Julia’s Agenda for a Better Multnomah County

We can see the impact of our homelessness and housing crisis on streets across East Portland. And that’s just what is visible. It will take both immediate and long term action to make progress, and Multnomah County, and the services it provides, is critical for both. No more finger pointing. We need to work faster and better with partners at the federal, state and local levels - as well as the private sector - to:

• Create more housing options more quickly and more cost-effectively.

• Broaden the continuum of shelter options while ensuring that all shelter options or designated group sites include bathrooms, showers, trash collection and security.

• Strengthen mental health and addiction services to deal with some of the root causes of people living on the streets.

If you don’t feel safe in your home or your neighborhood, not much else matters. Gun violence, homicides, property crime and violent crime are at historic levels, with East Portland, in particular, experiencing very high rates. Multnomah County is at the center of our public safety system. Working with the County Sheriff, District Attorney, Portland Street Response, Project Respond, firefighters and local law enforcement we must:

• Improve law enforcement and first responder staffing to significantly reduce response times - with the training to strengthen trust, accountability and communication with the community.

• Provide more resources for the District Attorney’s office so that they can better tackle critical safety issues in our community.

• Create a stronger focus on reducing gun violence and rampant property crime. According to a recent study, a staggering 79% of Portland small businesses reported being vandalized or broken into over the past year.

• Invest in effective early intervention and restorative justice strategies that prevent crime and violence before it starts, especially with our youth.

Small businesses are the backbone of East Portland, providing the majority of our jobs, creating the character and livability of our neighborhoods and reinforcing the sense of community that is the best part of living and working here. But all too often East Portland’s neighborhoods and its small businesses are overlooked, unheard and under-invested in by local government. As a small businesswoman herself and a longtime neighborhood and private sector leader, Julia will be a strong and persistent advocate for East Portlanders and locally-owned businesses.

The pandemic has been particularly hard on our kids. Nobody in the race for County Commissioner comes close to Julia’s track record of delivering for kids and families. She will:

• Partner with public schools, Multnomah County leaders, and the Portland Children’s Levy to support the successful start of preschool for all children in Multnomah County.

• Expand access to libraries, afterschool and summer programming so that our kids always have a place to go and are welcomed.

• Strengthen basic health services, including mental health supports and substance use prevention, in the schools.

• Fight child hunger through school and community-based food security programs.

Local residents voluntarily have supported taxes to support housing, libraries, expanded preschool, supportive services for the homeless, and infrastructure projects, such as the new county courthouse and the Sellwood Bridge. That generosity must be repaid with accountability to ensure that money is well spent, independently audited, and delivering effective public services. The independent audits by the Multnomah County Auditor provide a guide to how the County can improve services and most effectively deliver services. For example, the recent audit by the Multnomah County Auditor of the County’s Animal Services pointed to longstanding problems of overcrowding, staffing shortages, and a shelter struggling to provide basic care. The County needs to conduct a top to bottom review, AND implement the audit recommendations to ensure better treatment of animals at the County’s shelter and more supports for the shelter’s staff.