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Name: Nabil Zaghloul
Age (and when/whether that will change before the election): 58, will change after the election
Pronouns: He/him
Neighborhood: Beaumont Wilshire
Are you a renter or homeowner? Homeowner
Education: Completed Law Degree
Occupation: Director for Social Service Programs at Multnomah County
How long you’ve lived in the city of Portland: Approximately 30 years
Nabil Zaghloul, candidate for Portland City Council District 2, in an undated photo provided by the candidate.
Courtesy of the candidate
For each of the following questions, please limit your answer to no more than 150 words. If you run over, we will at our discretion cut your response to meet that limit.
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.
First, we should shift our focus from new projects to maintaining existing infrastructure. While initiatives like the Streetcar and Better Naito, and partnerships that delivered MAX and the Tram, have driven development, they have been costly. Meanwhile, our core infrastructure has deteriorated, leading to frustration and concerns about our tax dollars. Prioritizing cleanup, maintenance, and functionality is essential.
Second, attention should extend beyond central neighborhoods to include all areas, such as Portsmouth, Hollywood, and MLK, as well as neighborhoods near freeways. These areas show signs of neglect and deterioration and deserve the same investment and care as more prominent neighborhoods.
I believe securing seven votes on the new City Council will not be difficult, as this focus on core city functions and equity across Portland aligns with our fundamental goals of bringing Portland back and moving it forward.
What previous accomplishments show that you are the best pick in your district? Please be specific.
With over 30 years in public administration, I have provided impactful, results-oriented leadership across sectors such as public health, safety, mental health, addiction services, and community justice. My experience includes successfully managing and implementing high-impact programs that benefit our residents.
A key to my success has been building strong, lasting partnerships with public service entities, private sector leaders, and the business community. Notably, my work in District 2, especially in the Cully neighborhood, has led to significant safety improvements. Additionally, my housing stability programs have effectively reduced homelessness and improved home retention for many families.
In summary, my extensive experience, established partnerships, and proven leadership make me uniquely qualified to drive meaningful, lasting change in our community. Having managed hundreds of millions in federal, state, and local funds, I am prepared to continue advocating for Portland’s future.
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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?
The availability of housing will not quickly increase, but strong steps can be taken to begin that process. My first step would be to find funds, both internal and external such as grants and federal funds, to invest in public housing. Portland has less than 1% of its housing publicly owned. That is far less than New York City at 5% and many European cities at ~20%. Second, I would put in place legislation that provides incentives to developers for building housing. Third, I would expedite the work to consolidate and simplify the permitting process. Many ADUs and other smaller housing units have been slowed if not stopped entirely by the extreme delays in obtaining permits. And lastly, I would work with owners of empty office buildings to incentivize conversion to housing units. The nature of working has shifted and we currently have an abundance of vacant office space that
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 basic functions such as public safety, clean and smooth roadways, tree canopy and green spaces, and clean water. We need to actively seek alternative funding sources. For example, much of PBOT’s discretionary budget comes from the gas tax. This has been a declining resource for years and will continue to decrease. Portland should look to replace the gas tax with something like a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) fee. This would make it so all drivers pay their proportionate amount to maintain our streets. The city also should be actively seeking federal and state dollars for projects and finding ways to use those funds to entice investments by developers and businesses that would increase the number of properties, businesses, and residents that would be supporting the City, thus increasing the overall pot of 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 not to renew? Are there specific taxes or levies you would support creating? Why?
I believe our entire region, city, county, and Metro, need to get together and evaluate all of the tax measures for their effectiveness and return on investment before looking to create additional measures or asking to have them renewed. Are we spending the funds collected effectively? Are we getting the promised results? These questions are being asked by taxpayers and often they aren’t seeing the results, which is why measures are beginning to fail.
We are the second highest-taxed municipality behind New York City, so before creating new levies or taxes, I would like to see us look to leverage the existing taxes as local matches for federal or outside grants. I would like to see the city use the existing funds to build back the confidence of the local businesses and developers to re-invest in the city they call home. If we can bring back the 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?
My excitement with the new structure is tempered by the obligation of making it work. 12 city councilors do not equal success unless they combine leadership skills, the ability to compromise and willingness to break the status quo where necessary. If we do not break new ground and collaborate for the common good, Portlanders suffer and the city will be branded a failure.
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For the five remaining questions, please 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?
We need to treat everyone with compassion. We also need to enforce the existing laws. My first choice is not to arrest or jail someone camping on the street. However there need to be consequences when safe alternatives are available and rejected by someone who is blocking sidewalks or businesses.
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. Public safety is my top priority. We need to start by hiring the amount of police officers budgeted for currently. We also need to allow Portland Street Response to work as intended, with the ability to transport the people they are helping, fully funded, working 24/7.
Do you support putting the Clean Energy Fund measure back on the ballot? What, if any changes, would you support?
I completely support the Clean Energy Fund and would agree to putting it on the ballot for renewal. Climate change is a real existential crisis that we need to address yesterday. We have to do everything we can to mitigate the damages done and reduce our carbon footprint moving forward.
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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 improved surfacing of existing degraded lanes for all users. We need more bike lanes and priority transit lanes, but the potholes are safety hazards for all users as drivers swerve out of their lanes to avoid them or risk damaging their vehicles leading to repair costs.
Have the problems impacting downtown Portland received too much or too little attention from current city leaders? Why?
The problems impacting downtown correctly receive a lot of attention, but more attention should be given to the problems impacting neighborhoods. Downtown is our business, cultural and tourist center and must be world class. Neighborhoods are where we live and must also flourish so that residents have a high quality.
