Bob Stacey
Bob Stacey Metro

Metro Councilor Bob Stacey will be resigning from his council seat mid-term, due to his growing health issues, Metro announced Thursday.

Stacey was elected to represent Metro District 6—which includes much of southern Portland—in 2012. Shortly after his election, Stacey was diagnosed with a disease that causes brain tumors. While the tumors are benign, Stacey said the medication he takes to reduce the tumors' swelling inhibits his ability to think clearly.

"Managing these tumors without surgery requires strong medications to reduce swelling,” Stacey said, in a Metro news release. “These affect my energy and ability to analyze and think clearly about complex subjects.”

Stacey will step down from his position on October 15.

Stacey has a long history at the intersection of politics and land use management. Stacey worked as an attorney for 1000 Friends of Oregon in the 1970s, where he helped fight the Rajneeshee cult's attempt to build a city in rural Oregon. He later served as the director of 1000 Friends of Oregon—after leading Portland's Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, leading policy work for TriMet, and serving as Rep. Earl Blumenauer's chief of staff.

In April, Portland Bureau of Transportation renamed a bicycle and pedestrian bridge in Southeast Portland after Stacey, to represent his advocacy work around public transportation in the region.

Stacey was elected to a third four-year term on Metro Council in May 2020. The Metro Council has until January 13, 2022 to replace Stacey, according to Metro.

“I wish I could continue to serve my constituents and the public interest as a Metro councilor,” Stacey said in the news release. “But I no longer have the capacity to do that job—and manage my health.”