The revolving door at Multnomah County

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The headlines keep providing real-world examples of what isn't working in Multnomah County government. I'll keep using them to explain not just what's broken, but how I would lead differently as County Chair.

Recently, Willamette Week reported on the firing of a senior Multnomah County Health Department leader. Standing alone, it might seem like an isolated personnel matter.

It isn't.

It's about the County's chronic turnover and lack of expertise in its senior leadership.

In less than eight years, Multnomah County has cycled through six Homeless Services directors, seven Health Department directors, six Mental Health directors, five Community Justice directors, and a revolving door of other senior leaders.

Healthy organizations don't operate this way.

When leadership turns over constantly, institutional knowledge disappears, morale suffers, and the County wastes millions recruiting replacements and hiring consultants to provide expertise it should already have. Meanwhile, our community pays the price, as homelessness, mental illness, addiction, and public safety problems continue to worsen.

So why does this keep happening?

As Chief Personnel Officer, one of the Chair's most important responsibilities is hiring the department directors who lead the County's essential work. Commissioners must approve the Chair's director appointments, but those votes are almost always routine.

This April, voters got a rare opportunity to see how the two commissioners running for Chair approached that responsibility.

The Chair's nominee for Homeless Services director had spent the past decade in senior leadership in Los Angeles's homeless services system, a system now being dismantled after a federal lawsuit and independent review uncovered profound failures in oversight, accountability, and financial management. 

The resulting 3-2 vote was telling. Commissioner Brim-Edwards cast the deciding vote to approve the appointment. Commissioner Singleton voted against it, but her objection was about timing rather than the nominee's qualifications.

My approach has always been about substance and results.

As a commissioner, I brought together experts in mental health and addiction, homeless services, business, and community leaders, as well as people who use County services, to develop a mental health systems transformation plan, an addiction continuum of care, and an alternative shelter model.

After leaving office, I did it again, pulling together experts with proven records who know the County's core work inside and out to build my Comprehensive Turnaround Plan.

When I'm Chair and it's time to recruit the people who will lead the County's core work, I won't have to waste time and money searching for them. I already know who they are.

My first week in office, I will bring in the cavalry: a transition team of experienced leaders who will help fill gaps, recruit outstanding department directors, establish clear expectations, and begin rebuilding County government.

Because we don't need another revolving door of directors. We need leaders with the expertise to do the job, the authority to do it well, and the ability to account for results.

No one can do this work alone. Together, we can build a County government worthy of the people it exists to serve. I invite you to join us.

Sharon Meieran