February 13, 2004
Commissioner No. 4 Race Begins For Real As Leonard Files For Council Run
Commissioner Randy Leonard on Thursday officially filed to run for re-election to his Commissioner No. 4 position on the Portland City Council, joining the already-filed candidates Alicia Salaz and Jim Whittenburg.
"A little more than a year ago," says the press release on the filing, "Leonard promised he would be a unique voice on Council who would fight to bring more family wage jobs to Portland, fight for schools, and rapidly identify and deliver operational efficiencies that serve the needs of citizens."
According to the release, Leonard has delivered on this promises. Which is a good place to turn to today's Oregonian coverage of the filing:
That record since Leonard won a council seat in November 2002 has been an active one, leaving strong feelings on both sides of the many issues he has tackled.
The article references negative neighborhood reactions to some of Leonard's initiatives through the Office of Neighborhood Involvement and positive neighborhood reactions to his "time, place, and manner" ordinance, as well similarly mixed opinions from businesses and consumers.
As for what's next should he be re-elected to his position, Leonard offered the following yesterday via email:
I want to continue working with the bureaus I have responsibility for to make them more efficient in their day to day operations including treating citizens as customers, not nuisances. ... I will be introducing soon an ordinance that requires all property tax abatements to provide annual financial statements to prove the abatement is necessary. ... Finally, I will continue to push to make Portland government more citizen friendly such as the Neighborhood Service Centers.
Not having heard back from Leonard's opponents in the race, we'll have to satisfy ourselves with what The Oregonian provides in this respect.
According to the paper, Whittenburg said "he will campaign on a platform that developers have captured Leonard's ear to the detriment of neighborhood concerns" and "strongly opposes the Leonard proposal to place local restrictions on liquor-selling establishments."
Salaz, the paper says, "will stress the need for increased civic participation, especially among other young voters" and "emphasize her opposition to capping the open reservoirs at Mount Tabor and to a council-approved surcharge on the city business license fee to raise money for school."