City Council Entrance Interview: Michelle DePass

Seeks to represent: District 2 (North and Northeast)

Age: 63

Pronouns: She/her

Job: Climate Change Analyst for Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability

Fun fact: She was conceived in District 2.

Michelle DePass has lived in Washington, DC; Venezuela; Mexico; and Los Angeles, California. But her home is District 2, where her mom met her dad the first day he came to the United States. Now she’s running to represent the district on the Portland City Council.

She’s currently the climate change analyst for the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and the vice chair of the Portland Public Schools board.

“As an elementary school child, [my family] had some housing instability, so I was shifting schools a lot,” she tells WW. “I’m really driven to make sure families and people with children are stable because I know how damaging that can be to your academic career.”

One of DePass’ top priorities is transparency for the new form of government. “Having worked for three bureaus, I know where the gaps in accountability are,” she says. “I’d not just daylight them but make our city government more accessible to regular folks.”

DePass’ campaign has raised $63,000, unlocking $37,665 in matched funds. She’s been endorsed by mayoral candidate Carmen Rubio and former Governor Kate Brown. She’s also been endorsed by Portland for All, 12 for PDX, Portland Street Response, and Western States Regional Council of Carpenters.

We spoke to DePass about her campaign. The conversation has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.

WW: What are your top three priorities if elected?

Michelle DePass: One is accountability and transparency within the government, including how the new City Council plans to organize itself and engage with the community. The second would be increasing housing across the spectrum of needs, including people who are not visibly homeless [but] sleeping in cars or RVs or on people’s couches. The third would be protecting the environment and taking strong climate action. I don’t see that happening right now, even though I work for the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. I sit right next to Portland Clean Energy Fund folks, but I don’t see the leadership leading on this urgency around climate action.

Do we need more or fewer police officers than we currently have?

I want to be data-informed about the right size of a force for a city of our size. But the data I’ve looked up—and I’m talking about really brief Google searches—are inconclusive regarding the right-size police force. We would benefit from more of a presence in business areas like downtown, but I want to make sure we have the right officers. I’d like to see more enforcement of the seemingly small rules—dogs on-leash, parking facing the right way on the street, stopping at stop signs, no parking or driving in the bike lanes.

How would you foster economic growth in Portland?

I’d like to strengthen the local economy while ensuring inclusivity and sustainability. I would support small businesses and startups. They’re the backbone of our economy, and I’d push for easier access to affordable commercial spaces, grants and streamlining regulations. I would invest in green jobs. Portland is known for its environmental leadership, or we used to be, and expanding the green economy by investing in renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure would be a top priority for me. I’d like to increase housing for middle-wage workers, people who have jobs and need a layup in terms of down payment assistance. I’d also like to enhance the cultural assets we have. I’d like to pay more attention to our local music scene.

Do you support the city’s camping ban, and do you think the Multnomah County Sheriff should be booking people arrested for violating the ban?

I do not support arresting individuals for sleeping on the street and, at the same time, I sincerely want them to be sheltered. From my perspective, punitive measures like camping bans only serve to criminalize poverty and push vulnerable people deeper into a cycle of incarceration. Instead of focusing on enforcement, I would work with the experts—of which I’m not one—who understand how best to work with this population. We need spaces for the hard-to-house. We need to create those spaces. We have a place to put people like that, but it’s not jail.

What is the first piece of policy or legislation you would bring to the City Council?

The first thing is to adopt a new city charter, because currently Section 2-102, which is titled “City Council,” says the city council of the city of Portland shall consist of a mayor and four commissioners. We need to revise that. Second, the most visible and pressing issue on most people’s minds is housing, which is why expanding affordable housing options would be another top priority.

Which current City Council member do you and your policies most align with?

I think Carmen Rubio. Having worked for her briefly, I know we have similar visions for the city of Portland, but we’re very different people. We don’t always have the same approach but we want the same outcomes.

Do you support Carmen Rubio shifting some Portland Clean Energy Fund dollars to city bureaus?

I was not happy about that. I hope that was a one-time thing. I voted for PCEF, and whether I did or not, it’s important to maintain the integrity of what voters voted for. Voters wanted this clean energy fund to be put into place, to create green jobs, to expand the workforce to Black and Brown communities, to serve Black and Brown communities, and I want to maintain that integrity.

See the other Portland City Council Candidates here!