THE COUNTY COMMISSION'S always been that important, boring provider of justice and social services whose political intrigues—absent the occasional bout of sheriff incompetence or sex scandal—are often overlooked.

Ever seen some of the resolutions they bring up at those commission meetings? Countless hours of the public's time each year are spent declaring things like "Volunteer Week" or "Purchasing Month." PURCHASING MONTH.

But county governance is getting more important all the time. In July, vital homelessness services that were once split between the county and the city will all be collected under Chair Deborah Kafoury. It also looks like there'll be a new sheriff before long (embattled Sheriff Dan Staton is laying the groundwork for an early departure).

With three spots on the five-member commission up for grabs, this election's a biggie, and its most contentious race is for the seat being given up by Commissioner Jules Bailey (he's running for mayor [but don't vote for him]). It's your district if you live in Northwest and Southwest Portland (and parts of Inner Northeast and Southeast).

Sharon Meieran, a Portland physician, is the best choice in that crowded field. Through both her job and extracurricular pursuits, Meieran's on the front lines of two of the central issues facing Portland today: police reform and mental health care.

As a member of the citizen group overseeing the city's police reform efforts, Meieran sits through mind-numbing meetings to parse policy tweaks and ensure cops are abiding by a settlement with the US Department of Justice. As an ER doctor, she wrestles with the outcomes of an inadequate mental health care system. And as a board member for the Unity Center for Behavioral Health—a forthcoming emergency center for people in mental health crisis—she's working to improve that system.

She's also a former lawyer, and a champion for women's reproductive health as medical director at the Oregon Foundation for Reproductive Health.

It's a stellar background (one possibly tarnished in some people's minds by the fact Meieran hails from the San Francisco area), but just as important—in fact, a key reason we're endorsing Meieran—are her positions on the issues.

After all, Eric Zimmerman, chief of staff to outgoing Commissioner Diane McKeel, presents a better case for being immediately effective in county government. He's walked the halls of the Multnomah Building for years, and helped to push through valuable policies in that time. He's a US Army veteran who knows all the political players, and intimately understands the workings of county governance. He's both smart and likeable. The Mercury Strike Force might have given him the nod, except we disagree with him on too many points.

Zimmerman told us he doesn't support doing away with a state pre-emption on rent control, which would at least allow local governments to look at their options. Meieran thinks it should be gone.

And Zimmerman is irresolute when it comes to doing away with the police bureau's 48-hour rule—and to be fair, offers some compelling anecdotes from his own armed combat experiences. Meieran, like most candidates (and plenty of citizens), wants it gone.

Other candidates in the race include Brian Wilson, who works in property management and ran for this seat back in 2014, and Mel Rader, executive director of Upstream Public Health.

Wilson's arguments aren't too far off from his pitch last time, and they're still not terribly compelling. And while we like Rader's interest in food policy—not to mention Upstream's championing of 2013's ill-fated fluoride measure—he came across as disinterested in our interview.

Given her background and her firm grasp of some of the city's biggest issues, Meieran should be your choice.

READ THE REST OF OUR ENDORSEMENTS HERE!