Another critic of Commissioner Chloe Eudaly's proposed changes to Portland's Office of Community and Civic Life (OCCL) has joined the 2020 race for her seat.

Mingus Mapps is a former political science professor, former director of Historic Parkrose Business District, and has a PhD in government from Cornell University. Mapps' most recent job, however, was working for the City of Portland, running OCCL's neighborhood program (his email is still listed on the city webpage). The OCCL is one of several city departments that fall under Eudaly's purview.

Mapps was fired from the OCCL in June, after only six months on the job. Mapps told Willamette Week that he was fired after refusing to discipline an employee for their body language. That claim has not yet been confirmed by the city's human resources department.

His brief tenure at OCCL left Mapps with a negative opinion of how Eudaly runs the city bureau. In his WW interview, Mapps said he was specifically critical of Eudaly's interest in rewriting the city code that defines OCCL's purpose—a proposal that would extend the benefits the city offers neighborhood associations and business districts to other types of community groups. City Council is scheduled to vote on the code change in November.

Mapps is not the only candidate who's cited the proposed code change as a reason to challenge Eudaly. Software engineer Seth Woolley, who announced his campaign in August, called Eudaly's interest in allowing other groups recognition in city code "irrational." Woolley and Mapps join renewable energy consultant Jack Kerfoot and banker Kevin McKay in the race to unseat Eudaly.

Eudaly, who was elected to City Council in 2017, has said she intends to run for reelection.