City of Portland · November 3, 2026
Portland City Council, City Auditor
- 1
- Candidates
- 1
- Seats
- 6
- Rank up to
- Nov 3
- Due 8 p.m.
Our readingDraft
One candidate appears on the city’s checked register. Even uncontested, the office’s choices matter: which audits come first, whether recommendations get done, and how the auditor keeps independence from the bureaus it reviews.
| Candidate | 0 of 1 documented | 1 of 1 documented | 1 of 1 documented | 1 of 1 documented | Save to my ballot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Homes | Safety | Money | Streets |
What this office decides right now
What’s at stake
The auditor is elected citywide and works independently of the mayor and council: she alone picks which city programs get performance audits, runs the ombudsman, hearings office, archives, council clerk and city elections, and manages the outside audit of the city’s financial statements. The next term starts with a smaller office, a city cutting budgets, and half of past audit recommendations still undone.
Each of this office’s 4 live choices is a board below, with every candidate’s stated position or the gap.
A smaller office
The FY 2026–27 adopted budget gives the Auditor’s Office $14,599,982 and 45 positions, down from 47: a performance auditor and an administrative specialist were eliminated ($367,479), materials and services cut $215,090, and $217,356 drawn from the Auditor’s Reserve Fund created for emergencies.
Nine audits, one fewer
The FY 2026–27 schedule names nine audits, including Portland Solutions, police body-worn cameras and utility rates, one fewer than last year to match the office’s reduced capacity. The auditor has sole authority over the list and can swap topics if higher-priority issues emerge.
Recommendations undone
Of 204 recommendations from 33 audits in FY 2019–24, 49% were implemented by the 2024 impact report, against a 64% average among peer cities; the report names prioritization by the administration and Council as the main obstacle.
Unbudgeted housing funds
In February 2026 the City Administrator disclosed that over $100 million in housing funds had gone unbudgeted. The auditor’s financial audit verifies the city’s statements but does not assess how funds are used; her office had audited shelters and inclusionary housing and found monitoring gaps.
911 follow-through
A June 24, 2026 audit found the average 911 wait fell from 77 seconds in July 2022 to 18 seconds in January 2026, with 91 senior dispatchers and 6 vacancies, but the bureau still missed the standard of answering 90% of calls within 15 seconds; 46% of trainees left or were let go.
Police oversight moved out
Independent Police Review, once the auditor’s division, now sits under City Operations with $0 in the auditor’s budget since FY 2025–26; it took 213 community complaints in 2025, up 19%, and will run until the 21-member Community Board for Police Accountability’s new office replaces it.
Where they stand · four more choices
Four choices the City of Portland faces
One question at a time: every candidate’s answer, A–Z, with its source. Open all to see who has said nothing about what.
Which audits firstWhich city programs should the auditor’s nine performance auditors examine this year?1 of 1 on record
The auditor alone picks audit topics. Her June 18, 2026 schedule for FY 2026–27 lists nine: Portland Solutions, citywide equity, fund management, cybersecurity, Prosper Portland grants, gun-violence prevention, emergency management, police body-worn cameras and utility rates, one fewer than last year after a performance auditor position was cut.
- Simone RedeIncumbent city auditorPortland Solutions, body cameras
What they did
Chose the FY 2026–27 schedule herself on June 18, 2026: Portland Solutions, citywide equity, fund management, cybersecurity, Prosper Portland grants, gun-violence prevention, emergency management, police body-worn cameras and utility rates, one fewer topic after cutting an auditor position.
Auditor’s office cutsShould the Auditor’s Office take the same budget cut as the rest of the city?1 of 1 on record
With citywide cuts of up to 10% on the table, the auditor asked in March 2026 that her office’s cut be held to 3%. The FY 2026–27 adopted budget gives the office $14,599,982 and 45 positions, two fewer: a performance auditor and an administrative specialist ($367,479), plus $215,090 less for materials and a $217,356 draw on the Auditor’s Reserve Fund.
- Simone RedeIncumbent city auditorHold cut to 3%
What they did
Asked the mayor in March 2026 to hold her office’s cut to 3% while citywide cuts of up to 10% were weighed, writing that transparency and accountability are not optional; her own requested budget cut one performance auditor.
Petition verificationStand by the Elections Division’s ruling that the community-safety initiative fell short of the ballot?1 of 1 on record
The auditor’s Elections Division runs city elections. On August 4, 2026 it ruled Initiative Petition 1PDX2026, the “Portland Enhanced Community Safety Initiative,” did not qualify: 63,315 signatures submitted, 34,130 projected valid, 40,437 needed. Chief petitioners alleged changed totals, lost records and bias; the division answered each claim on July 29.
- Simone RedeIncumbent city auditorRuling stands
What they did
Said July 29, 2026 that “independent election administration cannot bend to political pressure — from petitioners, opponents, or elected officials,” and that her division administers elections with integrity and by the law.
Council-requested investigationsTake on investigations the City Council asks for, as it did over Zenith Energy?1 of 1 on record
Council Resolution 37702 (March 19, 2025) urged the auditor to investigate the city’s handling of Zenith Energy’s land-use compatibility statements. She declined on April 30, 2025: the Ombudsman investigates unfair treatment of individuals, and the Council has its own charter power to compel testimony or can seek a performance audit.
- Simone RedeIncumbent city auditorDeclined Zenith request
What they did
Declined the Council’s March 2025 Zenith request, writing it was unclear how a report on past land-use decisions “will remedy harm or result in fairer treatment,” and pointed to the Council’s own powers or a performance audit.
About this race
How to vote
You rank up to six candidates for one seat. Ranking more people never hurts your first choice. How it works
Ballots mail Oct 14 · return by 8 p.m. Nov 3
What this office can do
The auditor independently examines city performance and administers functions including city elections. The office does not run city bureaus.
How this list was made
Same questions for everyone, A–Z. Each chip is our short reading of a sourced statement; we do not endorse, rank or score.
Reviewed September 18, 2026 · lines 2026-09-19.1 · AI-assisted, human review pending
Terms explained
- Amendment
- A proposed change to a measure before the final vote. Voting for an amendment is not the same as voting for the whole measure.
- Supplemental budget
- A mid-year change to the city budget after the main budget is adopted.
- Appropriation
- Permission to spend money on something. It does not mean the money has been spent or the result achieved.
- PCEF
- The Portland Clean Energy Fund: a tax on large retailers that pays for climate projects. Council has debated using its interest for other services.
- Term sheet
- Starting terms for a negotiation. Approving one is not a final contract.
- Housing owned by the public or a nonprofit and rented at controlled prices.
- CEI Hub
- The fuel-storage area along the Willamette in Northwest Portland, where Zenith Energy operates.
- Ranked choice
- You rank candidates in order. If your first choice is eliminated or already elected, your vote counts toward your next choice.