Mayor candidate · City of Gresham · November 3, 2026
Sue Piazza
City councilor, business coach and travel consultant.
Reach the campaign
As published in their pamphlet statement and City filing and campaign site.
In their words
Said: You work hard to build a good life in Gresham. City government should work just as hard for you.
Pamphlet p. 41
Candidate statement · November 2026 edition; extracted September 21, 2026
Multnomah County voters’ pamphlet · PDF page 41 ↗Verbatim opening of the candidate's own statement; publication by the county does not verify the claims. The opening line “But this isn’t about me, it’s about you...” trails off with an ellipsis rather than terminal punctuation and the tagline “YOUR CITY. YOUR SAFETY. YOUR MONEY. YOUR FUTURE.” has no predicate; both are skipped. The first sentence is under 12 words, so two are shown.
The verbatim opening of their voters’ pamphlet statement, the same rule for every candidate. We chose nothing.
What they say they would do
Our summary of their platform, in our wordsEmphasizes public safety, spending discipline and creating conditions for local businesses to grow.
- Reduce unnecessary costs and fees.
- Prioritize police and fire services and address encampments in public spaces.
- Attract employers and good-paying jobs.
Our reading
Our interpretation, not their wordsHer program puts management change and cost control first; the statement does not say which fees would fall, what they raise now or which services would absorb the difference.
Where they stand
Rent and homes
Wider housing range- What
- Said: Bring a wider range of housing to Gresham, including what she calls next-level and executive housing, so people who succeed do not have to leave the city; address homelessness in a way that is both compassionate and accountable.
- How
- Not in their sources
- Measured by
- Not in their sources
Camps, crime and who responds
Police first, no tents- What
- Said: Keep public safety the top priority: reduce crime and address homelessness without allowing tents and encampments to take over streets and parks; she cites championing the Public Safety Levy that put more police officers and firefighters on the streets.
- How
- Said: Build on the police and fire levy she says she led, with smart investments in police and fire and drug addiction managed so neighborhoods are safe enough for businesses to invest.
- Measured by
- Not in their sources
Your bills and taxes
Cut fees and costs- What
- Said: Hold City Hall accountable for efficient, transparent government, lower unnecessary costs and fees, and prioritize tax dollars on critical services; she says government can do more with less.
- How
- Not in their sources
- Measured by
- Not in their sources
Streets, buses and air
Not foundNot found in the sources we reviewed. That is a research gap, not a position.
The choices this office faces
Every candidate in this race is asked the same 6 questions. Sue Piazza is on record on 6. A question without an answer is a research gap, not a position.
On recordKeep the Police, Fire and Parks Fee at $15 a month, now that the council can change it by resolution?
Said: Voted yes February 3 and 17, 2026 to move the fee into a resolution and keep it at $15; her campaign promises to lower “unnecessary costs and fees” without naming which ones.
Renew the $1.35 public-safety levy before it expires in 2029, and keep Gresham’s own fire department rather than join a district?
Said: Says she championed the 2024 levy that put more officers and firefighters on the streets; nothing on renewal or a fire district, and the May 5, 2026 minutes do not record her speaking on the district models.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid.
Keep drawing reserves to cover a $10 million general-fund gap, or cut services or raise revenue?
Said: Voted no June 9, 2026 on Resolution 3713 adopting the FY 2026/27 budget (4–2); the minutes record no reason. Told a September chamber forum the city should operate with a responsible fiscal mindset.
Stay on the new groundwater system and fix the taste and hardness complaints, with water rates rising 5% a year from 2028?
Said: Moved and voted for the 2028–32 rate increases June 2, 2026; on September 1 asked staff about chlorine odor, a return to chloramine and treatment costs, and has held listening sessions on water quality.
Keep the camping ban with housing-focused outreach, and allow pod shelters only under the new permit code?
Said: Moved the first reading of the pod-shelter code February 3, 2026 and voted for it; says she would address homelessness “without allowing tents and encampments to take over our streets and parks.”
Go beyond the January 2026 rule-of-law resolution and declare an immigration-enforcement emergency, as residents asked?
Said: Voted for Resolution 3681 January 20, 2026 after urging “careful consideration to avoid causing additional harm” and constructive talks with federal partners; in October 2025 asked whether sanctuary status could cost federal grants.
A question the evidence leaves open
Which fees and expenditures would you reduce, and what services would be protected?
Sources (2)
- Multnomah County voters’ pamphlet · PDF page 41Candidate statement · November 2026 edition; reviewed September 18, 2026Written by the candidate or campaign. Publication by the county does not verify the claims.
- Piazza · campaign homeCandidate statement · Website reviewed September 21, 2026Campaign position. Claimed results and numerical premises have not automatically been independently verified.