The city’s Citizen’s Campaign Commission is mulling whether to allot $50,000 of taxpayer money to publicly-financed candidates running for the newly vacant city auditor’s position, at a meeting in the city auditor’s office this evening. That’s $100,000 per candidate less than they’re technically allowed under city code. City Auditor Gary Blackmer resigned last week, and […]
City Hall
Posted inPolitics
What Happened To Adams’ 100-day Plan?
Update, 12:33 pm: Adams’ communications director Wade Nkrumah says “It’s not online, it’s been taken off, and I don’t know why. I’m sure it’s going to be back up—there’s nothing wrong with the plan, certainly. It’s just not online.” He’ll let us know more when he does. How curious… Original post, 10:26 am: On Saturday […]
Posted inPolitics
Adams Releases Plan For First 100, er, 95 days, In Office…FIRE UP THE WONK SIGNAL!!!
Landing in the inbox at 6:36pm last night—way to time it for maximum exposure, guys—was a press release announcing Mayor Sam Adams’ plan for his first 100 days in office. Although, since he’s already been in office since Monday, let’s call it his plan for his first 95 days, and counting, shall we? “The 100-day […]
Posted inPolitics
“We’re Caught Between A Server And A Hard Place…”
Welcome to Portland’s slick new City Council for 2009. Kidding. No sooner had Randy Leonard been officially sworn in for his new term yesterday than he was proposing a delaying a code change that has so far delayed development on SE Division for 31 months, in aid of “protecting the neighborhood,” even though the neighbors […]
Posted inCity Hall
And So Sam Adam’s Tenure Begins With a Tap Dancing Saxophonist
Last night, City Hall was a circus. No, seriously. Clowns, stiltwalkers and acrobats navigated among the ample crowd that turned out for Sam Adam’s “Come Meet Your New Mayor and City Council” party. There was free beer, free cheese squares and (perhaps) more importantly, Adams and newly-elected councilwoman Fritz spent the whole two hour event […]
Posted inNews
Blackmer Resigns As City Auditor
The Tribune has the scoop. I thought he looked despicably sheepish as I nodded hello to him on the way downstairs at City Hall two hours ago… Good luck in the future, Gary.
Posted inPolitics
Adams: “How’s the Murphy Bed business?” Shopkeeper: “The Murphy Bed Business is closed.”
And that’s how the mayor’s tour of St.Johns businesses began this afternoon—with a surprising conversation with the recently unemployed director of the St.John’s Boosters, Gary Boehm, who became unemployed on December 16th after the Murphy bed store he’s managed since March last year went out of business. “Well, I’m sorry to hear that, Gary,” said […]
Posted inNews
Songs, Flowers, and Even A Prayer: Mayor-elect Adams Becomes Mayor Adams
Well, it’s official. Mayor Sam Adams took his oath of office with Judge Kerr Maurer, just after noon today at Parkrose High School and Community Center:Read more about it, after the jump. There were few surprises in Adams’ speech, which was, in fact, the same speech he gave this morning in North Portland, with a […]
Posted inNews
“My name is Sam Adams, and I’m here to recruit you.”
Steady on, mayor, it’s early days. Maybe when I’ve been covering you for a year, we can have that kind of conversation… Yes. He may have been paraphrasing one of his heroes, Harvey Milk, but Portland’s new mayor sure chose an interesting quote to end his inauguration day breakfast at the Curious Comedy Club on […]
Posted inNews
Fritz Gets Sworn In: “Hope” Mentioned, Two Standing Ovations, Six Kinds of Lemon Bars
City Commissioner Amanda Fritz is now, officially, City Commissioner Amanda Fritz, having been sworn in at a very patriotic ceremony in SW Portland this afternoon. And good luck to her: You can read all about it after the jump. “I feel like I have 150,000 new friends,” said Fritz, relating to the crowd a conversation […]
Posted inMedia
All Change At City Hall
Well, this is a turn up for the books: The night before a boy goes on vacation, his boss resigns to take a job with the mayor. Now I’m back in Portland, and Amy Ruiz isn’t here to watchdog city hall any more, I thought I’d take a trip down there myself this morning to […]
Posted inCity Hall
Santa Visits City Council
I’m not at city hall today—technically I’m on vacation, can’t you tell?—but that doesn’t stop me from watching it on Channel 30. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Santa is attending this morning’s city council meeting: But Santa better be careful, lest he end up on city hall security’s naughty list. The sign outside […]