Charlie Hales

Charlie Hales
52nd Mayor of Portland, Oregon
Assumed office
January 1, 2013
Preceded by Sam Adams
Succeeded by Ted Wheeler (elect)
Portland City Commissioner
In office
January 1993 – May 2002
Preceded by Dick Bogle
Succeeded by Randy Leonard
Personal details
Born Charles Andrew Hales
(1956-01-22) January 22, 1956
Washington, D.C., United States
Nationality American
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Nancy Hales
Children 5
Alma mater University of Virginia
Website Mayor's website

Charles Andrew "Charlie" Hales (born January 22, 1956) is an American politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. He is the current Mayor of Portland, having taken office on January 1, 2013,[1] and previously served on the Portland City Council, from 1993 to 2002.[2]

Early life and education

Charles Andrew Hales was born in Washington, D.C., in January 1956.[3] His father, Alfred Ross Hales, Jr., was a structural engineer for the United States Navy and his mother, Carol Hales, was a homemaker. He had two older siblings but, at nine years younger than his brother, grew up "virtually as an only child."[3]

Hales attended public schools in Alexandria, Virginia, and graduated from Thomas Edison High School in Fairfax County, where he participated in band and drama club. He graduated with honors from the University of Virginia in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in political theory.[3] He took graduate studies in public administration at Lewis & Clark College in Portland.

Career

City Council

Hales was elected to Portland City Council in 1992 at age 36. Previously he was vice president for the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland. He was sworn in as a City Commissioner — as city council members in Portland are called — in January 1993.[4]

During his tenure on the city council, Hales conceived of and won voter approval for the first parks bond measure in over 50 years, funding construction of two new community centers and over 100 park improvement projects across the city.[5] He led Portland's role in expanding MAX Light Rail to Portland International Airport, and north along Interstate Avenue — now the "red" and "yellow" lines of the regional light rail system. Also in his role as City Commissioner, Hales completed the first phase of the Portland Streetcar system, the first urban streetcar in the U.S. in almost 50 years.[6] He also completed the planning of the Pearl District and South Waterfront redevelopment areas, which were designed as dense, transit-oriented "new urban" neighborhoods.[7][8] Hales' advocacy for transportation — summed up in his stated goal to make Portland "the best European city in America" for non-auto transportation[9] — earned him the nickname, "Choo-Choo Charlie."[10]

One of Hales' more controversial initiatives as a city commissioner was diversifying Portland Fire Bureau workforce. He hired the first-ever chief from outside the Bureau ranks,[11] and created an apprenticeship program that added over 80 women and people of color to what had previously been a 99-percent white, male organization.[12] He also became the only Portland politician to vote against Joint Terrorism Task Force involvement.[13]

Hales' attendance declined in 2001 during his campaign for the executive director position of the Port of Portland.[13] At the end of May 2002,[10] part way through his third term, Hales left to take a position with HDR, Inc., an engineering firm, where he managed planning and design of new streetcar lines in cities across the country.[5] Projects Hales planned that are now open or under construction include streetcar lines in Cincinnati, Salt Lake City, Tucson, and Kansas City. Following his departure from City Council, Hales told Willamette Week that he considered the 1994 parks bond measure and the streetcar to be his greatest achievements while in office.[5]

Mayoral tenure

Hales campaigning for mayor in February 2012

In 2011, Hales announced that he would be a candidate for mayor in 2012. On November 6, 2012, he defeated challenger Jefferson Smith,[14] receiving 61% of the vote.[15] He assumed office on January 1, 2013.

During the first two years of his tenure as mayor, Hales confronted the city's largest-ever budget shortfall — $21 million[16] — and emerged with a balanced budget,[17] as well as conservative budgeting practices that allowed in enough revenue for supplemental budgets.[18][19] Hales also implemented a number of reforms in police practices, and prioritized community policing through walking beats[20][21] and his choice in police chief,[22] the community-minded Larry O'Dea.[23][24] Along with Commissioner Steve Novick, Hales in 2014 proposed $46 million in new fees to pay for street maintenance and safety improvements, such as filling pot holes and building sidewalks.[25]

On March 6, 2015 Hales announced he would seek reelection for the 2016 mayoral election[26][27] but in September State Treasurer and former county commissioner Ted Wheeler announced his intention to run a well-funded campaign against Hales.[28] A month later Hales abandoned his reelection bid, stating, "So when confronted with a choice between giving my full effort to the job of being mayor and spending that energy on a long and consuming re-election campaign, it's an easy choice. Therefore, I have decided not to file for re-election.".[29][30][31] Wheeler cruised to victory in May 2016 with token opposition.[32]

On November 3, 2015, Hales and the Government of Portland, Oregon passed a resolution opposing the local expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure.[33]

Much of Hales's tenure as mayor has been embroiled in his controversial decisions regarding Portland's homeless issue. Hales initially declared a housing emergency in 2015 [34] before experimenting with a "Safe Sleep Policy" which promoted non-enforcement of anti-camping laws on sidewalks and rights of way, which was promptly met with lawsuits from local businesses and neighborhood groups.[35]

Following these lawsuits as well as regular protests from the residents adjacent to the Springwater Corridor Trail[36] Hales reversed his "Safe Sleep Policy" and vowed to clean up the Trail. Following lawsuits and protests against this decision, Hales delayed the sweep by a month, during a period when he was on vacation.

