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Matthias Hallett

District 3 candidate · Portland City Council · November 3, 2026

Matthias Hallett

Estate-planning attorney; former deputy probate clerk.

In their words

Said: Police should be present, visible, and known in the neighborhoods they serve, officers walking a beat, not just responding to 911 calls after the fact.

Pamphlet p. 58

Candidate statement · November 2026 edition; extracted September 20, 2026

Multnomah County voters’ pamphlet · PDF page 58 ↗

Verbatim opening of the candidate's own statement; publication by the county does not verify the claims.

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 words

Argues that police staffing, faster permitting and a more competitive business tax structure are prerequisites for Portland’s recovery.

  • Fund police recruitment, retention and neighborhood presence.
  • Set permitting deadlines with escalation for stalled applications.
  • Recruit manufacturing and other employers that sell outside the region.

Our reading

Our interpretation, not their words
  • Police capacity
  • Private-sector recovery

He links economic recovery to stronger policing and a lighter burden on business. Expanding staffing without new taxes depends on reallocations or growth; the reviewed materials do not reconcile those costs.

Where they stand

Rent and homes

Faster building permits
What
Said: Favors faster permitting, deadlines and escalation when applications stall.
How
Said: Would set strict permitting timelines with automatic escalation when a project stalls.
Measured by
Not in their sources

Camps, crime and who responds

Two officers per 1,000
What
Said: Supports a goal of two police officers per 1,000 residents without raising taxes; emphasizes recruitment and street presence.
How
Said: Backs the Safer Portland charter amendment: a minimum police staffing level funded by dedicating part of existing Clean Energy Fund revenue to recruitment and training, with no new taxes; would fund competitive pay.
Measured by
Said: Two sworn officers per 1,000 residents, against about 1.26 today.

Your bills and taxes

Audits and spending limits
What
Said: Calls for audits and limits on unaccountable spending, lighter burdens on businesses, and an agreement to retain the Blazers. His critique of ranked-choice voting is a campaign position, not evidence the count is unreliable.
How
Said: Would order forensic audits of homelessness spending, with criminal investigations where evidence of waste or fraud exists, and right-size the business tax structure.
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 8 questions. Matthias Hallett is on record on 3, with 5 still open. A question without an answer is a research gap, not a position.

No answer we could find
  • Keep funding camp removals at current levels?

    Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.

  • Restrict new AI data centers in the city?

    Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.

  • Expand Portland Street Response to a full 24/7 role?

    Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.

  • Keep the monthly street repair fee?

    Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.

  • Raise water bills to pay for the Bull Run filtration plant and system repairs?

    Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.

On record
  • Public money and terms for renovating the Moda Center?

    Said: Wants a deal that keeps the Blazers long-term while protecting taxpayers; calls for good-faith, transparent negotiation.

  • Raise new revenue, or hold the line on taxes and fees?

    Said: Says Portland cannot tax its way out of a shrinking base and must grow it back; backs police funding with no new taxes.

  • Hire more sworn officers, or invest first elsewhere?

    Said: Backs the Safer Portland goal of two sworn officers per 1,000 residents, funded without raising taxes.

Compare every candidate

Council votes

No Council vote yet. That is not a judgment about experience.

A question the evidence leaves open

Which taxes would change, and how would police expansion be funded during the transition?

Sources (2)

  1. Multnomah County voters’ pamphlet · PDF page 58Candidate statement · November 2026 edition; reviewed September 18, 2026Written by the candidate or campaign. Publication by the county does not verify the claims.
  2. Hallett · Re-Vision platformCandidate statement · Website reviewed September 18, 2026Campaign position. Claimed results and numerical premises have not automatically been independently verified.