Stop Portland City Council from Ignoring Neighborhood Associations

Neighborhood Associations are too important to the fabric of Portland. I'm sorry to say that I voted for Chloe Eudaly. She needs to go.

Having served on the planning commission many years ago, I feel that the Neighborhood Associations are very important. Especially with the form of City Council that presently exists.

Keep neighborhood associations as they are!

7 years ago Featured

The proposed changes will allow the NA's to operate without following open meeting rules. In other words, there will be less transparency and accountability than there is now. Don't dismantle Portland's unique and effective grassroots neighborhood system!

Neighborhood associations are open to all; special interest groups are exclusionary by definition. Eudaly: Be inclusive and leave neighborhood associations to do their work

Neighborhood Associations are important.

Neighborhood Associations play a vital role in enhancing neighborhood and community livability, community connections and keeping residents apprised of a range of civic activities that impact residents. It is unacceptable to reduce neighborhood associations to organizations with no say in local policy decisions that impact us. Do not water down the rights and roles of these important organizations.

Trying to further rob the power of the tax payer thru NA's is shameful. Shameful.

Neighborhood Association’s must continue to be the involved Portland’s Decision making process.

Scary to think this borders on dictatorship when the “people’s” opinions do not matter.

As I understand it, the purpose of the neighborhood associations is to have voice in our city, about anything that might effect our neighborhoods, and city. For the City to now take away our voices and our concerns is absurd. It would be like never having a meeting that the public is allowed to participate in. In other words, CLOSED DOOR MEETINGS. We as citizens of the City of Portland have no voice in what our City government does and how it acts. To further take away the voices and concerns of the citizens is just wrong. We as citizens do have the power to vote out all of the current participants, and vote in people who will listen.

We need our voices heard.

The idea to eliminate neighborhood associations is sad and not well thought out. It would be better to fix the local representation. Everyone is welcome and a member in our neighborhood association who lives here, as well as occasionally neighborhood groups come to the meeting to present their ideas and as far as I know have always been well received and then received support from the NA.

I don't believe this is in my best interest. It weakens NAs ability to voice concern and partake in changes within neighborhoods. This is a step backward. Communities need a strong voice in their local government.

There are certainly improvements that need to be made to the current Neighborhood system, but this change will not do it. Without city financial support for communications (the major means of outreach to underserved communities), the only associations that might survive are those in wealthy areas where residents can afford to pay dues. Until Portland joins the modern world and ditches its at-large five member council for a system with 15 to 20 wards who really ARE elected representatives of the disparate parts of the city, the current NA system is all we have. Make it better, don't throw it out.

I'm at a loss to understand the thinking of the City Council. How will dismantling the neighborhood associations empower more involvement? They give the people a voice in local government. Leave the Neighborhood Associations intact!!

Council members: stop destroying what is good for all cultures, ethnic groups and racial diversity in each neighborhood association. Your bias and bigotry is divisive and political fractious. This is a cause to start recalls and remove you from your elected offices: that is a real and achievable possibility. Portland City Council has become a detriment to good city level govenment. It needs to be restructured into a single Multnomah County-City Unit: let that process begin now when people are so appalled by the incoherent and dysfunctional political process. This beautiful and gifted City is being demeaned by the fractious behavior of City Council! You are creating problem, not solving them, which is your duty!

I support this petition and neighborhood associations.

Although I've had very little involvement with my N.A., and I live near a boundary between two other N.A.s, I still think they are important "voices" in Portland's government.

All this appears to be is taking power away from anyone who might oppose your agenda. This seems more like something our nations GOP would do. I'm surprised and disgusted to see fellow liberals behaving in such a shady undemocratic manner. If you actually wanted more people to have voices you would listen to every last citizen at the end of the meetings- not roll your eyes and check your watches while they utilize ten measly minutes. It's absolutely shameful.