Personal life

Hales married his second wife, Nancy in 2004 and claimed tax residency at her Stevenson, Washington home until 2009. Oregon taxes income in Hales' bracket at 10.8 percent, while Washington has no income tax. Hales received public criticism during his 2012 campaign for voting eight times in Oregon while a Washington resident.[37]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Hales sworn in as new Portland mayor". KATU. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
  2. ↑ Schmidt, Brad (May 23, 2011). "Portland's competitive 2012 mayoral race under way with Charlie Hales' announcement". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 Pein, Corey (April 11, 2012). "The Road to Hales: Charlie Hales is running for mayor based on his record. It's full of detours, roundabouts and switchbacks.". Willamette Week. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  4. ↑ Mayer, James; and Barnes C. Ellis (January 5, 1993). "Katz takes swearing-in to Roosevelt High". The Oregonian, p. 1.
  5. 1 2 3 Budnick, Nick; Schrag, John; Zusman, Mark (August 7, 2002). "You're a Good Man, Charlie Hales". Willamette Week. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  6. ↑ Stewart, Bill (June 23, 1998). "Downtown streetcar plan ready to roll". The Oregonian. (subscription required (help)).
  7. ↑ http://www.pdc.us/our-work/urban-renewal-areas/north-macadam.aspx
  8. ↑ Leeson, Fred (March 13, 1994). "Old river area holds promise of rebirth". The Oregonian. (subscription required (help)).
  9. ↑ Duin, Steve (April 17, 2001). "It's beginning to feel a lot like Roma". The Oregonian. (subscription required (help)).
  10. 1 2 Christ, Janet (May 30, 2002). "Hugs and flowers as Hales hits the road". The Oregonian. p. D2. (subscription required (help)).
  11. ↑ Mayer, James (November 25, 1993). "City goes outside to select fire chief". The Oregonian. (subscription required (help)).
  12. ↑ Har, Janie (July 31, 2011). "Hales' record on diversity is not an empty boast". The Oregonian. (subscription required (help)).
  13. 1 2 Schmidt, Brad (May 23, 2011). "Charlie Hales says he's running for Portland mayor in 2012". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  14. ↑ Slovic, Beth (November 6, 2012). "Portland Mayor-elect Charlie Hales will work 'every day' to make city proud". The Oregonian. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
  15. ↑ "November 2012 General Election - Official Results". Office of the City Auditor, Portland. December 2012. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
  16. ↑ Mesh, Aaron (January 30, 2013). "Return of Chucky: Portland needs to make big spending cuts. New mayor Charlie Hales is swinging the ax". Willamette Week. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  17. ↑ Kost, Ryan (June 20, 2013). "Portland City Council gives final OK to budget that includes several cuts". The Oregonian. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  18. ↑ Theen, Andrew (September 17, 2013). "In the wake of a difficult budget process, Portland now finds itself with 'excess' cash". The Oregonian. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  19. ↑ Theen, Andrew (November 12, 2014). "Portland approves $11.1 million in spending on maintenance, debt repayment projects". The Oregonian. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  20. ↑ Edge, Sami (September 3, 2014). "Street Talk: Community policing has come to Hawthorne Boulevard — and it seems to be working". Willamette Week. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  21. ↑ City of Portland (December 4, 2014). "Outreach Workers, Police Praise Relationship-Building Approach to Policing" (Press release). Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  22. ↑ City of Portland (October 7, 2014). "Chief Reese Announces Retirement: Mayor Names Assistant Chief Larry O'Dea as Successor" (Press release). Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  23. ↑ Bernstein, Maxine (February 28, 2014). "Portland Police Bureau needs to change its mission, assistant chief says". The Oregonian. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  24. ↑ Maus, Jonathan (November 7, 2008). "Head of Traffic Division promoted to Assistant Police Chief". BikePortland.
  25. ↑ "Our Streets Transportation Funding Conversation". Portland Bureau of Transportation. 2014.
  26. ↑ Redden, Jim publisher=Portland Tribune (March 6, 2015). "Hales to run for re-election in 2016". Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  27. ↑ Theen, Andrew (March 6, 2015). "Portland Mayor Charlie Hales will seek second term in 2016". OregonLive. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  28. ↑ Duffy, Lizzy (September 9, 2015). [hhttp://www.opb.org/news/article/ted-wheeler-to-run-for-portland-mayor-in-2016/ "Ted Wheeler To Run For Portland Mayor In 2016"]. OPB.org. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  29. ↑ Slovic, Beth (October 28, 2015). "Mayor Charlie Hales Abandons Bid for Re-election". Willamette Week. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  30. ↑ Tomlinson, Kerry (October 26, 2015). "Portland Mayor Charlie Hales won't seek re-election". KATU News. Archived from the original on October 29, 2015. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  31. ↑ Woodward, Chris (October 26, 2015). "Mayor Charlie Hales announces he won't seek re-election". KOIN 6 News. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  32. ↑ Schmidt, Brad publisher=Oregonian (May 17, 2016). "Ted Wheeler wins race to be Portland's next mayor". Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  33. ↑ Hirji, Zahra (13 November 2015). "Resolution Opposing All New Fossil Fuel Infrastructure Passes in Portland". InsideClimate News. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  34. ↑ Mesh,Aaron (September 25, 2015). "Mayor Charlie Hales Declares Portland Housing Emergency". Willamette Week. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  35. ↑ Bernton,Hal (May 9, 2016). "Portland allows homeless to camp overnight on streets; Seattle officials watch". Seattle Times. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  36. ↑ Park,Eileen (August 6, 2015). "Angry Lents neighbors protest at mayor's house". KOIN 6. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  37. ↑ Pein, Corey (April 11, 2012). "The Road to Hales: Charlie Hales is running for mayor based on his record. It's full of detours, roundabouts and switchbacks.". Willamette Week. Retrieved October 22, 2016.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Charlie Hales.
Political offices
Preceded by
Sam Adams		 Mayor of Portland, Oregon
2013–present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/30/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.