Portland City Council President Dunphy - Traffic Cop Or Policy Leader?

How will newly elected Portland City Council President Dunphy conduct his office? As a traffic cop? Or, as a policy leader? We’ll find out soon enough.

If Dunphy chooses traffic cop then he will spend much if not most of his and the council’s time and resources on process, trying to equitably distribute power among all of the twelve hungry players. Griping behind the scenes with claims of “unfair” and “I didn’t get my share” are sure to follow.

If Dunphy chooses the policy leadership role then he must step up, confront and put on the agenda the following:

1. A council discussion about Metro’s self-declared role that housing is a Regional Issue. Dunphy taking the position that Portland must demand that Metro fulfill its declaration that it, Metro, is RESPONSIBLE for REGIONAL HOUSING and that Portland take a subordinate role in funding and execution of housing policy.

This is a threshold policy question. It MUST precede all other housing policy considerations.

Not to be forgotten is the Land Conservation and Development Commission, the final arbiter of housing policy in our state.

2. A council discussion reminding the councilors and the public that four councilors can demand that any item they support be put on the agenda. Dunphy taking the position that slowness or ineptitude of council committees does not prevent councilors from addressing pressing city problems. The burden of responsibility and accountability remains with ALL the members of the city council not the committees.

3. A council discussion reminding the councilors and the public that ALL policy power belongs to the City Council, NOT the mayor. Dunphy acknowledging the fact that policy originates and is defined by the city budget. Once adopted, the city council, NOT the mayor, owns all the policies inherent within that budget. The council is then obliged to direct and oversee the mayor’s faithful execution of the council’s adopted policies.

These are three of the most basic indicators of policy leadership. Success with these will very likely mean success in leadership with most if not all policy matters. Failure with these will very likely mean failure in leadership with most if not all policy matters.

It is about four months until the council will have an opportunity to revise its policies by adopting a new budget. Dunphy should arrange for councilors to begin public discussions now about how each councilor plans to address/fund homeless housing policy considering the tsunami of new homeless just over the horizon accompanied by seriously diminished budget revenue.

Councilors up for reelection in November 2026 should pay close attention to their votes and behaviors on these matters. Their competitors, critics, constituents, voters and the Media certainly will.

Richard Ellmyer

Portland resident since 1975.

Oregon Voter since 1971. NAV, Non Affiliated Voter. Citizen Activist.

Campaign manager and legislative assistant to state senator Bill McCoy 1980-1981.

Campaign manager and senior staff to Multnomah county commissioner Gladys McCoy 1981-1984.

Celebrate North Portland award 2016 for Volunteer Work and Service with Political and Social Issues Impacting North Portland.

Certified Oregon Change Agent by Governor John Kitzhaber 2011.

PSU Senior Adult Learner, Spring 2021 - Public Participation GiS, 500 level class

PSU Senior Adult Learner, Spring 2024 - Planning and Housing Markets, 500 level class

Author of more stories on the politics, players and policies of Public Housing in Oregon over the last twenty-three years than all other journalists and elected officials combined.

Project Champion and Data Wrangler - Metro/Oregon Public Housing Location Maps https://www.goodgrowthnw.org/m...

GIS for Activism conference, May 23, 2022, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon

Richard Ellmyer - How I, A Citizen Activist, Used GIS To Effectively Tell A Necessary Yet Unavailable Truth About Public Housing

30 minute Video https://media.pdx.edu/media/t/...

Lifelong Learning at PSU by Jennifer Jordan-Wong.

LET KNOWLEDGE SERVE THE CITY [Section] “Richard used a course he audited at PSU to create a citizen activist mapping tool to benefit Oregon residents, stakeholders, and policy makers…His interest in mapping as a tool for change began when he noticed that public housing was not being distributed equitably”

https://psucollegeofed.wordpress.com/2022/09/23/lifelong-learning-at-psu/?fbclid=IwAR3S9Pff0mBGeT6Ha8dQeAqL0nAqU7QzZ-0pJC_oTQJxBWlAb2fdXzdE0w4

Author of The Ellmyer Report, a newsletter that informs, educates and influences on public policy. Its target audiences are elected officials, journalists and civically engaged citizens. Facebook, Portland Politics Plus. Contributor: Patch news.