Response (examining their abilities and perhaps increasing/expanding them), re-imagining policing and public safety to include more community-based policing and modern approaches to old problems. I would also argue that solving homelessness should be at the top of the list; providing a housing first model that provides support that people need when transitioning off the streets. Study after study shows that the best way to reduce recidivism and successfully aid vulnerable members of the community is to provide housing. The city should make funding decisions based on the costs and benefits of each project. One of my advisers reminds me that the city has allocated some general funds in the past by comparing the relative benefits to costs of projects across all general fund bureaus. Applying this methodology (asset management) more routinely can ensure the best use of limited funds.
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 want to reexamine the taxes and levies that aren’t earmarked for specific projects through a cost/price lens and have them reallocated based on actual need. This is a great opportunity to revise the budget and take out unnecessary pet projects.
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 concerns around our city elections mostly revolve around the Small Donor Election (SDE) program. After participating in it myself, I consider it to be a good first step, but it doesn’t go far enough. SDE still favors political insiders, those with the political capital and/or independent wealth that can easily navigate the system and secure funding. Worse than that, successful SDE funding seems to be used as a measuring stick for candidates to get endorsements. That seems to be the exact opposite of the spirit and intent of SDE, which is to get money out of our local politics and make it easier for anyone to run for public office. I would have the program reexamined and made easier to access for low-income candidates.
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 do not, we cannot police or jail these problems away. If so, we wouldn’t still have these problems. People refuse shelter for many reasons, including violence, uncomfortable and unsanitary conditions. We need to fix why people are refusing help rather than punishing them for doing so.
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. The problems Portland faces cannot be solved by traditional policing. We have seen that firsthand. We need to be proactive, not reactive, focus on prevention and not punishment. I would support measures that lead us in that direction.
Do you support putting the Clean Energy Fund measure back on the ballot? What, if any changes, would you support?
Climate Change is real, and nowhere feels that change more than the east side. The Clean Energy Fund is well intentioned, but got off to a rocky start. I would argue to continue it and for more oversight to stop waste and corruption.
Which would you prioritize: Creation of more protected bike lanes and priority bus lanes or improved surfacing of existing degraded driving lanes?
I’m more concerned with unimproved and unmaintained roads. For the cost of several blocks of quality roads and protected bike lanes, we could level and pave at least one lane of hundreds of blocks. Everyone deserves access to safe and effective roads that are free of pits and potholes.
Have the problems impacting downtown Portland received too much or too little attention from current city leaders? Why?
They have put too much focus on downtown problems, but all parts of the city face these issues. As a representative of East Portland, I would advocate for our part of the city, which has several times the population of downtown with only a fraction of the money/media attention.