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In the past two weeks, the rift between Portland City Hall and the business lobby over a $46 million street fee has grown increasingly antagonistic, as the two sides prepare for a ballot battle.
Mayor Charlie Hales and petroleum lobbyist Paul Romain aren't just separated over how the fee should be structured, or whether it should be sent to voters.
They can't even agree to meet.
Hales' spokesman Dana Haynes tells WW that Romain has rejected the mayor's offer to meet with Romain's clients—and has told the mayor he'll continue preparing to send the street fee to voters.
"Mr. Romain's answer was, 'No, thanks, it's the holidays,'" Haynes says. "He did not suggest he wanted a rain check. The offer to meet with the mayor and City Budget Office wasn't going to dissuade him from his course of actions."
Romain says Hales didn't offer a meaningful discussion of city finances.
"The mayor wants us to come in and do a hard sell on our particular clients," Romain tells WW. "That's not what we wanted. We would love to get together and talk over the entire city budget. And then you can talk about ways to talk about funding. You can't just rush it and have limited people involved. This is all politics."
City Commissioner Steve Novick this afternoon sent reporters a copy of his email correspondence with Romain. "I really don't understand what his deal is," Novick added.
WWeek 2015