Oregon Public Broadcasting

As you look over your ballot in a few weeks, keep this in mind about the non-partisan race for Metro Council president. Metro does three things: supervises the zoo, runs garbage, and manages the urban growth boundary around Portland.  

But while Metro has little direct role in job creation, all three candidates are talking about employment and the economy. “The challenge that we face is that we’re in an economic crisis," said Bob Stacey. His opponents wouldn’t argue that point. The question is who should take on that crisis, as Rob Manning reports. For Rex Burkholder, the region’s economic problems are as clear as walking through the door of his campaign office.  “It’s a old hair salon in downtown Portland. It was an empty storefront that was, is being donated to the campaign. It’s a fun place, lots of room, lots of volunteers in here a lot, lots of space to spread out. Unfortunately, it’s kind of the upside of the downside. We have lots of empty retail – something I’m very concerned about," he said.

Burkholder is in his ninth year as a Metro Councilor. Before that, he was a smart growth and bicycle advocate. But in this election, he’s playing up his time helping run a small recycling business.

And at Metro, Burkholder said he’s helped organize more than 300 businesses involved in the emerging energy sector. “Renewable energy, energy conservation, energy efficiency – and the idea is how to promote them. It’s a way of combating climate change, because you’re reducing emissions, but you’re also taking, grabbing hold of what’s going to be the big driver in our economy – which is how do we become more efficient," he said.

In 2001, when Rex Burkholder took his seat on the Metro Council, Tom Hughes became mayor of Hillsboro.

Hughes is now also running for Metro President. “Hillsboro’s the fifth largest city in the state, and has a staff about the same size as Metro. In addition to that – a community where the city and business community had worked out a relationship that allowed us to engage in job creation probably better than anyone else in the region," he said.

Hughes said if he’s elected Metro president, he can spread his success in recruiting businesses like Solar World, to the rest of the region. He said he wants to move Metro away from its emphasis on regulations, and toward business-oriented solutions.  “For too long, the business perspective has been left out of the balance. So obviously if you restore the balance, you’re going to appear to move in the direction of being ‘pro-business.’ As Hughes spoke, he had his back to a panoramic view of downtown Portland from the top-floor of the building where he works as a lobbyist.

Bob Stacey’s campaign office has no windows. It’s not the only difference he has with Hughes. Hughes often pressed Metro to allow more urban development near his city Hillsboro. That’s put him at odds with Stacey. As director of the advocacy group, 1,000 Friends of Oregon, Stacey has pushed to protect the kind of high-quality farmland at Hillsboro’s doorstep.

Stacey said employers need land – but industrial development doesn’t need farmland. “It should be going in and near our communities. So that we reduce our need to drive. So that we don’t make longer and longer commutes, and more traffic. We put jobs close to housing," he said.

Before running 1000 Friends of Oregon, Bob Stacey directed or advised on planning matters at the city of Portland, Tri-Met, and for an Oregon governor and congressman. But he emphasizes a three year period in the mid-90s, as a key part of his economic resume.  “I’m the only candidate in this race who as a private sector development lawyer, actually helped put together – as part of a team -  put together development sites for jobs, in this region," he said.

The three candidates have met at more than a dozen debates. But last Friday, at the City Club of Portland, Rex Burkholder and Bob Stacey went at each other. They are the two Portlanders in the race, and they’re seen as competing for the same voters.

In one dramatic moment, Burkholder asked Tom Hughes a softball question to get at Stacey. “We brought in 200 acres of land, on the chance that we could bring in a high-tech firm. This had no guarantees. We were sued by Bob’s organization for this. And yet now, that’s where Genentech is. Did we do the right thing?”Stacey grimaced as Hughes thanked Burkholder for the question. Stacey got his chance to retaliate when it was his turn to ask a question of Burkholder.  “Rex, you say you support affordable housing, but you voted against an affordable housing loan program at Metro. You say you support protecting streams and habitat, but you voted against setting baseline standards for habitat by regulation," he said.

Stacey later accused Burkholder of double-speak - saying one thing, and doing another.

The three candidates say the election is still wide open because few people know much about Metro, the office of Metro Council president, or the three people running.

Hughes says he believes he has an advantage, thanks to his experience as mayor. But campaign finance reports show Bob Stacey and Rex Burkholder with more money in the bank.

If no candidate wins more than 50 percent in May, the two biggest vote getters will face off in the fall.