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Jules Bailey, the Multnomah County commissioner who ran unsuccessfully for Portland mayor, has landed a new gig as chief stewardship officer for the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative, the statewide group that implements Oregon's Bottle Bill.
This is in some ways a surprising path for Bailey, who's held elected office since 2009, first as a state legislator and then as a county commissioner.
Bailey says he's excited about the position and the opportunity to help guide Oregon through changes to the Bottle Bill, which include an increase to the types of containers accepted and the doubling of the deposit value, from 5 cents to a dime.
"The bottle bill is undergoing major changes next year," Bailey writes in an email to WW. "OBRC needed someone to help manage that transition, as well as do strategic planning for the future. They approached me, and after a lot of consideration, I felt it was a really good fit for my skill sets: economics, project management, strategic planning, environmental policy etc. Plus, I get to be at the center of a major update to an iconic Oregon program."
Bailey's decision to run for Portland mayor meant he couldn't keep his current job.
Oregon Treasurer Ted Wheeler won the mayor's race decisively in the May primary. By jumping into the race, Bailey gave up the chance to run again for Multnomah County commission.
The cooperative implements the Bottle Bill by collecting and processing redeemable bottles, both plastic and glass, for reuse. A statement from the organization says it processes 1.2 billion containers each year.
Bailey starts in January.
Willamette Week