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The city auditor’s race is perhaps less glamorous than those for Portland City Council, but the auditor plays a critical role in watchdogging the city’s ethical and financial responsibilities.
The current auditor, Mary Hull Caballero, is not running for reelection. That leaves two candidates vying to fill her seat: Simone Rede, principal management auditor at Metro, and Brian Setzler, a Portland CPA.
Hull Caballero has long been critical of Measure 26-217, which 82% of Portland voters passed in November 2020. The measure replaces the city’s current police oversight system, Independent Police Review, with a new police oversight board composed exclusively of community members. The new board will have the authority to compel Portland Police Bureau officers to testify if they are under investigation and to discipline or terminate them if deemed appropriate. IPR—which lives under the umbrella of the City Auditor’s Office—will be dissolved in order to implement the new board.
Hull Caballero oversaw IPR. In January, she announced she would no longer assist the transition process from IPR to the community police oversight board. Effective July 1, that responsibility will fall to the City Council. (It is also worth noting Rede has received a $250 campaign contribution from Hull Caballero and another $250 from her husband, Raymond Caballero, a writer who served as mayor of El Paso, Texas, in the early aughts.)
WW wanted to gauge how the next city auditor would respond to the transition process from IPR to the new community police oversight board, as well as whether their stance today has changed from how they voted on the measure more than 14 months ago. We asked the candidates to answer the following two questions in 100 words or less.
1. During the November 2020 election, did you vote yes or no on Measure 26-217?
2. If elected, how would you address the transition from Independent Police Review to the community police oversight board?
Simone Rede:
I voted yes on Measure 26-217 during the November 2020 election to amend the city’s charter to establish a new police oversight board.
The transition to the new oversight board will be in the city’s hands when I take office in January 2023. There may be opportunities for the Auditor’s Office to inform improvements to the new oversight board’s functions before or after the board is up and running. Regardless of when the Auditor’s Office provides its services, I am committed to using my authority to improve police accountability and community safety through independent audits and investigations.
Brian Setzler:
I voted yes on Measure 26-217.
Portland needs and voted for a strong independent oversight board to increase transparency, accountability and community trust. As auditor, I will work with city leaders to implement the will of the voters.