Portland officials accused of misleading voters on charter ballot measure

Those who stand against ballot measure to radically reshape Portland’s form of government and election system have accused Portland city officials of misleading voters about the proposal.

Supporters of the ballot have said it’s a way to radically reimagine City Hall and is an important step addressing many of the crises Portland has faced in recent years while boosting diversity and civic engagement within the city government.

“Ultimately, we have a big opportunity at creating a participatory democracy and more accountable government,” said Anthony Castaneda, one of the co-chairs of the commission.

Members of the Partnership for Common Sense Government disagree with this stance and filed a complaint with the Portland city auditor and Oregon secretary of state this week on the grounds that the information published online by the city and mailed to thousands of residents was “thinly disguised advocacy in favor” of Measure 26-228.

“Portlanders have been clear they want accountability in politics,” group co-founder Vadim Mozyrsky said. “We have to ensure that voters have the needed and correct information in order to make an informed choice about the future of our democracy.”

Mozyrsky, who failed in a run for the Portland City Council in the May primary, served on the 20-person charter commission involved in putting together the measure. He was one of the three members who voted against it.

The complaint alleges city officials violated state law that prohibits public employees from showing either positive or negative bias towards a ballot while working on the taxpayer’s dime.

In a statement Wednesday, spokeswoman Sofía Álvarez-Castro said the city of Portland “is committed to providing only neutral and factual Information about [the] ballot measure.”

Alvarez-Castro said that the city-sponsored materials regarding the proposed charter changes were made in partnership with the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office and all are in compliance with Oregon state election law.