Grading The Mayor

[January 18th, 2006] In a recent interview with The Oregonian, Potter awarded himself a "B" for his initial 12 months. Our half-dozen Potter observers gave lower marks to the mayor after a year in which he has largely done what he promised—listened rather than acted.

Sure, he canned three bureau chiefs, overhauled the Portland Development Commission's board and top management and nixed city participation in the federally run Joint Terrorism Task Force. He also took the lead in reclaiming downtown from gun-totin' nightclubbers and Park Blocks-dwelling street kids.

But since about midsummer, Potter has lowered his profile, junketeering to Mexico and spending a week making friends for the city in Eastern Oregon. While at his office, he's worked on a funding fix for the city's public schools and ensuring that his three major planning efforts—the Bureau Improvement Project, the city charter-reform committee and a lengthy "visioning" process—get under way. On the council's two hot-button issues—trying to buy Portland General Electric and reform the Fire and Police Disability and Retirement Fund—he's played a background role.

That's the history. Here are the grades:

Lili and Irwin Mandel , retired Park Blocks residents and regulars at City Hall who supported Potter in the 2004 election.

Comments: An "A" for his response to downtown safety problems, though they're worried by the current plan to cut the police budget 1 to 3 percent. A "D" on planning and growth because there haven't been any concrete ideas, "visioning" out 30 years is a little too farsighted, and the charter-review process will probably just produce whatever he wants.

Overall grade: B-/C+.

Bonny McKnight , longtime Russell neighborhood activist in Northeast, who has sat on two Potter administration task forces and a citywide land-use planning group.

Comments: Concerned that the Bureau Improvement Project, visioning and charter reform diverts city employees from immediate priorities such as roads, transportation and parks. Also worries about Potter's focus on school funding because "throwing money after schools in the past hasn't done anything." Credits him with making progress toward getting bureaus to work together but wonders how big a priority that should be if he's planning charter reform. No fan of visioning and surprised the ex-police chief is focusing more on theory and ivory-tower thinking than practical solutions."

Overall grade: C.

Sandra McDonough, CEO, Portland Business Alliance, the city's de facto chamber of commerce.

Comments: Thinks the mayor has done some things "extraordinarily well," like the budget and focusing on public safety. Likes his hire of Bruce Warner as the head of PDC and that Potter's office has an open door. "You can have a conversation and disagree—on issues such as the city's pursuit of PGE or its withdrawal from the Joint Terrorism Task Force—but that disagreement on one issue doesn't stop you from agreeing on another."

Overall grade: B.

Dave Lister, owner of a small software company that recently moved from Portland to Tigard, "Eastside Guy" columnist for BrainstormNW magazine, and possible challenger to City Commissioner Erik Sten.

Comments: Has done well on public safety. But Lister's disappointed the mayor let the council "get away with giving $200,000" to help residents of Tryon Creek farm buy their commune (see "Buying the Farm," WW, Dec. 28, 2005), which makes it very difficult for council to say no to the next group. Discouraged Potter hasn't moved to reduce the city's business income tax or done anything else for small business. Criticized Potter for supporting both city purchase of PGE and the public financing of city elections without letting residents vote.

Overall grade: C.

Dan Meek, a utility lawyer and public-power advocate who, along with his law partner, Linda Williams, recently won a $10 million tax refund from PGE for Multnomah County ratepayers.

Comments: Says Potter is "absolutely the best mayor I have ever seen" on electric-utility issues. Gives him an "incomplete" on bringing public power to Portland, but says that big task may take another couple of semesters.

Overall grade: A, except for the Public Power course. He gets an I for that.