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Former city commissioner and mayoral candidate Carmen Rubio is being considered for Multnomah County’s chief operating officer position, WW has learned.
Members of the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners are slated to meet two finalists for the county’s COO job on Wednesday. It’s not clear if Rubio is one of those two finalists, but her name has been raised in discussions.
Rubio didn’t return a phone call and text message seeking comment on the matter. Multnomah County’s press office said it doesn’t comment on the identities of potential applicants.
The COO reports directly to the county chair and handles “operational processes, performance metrics, and the implementation of strategies and initiatives,” according to the county website. At a meeting this week, Chair Jessica Vega Pederson compared the role to that of the new city manager.
In September, Serena Cruz resigned as the county’s COO after three years on the job.
Rubio, 51, whose term as Portland city commissioner ended this month, is available for the job after losing her 2024 bid to become mayor. Rubio was considered a front runner until September, when The Oregonian broke the news that she had been ticketed for 150 traffic- and parking violations. Her license was suspended at least six times because she failed to pay fines or appear in court, The Oregonian said.
The procedure for hiring the COO came up at a county board meeting yesterday, when Commissioner Julia Brim Edwards urged Vega Pederson to give the board a say in choosing among candidates.
Appointing a department head requires the consent of a majority of the board, according to the county charter. But the charter makes no mention of the COO role. Brim Edwards argued that the board should have a say because department heads report to the COO. Moreover, Brim Edwards said, former county chair Deborah Kafoury sought board approval for the last two COOs, Marissa Madrigal, in 2014, and Cruz in 2021.
In response, Vega Pederson asserted her right to hire for the position unilaterally if the COO didn’t also serve as director of the Department of County Management, a position that requires board approval.
“The COO decision is made by me as the chief executive of the county,” Vega Pederson said. “It has become before the board previously because the COO position has also served as the director of the Department of County Management.”
Brim Edwards, who has pushed back on the extensive powers of the county chair in the past, pressed Vega Pederson on whether the new COO would not have the dual roll, thereby making board approval unnecessary. Vega Pederson said the job has been advertised as including both.
“The COO is a very important role at the county,” Vega Pederson said. “It’s very important to me that all of you have an opportunity to participate in this hiring practice.”
Rubio began her public service career as an aide to Cruz when she was on the board of county commissions. Rubio also worked for Mayor Tom Potter and City Commissioner Nick Fish. In 2009, she became executive director of Latino Network, a non-profit that educates and immunizes Latino children, assists with immigration issues, and trains worker for clean-energy jobs. In 2020, she became the first Latina elected to the Portland City Council.