Editorial: Part-time commissioner’s plan hurts entire county

When Jesse Beason graciously took over for former Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal last November, he anticipated the temporary appointment would end in June.

As a Jayapal appointee, Beason wanted to ensure that North and Northeast Portland constituents in District 2 continued to have a voice on the county commission after Jayapal resigned to seek a congressional seat. Despite holding a full-time position as executive director of the Northwest Health Foundation, Beason pledged to work on adopting a budget in June, at which point residents would have voted on Jayapal’s replacement or, as noted in a press release last year, could ask commissioners to appoint someone else to the position.

But things didn’t go as expected. With several candidates in the race, none got a majority of the vote, meaning Jayapal’s successor won’t be decided until November. And Beason, who has been juggling two important, time-consuming jobs on top of family commitments, said last week that he needs to make a change. In a newsletter to constituents, Beason laid out the imperfect options before him, before settling on his chosen path of becoming a part-time commissioner. His plan is to work eight to 10 hours a week (with a commensurate cut in pay) and focus on preparing for Thursday’s board meetings, when key votes are taken.

Beason’s desire to reorganize his overburdened schedule is entirely understandable, and county residents owe him their gratitude. He has approached the job with a clear sense of public service and a willingness to explain his positions. But this solution falls short of the representation that constituents, both in his district and across Multnomah County, deserve.

Prioritizing Thursday meetings means she will miss most of the weekly briefings that provide updates on projects, provide background for upcoming votes and offer presentations on various county initiatives. While Beason told the editorial board she can still watch recordings of the briefings later if needed, such work sessions are opportunities for commissioners to ask staff questions in real time, allowing them to identify areas that need further attention and provide accountability that ensures government is working the way the public expects.

This also means you won’t have as many behind-the-scenes meetings between commissioners that provide an opportunity to share perspectives in a lower-stakes environment than board meetings allow.

And he acknowledged that he won’t spend as much time hearing directly from constituents in the community, a critical way to learn firsthand how people feel about the direction the county is taking. Relying on staff accounts or emails simply isn’t enough to provide an informed representation.

While Beason is concerned about giving a voice to District 2 voters, they are not the only ones affected. Casting votes on issues like the county’s lane-rerouting program or the design of the Burnside Bridge replacement determines policy not just for his constituents, but for those across the county. Doing so with only partial knowledge and investment in the debate benefits no constituent.

To be sure, a vacancy is not without its problems. Beason said that in retrospect, resigning earlier might have left the commission in a better position to find a replacement — a task that is much more difficult given the short time remaining before the November election.

And Beason has been a key ally for Chairwoman Jessica Vega Pederson. The board could potentially face more tie votes if commissioners fail to quickly fill her seat. But ties aren’t necessarily a bad outcome, particularly considering how Vega Pederson has been able to garner the votes to simply defeat proposals pushed by Commissioners Sharon Meieran and Julia Brim-Edwards rather than craft a compromise. Solutions that can satisfy a majority — or even all members — of a four-person board would ensure that the county as a whole is heard, not just those represented by a 3-2 majority.

Beason deserves to be able to scale back his many commitments, and county residents deserve full participation from everyone who votes on policies or actions affecting the county. Beason should step down with confidence that the remaining commissioners will make it work.

-The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board