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.
Multnomah County has two key races on the ballot that will determine new faces on the Board of Commissioners. Both races are runoff elections because candidates did not achieve more than 50 percent of the vote in May.
OPB asked candidates for these races the same questions. Candidates were instructed to limit responses to 150 words. Anything beyond that word count was eliminated, even mid-sentence. Responses are otherwise untouched and presented as received. Read Vadim Mozyrsky’s responses here.
To start, please give us your name and basic biographical details, including your current position or job, any elected offices you have held and any key facts you would like voters to know about you.
I’m Meghan Moyer, a 44-year-old mother of two boys, married to local small business owner Sara Tunstall, and a native Oregonian deeply connected to our community. Currently, I serve as the Public Policy Director at Disability Rights Oregon, where I work to expand access to mental health services and protect the rights of people with disabilities.
Meghan Moyer is a candidate for Multnomah County's board of commissioners
Andie Petkus Photography
In addition to my policy work, I have a background in construction as the former owner of M.W. Moyer Construction, where I built affordable housing and managed multimillion dollar projects.
My career has been dedicated to advocating for vulnerable populations, from securing funding for community projects to advancing legislation that ensures dignity for all Oregonians. I am running for Multnomah County Commission to bring my experience and passion for problem-solving to the table and help our community thrive.
What makes you the best candidate to serve on the county commission during this time?
My experience fixing problems is what the county needs right now. As a building contractor with my own small business, I delivered projects on time and on budget. As a policy expert, I have written and passed dozens of bills, helped design Medicaid programs, and advised Governors and department heads on best practices for delivering services to vulnerable populations. I have a proven track record or working collaboratively to address some of Oregon’s most challenging issues. We need leaders at the county who know how to get things done.
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Portland and Multnomah County have a sometimes challenging relationship. Why is that and what would you do as a commissioner to foster a better working relationship?
Portland and Multnomah County have a challenging relationship due to overlapping responsibilities, especially in areas like homelessness, housing, and public safety. Historically, both the city and county have struggled to align on these critical issues, often leading to finger-pointing rather than productive collaboration. The lack of clarity around which entity is responsible for certain services has also contributed to inefficiencies and mistrust.
As a commissioner, I will focus on rebuilding trust through transparent communication and a commitment to working together on shared priorities. I plan to actively foster more effective collaboration between city and county leadership to ensure we are aligned on key issues. By working closely with the Portland City Council, we can promote clear, actionable plans with defined responsibilities, particularly in areas like homelessness and addiction treatment. My goal is to create a partnership that’s based on accountability and results.
Do you favor allowing supportive housing services dollars to be spent on building more affordable housing? Why or why not?
Yes, but I want those funds to be spent on projects for people coming out of treatment, people with disabilities, and other communities who struggle to find and access affordable housing. Those funds are designated for housing for people who have experienced homelessness or are at high risk of homelessness and I don’t want to lose that focus.
Public statements in recent weeks from the Joint Office indicate it believes it has turned a corner in successfully spending supportive housing services dollars in an efficacious manner. Do you agree or disagree?
I think it is too early to tell. Having a plan to spend money and effectively executing those plans are not the same thing. Will projects stay on time and on budget and will we get the number of new housing units we are currently projecting? I hold out hope that we have indeed turned a corner, but accountability and transparency are key to ensuring plans turn into reality.
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Beyond housing and homelessness, what do you see as the biggest challenges facing the county and what specific policies do you suggest to address it?
We’re losing population, especially families, to neighboring counties, and we need to reverse that trend. The county can help by addressing the high cost of childcare, continuing to invest in SUN school programs, expanding mental health and addiction services so people get the support they need, building high-quality infrastructure to attract new businesses, and improving emergency response systems to make our communities feel safer.
How do you envision working in your role with the newly expanded city council, if at all?
I envision building a close relationship with the city council, especially those whose districts overlap with mine. I plan to hold regular meetings and open conversations to collaborate on proposals and policies. By working together on a shared vision for addressing major issues like homelessness—and trusting each other to carry out our respective roles—we can make a real difference for our community. As county commissioner, I will be fully committed to facilitating and strengthening that partnership to benefit everyone.
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What’s one thing Multnomah County could learn from Clackamas County?
Clackamas County adopted a process called Performance Clackamas, which created greater transparency and accountability in how the county spends its money and the outcomes of investments. Since adopting this model in 2014, results are publicly available on the county’s website. Multnomah County needs to implement similar measures to rebuild public trust. Clackamas County has prioritized good governance by openly tracking their effectiveness based on measurable results.
Also, both Clackamas and Washington Counties embraced the Built For Zero strategy, which says: “There are no magic bullets that can alone achieve these goals. We can only sustain this reality if our communities have system set up to prevent homelessness, quickly detect homelessness when it occurs, and permanently and promptly resolve homelessness.”
I strongly endorse this approach and believe it’s one of the reasons that Clackamas and Washington Counties have had more success addressing their homelessness crisis then we have in Multnomah County.