With all eyes on Washington, it’s critical that Portland voters also take time to get informed about our local ballot. A full third of our City Council will turn over. No incumbent is running for reelection. And so, this election will be very consequential as our community works to address significant challenges and opportunities. Will we elect centrist candidates who will work on the issues together with the community and their colleagues, validating varying viewpoints? Or will we elect people who represent only those who subscribe to one ideology, who claim to already know the answers provided by political and activist organizations?

Our three new councilors will have real power when it comes time to determine what is a priority and what is not. They will help to develop our City Council’s agendas, determine how our elected body spends its time and our shared resources, and ultimately those elected will be three of nine votes cast in City Council chambers. In just a few weeks, Portland voters will meaningfully affect the equilibrium at City Hall.

In my opinion, it is imperative that we fill all three open seats with moderate candidates who are committed to working with all stakeholders. I want my local elected officials to think for themselves, talk with and learn from constituents with varying viewpoints, consult experts, work with and respect our professional city staff, and be able to work well with others because they understand that public service requires open-mindedness, flexibility and process that includes legitimate stakeholder engagement.

This is why I will vote for Brandon Mazer for the open at-large seat. If I lived in District 1, I’d vote for Sarah Michniewicz. And if I lived in District 2, I’d vote for Catherine Nekoie and Nancy English. I have met with all four of these candidates during this campaign cycle and I find them all to be thoughtful, humble, experienced and maybe most importantly, open-minded. While it’s critical that we always seek to understand our local issues within the broader statewide, national and even international context, it’s equally important that we elect local policymakers to focus on and find solutions to Portland’s unique needs.

There’s more than one legitimate lens for our myriad issues. Let’s elect candidates who are willing to listen, research, plan and compromise to develop solutions for everyone. Public policymaking was never meant to be easy, one-sided, or done beyond public view and engagement.

Take the hazard pay component of the 2020 referendum question regarding minimum wage. I agree that a higher minimum wage was the right thing to do. However, ordinance language developed without the benefit of broad stakeholder engagement yields, as we have seen, unintended consequences. The hazard pay component of the law fails to consider the significant impacts that legislated time and a half pay has on local businesses, nonprofits and health care providers who operate on fixed budgets, have slim margins and rely on philanthropy or reimbursements. The work to develop sturdy and responsive public policy must be done in public view, include community input, and it must reflect the public it’s built to serve.

I thank all who raise their hand for public service. Serving Portland is an honor, and our democracy hinges on the work of our elected officials. And now, it is the job of Portland voters to understand how each unique decision at the ballot box will affect local problem solving for years to come. We have some very pressing issues to address. Let’s legitimize all viewpoints by electing candidates who do.