News Supporters of a proposed ballot measure that would place a one-cent-per-ounce tax on sugar-added drinks sold in Multnomah County have added another use for the expected $35 million in revenue: Outdoor School.The proposed measure, spearheaded by Portland physician Gregg Coodley, would funnel tax proceeds through Multnomah County to pay for after-school and P.E. programs administered by school districts, ...   More

News Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder won't have to pay a fine for a false statement in his 2010 Voters' Pamphlet statement.That's because Burkholder prevailed recently in his arguments before an administrative law judge that the statement appeared without his knowledge.The issue arose during the 2010 primary election for the Metro council president's position. During that race, in which Burkholder ultimately ...   More

News It's the year before a presidential election, and supporters of bringing a presidential debate to Portland are trying again for 2012.Similar efforts have failed before. But project manager Mark Kirchmeier says debate organizers have met with officials at the Metropolitan Exposition Recreation Commission and Oregon Convention Center to discuss details on submitting an application to the U.S. Commission ...   More

News There are at least a couple of interesting lessons in Tom Hughes' narrow victory over Bob Stacey in the Metro Council president's race. That victory, finally decided on Nov. 11, ended up with a difference of less than one percentage point—about 1,000 votes out of nearly 400,000 counted. As noted earlier, the unusually high number of write-in votes far exceeded Hughes' margin of victory. Here ...   More

Election 2010 ...   More

News Two members of the seven-person Metro Council have joined Council President David Bragdon in a move to take firmer control of the Metropolitan Exposition Recreation Commission, which is part of Metro. The commission has a $40 million budget, owns assets worth $500 million and has an independent board. But that last fact—the independent board—is where the current conflict lies. Although ...   More

News Our previous reports that 1000 Friends of Oregon executive director Bob Stacey was considering a run for the $114,000-per-year Metro Council President's job next year have advanced a step. Stacey made his candidacy official last week, when he quietly filed a committee with the Secretary of State, as candidates are required to do. The job, which entails heading an agency responsible for land ...   More

News Scratch state Sen. Jackie Dingfelder (D-Portland) from the list of candidates next year for Metro Council president. Dingfelder, who said in May during the legislative session that people had approached her about running, says she has now decided against it because she likes being in the majority party in the Legislature where she is chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources ...   More

News Former Hillsboro Mayor Tom Hughes told WW today that he is entering the Metro Council President's race. Hughes, a 66-year-old retired school teacher, served two terms as Hillsboro mayor. He finished his service in January 2009 and is currently employed as a lobbyist at the Tonkon Torp law firm. "I won't do an official announcement until the new year, but I'm in the race," says Hughes, who ...   More

News No, we are not going to report every endorsement handed out this election season. But the Oregon League of Conservation Voters carries weight in the Metro race, since many of those who follow the regional government are environmentally conscious. And, OLCV is clearly looking to raise its profile after the hiring last October of Jon Isaacs, who formerly ran FuturePac —the Oregon House Democrats ...   More