Meet Daniel DeMelo, candidate for Portland City Council District 3

Editor’s note: Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Stay informed with OPB on the presidential race, key congressional battles and other local contests and ballot measures in Oregon and Southwest Washington at opb.org/elections.

Name: Daniel DeMelo

Neighborhood: Kerns

Renter/homeowner: Homeowner

Education: B.S. in Computer Science, B.A. in Media Studies, The Evergreen State College

Occupation: Software Engineering Manager

How long you’ve lived in the city of Portland: 17+ years

Age: 27

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:

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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.

Tackling unsheltered homelessness is my top priority. I will push to amend the Joint Office intergovernmental agreement (IGA), establishing clear timelines to reduce unsheltered homelessness by 25%, 50%, and ultimately 95% or more. Maintaining the status quo is unacceptable.

I will also work to immediately expand our shelter capacity to shelter 100% of our unsheltered homeless neighbors. Having personally spoken with over 15,000 Portlanders during my campaign, I know this is the most pressing issue for our community. It’s time for decisive action and measurable progress.

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What previous accomplishments show that you are the best pick in your district? Please be specific.

With decades of diverse experience—from grassroots activism to legal advocacy and budget oversight—I am well-prepared to demand and secure real results for every Portlander.

In my years as Chair of Multnomah County’s Central and Joint Office of Homeless Services Community Budget Advisory Committees, I successfully reinstated community oversight over Multnomah County’s $4 billion+ budget and fought against an effort to abolish community oversight over the $400+ million Joint Office of Homeless Services budget. In collaboration with Portland’s leading civil rights attorneys, I’ve worked hard to hold government accountable in court. No other District 3 candidate has more experience in working with and demanding results from our county partners.

I’ve been arrested, felt the sting of tear gas and faced-down the far-right on the frontlines of our racial and climate justice movements – and I’ve nevertheless earned the support of our police, 911 operators, EMTs, and firefighters.

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 will immediately move to reduce system development charges and permitting costs to spur development. Strategic upzoning in the central city and inner eastside will further increase opportunities to supply more housing.

I’m committed to streamlining processes for converting old buildings into residential units and providing pre-approved designs and vendors for ADUs. Lobbying for construction cost reforms and increased state and federal funding for affordable housing will also be top priorities.

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?

Generally, any city service that has been around for more than 50 years has proven itself to be essential. Water, fire, police, transportation. These core services must be stabilized.

In the short term, we must focus on meeting basic needs by ensuring public safety and keeping the lights on. We should look to maximize the returns on our investments: what approaches will lead to the most new shelter beds per dollar spent? What investments will lead to the greatest increase in public safety? How can we ensure a city dollar spent today leads to two dollars in tax revenue later?

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 am committed to honoring the will of Portland voters by supporting measures we approve and rejecting those we do not.

While funding clean energy is crucial, I believe we should rationalize our taxes to target profits rather than business revenues. Additional oversight is key to ensuring that clean energy funds maximize lives saved and carbon emission reductions per dollar spent.

In the future, as Portland ages I would like to see Portland adopt a program like Seattle’s Medic One, which funds fire-department-run EMS and has led to the highest cardiac arrest survival rate on the planet. However, given our current tax environment and the need to demonstrate progress on affordable housing, homelessness, and preschool, now is likely not the time to introduce such a measure.

Additionally, I recognize that the arts tax needs a more equitable funding mechanism than the current regressive head tax.

Do you have any concerns with the changes coming to city elections and city governance? If so, what would you like to see change?

Homelessness is the top concern for over 90% of the more than 15,000 Portlanders I’ve personally spoken with during this campaign. As we implement changes to our city elections and governance, the effectiveness of our new system must be measured by our ability to reduce unsheltered homelessness and deliver results on this and other critical issues.

It’s underdiscussed, but while the change has left the council without executive responsibilities, the city council has retained its investigative and oversight authority. Electing councilors committed to accountability, transparency, and good governance is crucial during this transition. It’s essential that we have leaders who will prioritize the needs of our community and ensure that our government is working effectively for all Portlanders.

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?

Yes. But our top priority must be building capacity to shelter all Portlanders in need. As we work towards this goal, the city must have the authority to address high-impact camps based on clear guidelines around campsite size, population, and activity. I’m committed to a targeted, reasonable approach.

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?

Not immediately. With over 10% of our 881 positions currently unfilled, we must focus on bolstering recruitment efforts and filling these vacancies before committing to additional positions. Expanding our recruitment pipeline is crucial to ensure we have the resources to keep our community safe.

Do you support putting the Clean Energy Fund measure back on the ballot? What, if any changes, would you support?

I’m open to asking voters if they still support this program last approved by voters six years ago.

However, I’d like to see the tax restructured. The tax should target profits, payroll, or ideally carbon emissions, rather than revenue to support lower-margin businesses like restaurants and grocery stores.

Which would you prioritize: Creation of more protected bike lanes and priority bus lanes or improved surfacing of existing degraded driving lanes?

Bike and bus lanes. We need to focus more on upgrading our existing bike infrastructure to better separate and protect cyclists.

That said, I’ve put more than 500 miles on my bike over the course of this campaign – I know firsthand that even small potholes pose significant risks to cyclists!

Have the problems impacting downtown Portland received too much or too little attention from current city leaders? Why?

Too little. Beyond office vacancies and a lack of residents, the problems impacting downtown Portland are the same problems impacting SE Powell & 82nd and E Burnside & 122nd. Public disorder and safety concerns, not a lack of business activity, are the primary reasons people avoid these areas.