Activistas 101: Multnomah County
OK, so I confess that I've never really understood the intersection between city & county, and what with all the "mean girls" talk when Diane Linn was chairwoman, I kind of checked out. But now it's a new era, right? So clearly it's time to check back in, know who's who, and who's doing what (to whom?). And how's that Ted Wheeler guy doing, anyway?
Well. Since you asked...
Who Runs the Place? The Board of Commissioners. One thing that's important to know is how the five commissioners are elected. The chair, now Ted Wheeler, is elected 'at large,' meaning that everyone in the county votes for that position. The other four commissioners represent districts, so you only elect the person who represents your district. It's a non-partisan election (just like Portland city hall) and they can serve up to two four-year terms. Don't know what district you're in? You're not alone!
Once you know your district and your commissioner, you can step it up a notch and visit the web sites of both your commissioner and the chair to see what they're up to and get on their e-mail lists. They all state their priorities - are they the same as yours???
They meet every Thursday from 9:30 to Noon @ 501 SE Hawthorne. If you want to be there but can't (something on the agenda caught your eye), you can catch the action on TV at a more convenient time and location (your house!). Times are: Th, 9:30 AM, (LIVE) Channel 30; Sat, 10 AM, Channel 29; Sun, 11 AM, Channel 30; Tu, 8:15 PM, Channel 29. Give it a whirl, it can't be as dull as C-SPAN!
Ready to Jump In?? Get on the Citizen Involvement Committee. They are seeking new members. I wonder how many parents with young children are currently serving to get that important uM perspective in the mix?
What Does the County Do, Anyway? Some pretty important stuff, it turns out, though pet licensing may seem like small potatoes to some... Here's a partial list that just shows how far-reaching the county is:
- For starters, they run our elections.
- They also collect (and can & do levy) taxes.
- The public health division keeps the rats out of our restaurants (ever checked out your favorite restaurant's inspection score??? Now that's fascinating reading), among a ton of other important things, like providing health care to low-income kids at school.
- Emergency preparedness.
- Disease prevention.
- Land use planning for unincorporated county land.
- The library!!!!
- Lead poisoning prevention - yeah, they run the excellent Leadline.
- Oh, and for all the new mamas, the vital records division provides birth certificates.
- And the bridge mess, that's them, too.
- And who could forget Mr. Giusto and his Sherriff's department?
And the list goes on... and on. Turns out the county runs a lot of services that directly affect our lives, mamas. No time like the present to plug in to your very local representatives to see what they're doing or not doing and let them know what you think they should be doing!
As we've said before about our state legislators, these folks represent us. If they hear from their Mamastituents, they'll know just what we want.
I love this synopsis. Thanks for compiling all the info and for sharing!
Posted by:olivia | October 23, 2007 at 09:26 PM
Thank you for this! As you know, mamas don't have as much time as we'd like to be informed. Sharing what we've learned will make us stronger!
Posted by:Nic | October 28, 2007 at 09:56 PM
As Ted Wheeler's wife, mom to a 14 month old, and an occasional lurker on this site, I'd also like to thank you for this synopsis.
It's important that people know exactly what each government branch does and who represents them. I know from campaigning with my husband that even many politically active citizens don't understand exactly what the County does.
Posted by:katrina wheeler | November 30, 2007 at 10:36 PM
Glad to have you, Katrina!! Thanks for weighing in. I like to think I know how government works, but when I sat next to a Metro councilor at a recent lunch I realized I didn't even know how the various councilors were elected! I was also pretty impressed that she works F/T at a "1/2 time" and 1/2 pay job. Truly a public servant. Also, corrections welcomed, a la Wikipedia. We miss stuff and (yes, it's true) do get things wrong from time to time. Cheers and keep on visiting!
Posted by:Lisa | December 06, 2007 at 08:51 AM
"They also collect (and can & do levy) taxes."
Just a quick comment on this (I missed it a while back). MultCo does collect taxes but they do not have taxing authority, unlike the City of Portland. Any tax MultCo wishes to enact, must be voted on by MultCo residents. In addition, there are other hoops they have to jump through in order to put taxes to a vote if they want to limit the tax solely to pay for a specific project.
Posted by:Katrina Wheeler | April 14, 2008 at 02:59 PM