Timothy (TJ) Anderson

What they say they would do

Runs on listening, lived experience of homelessness and disability, and practical public service.

• Bring community and budget-committee experience to Council.
• Listen across neighborhood and political differences.
• Focus on whether city institutions work for residents.

Our reading

• Lived experience
• Audit first

His pamphlet statement makes a case for representation informed by homelessness and disability; his emailed answers add an audit-first program: map city spending and assets before any new tax or fee, more officers with lower-cost responders for routine calls, and housing growth through investability and reuse of city assets. His second reply answers most of the Council’s choices in a word or two, including public money for the Moda Center capped at $60 million. Beyond the audit’s $5 million cap, the costs and the mechanics of a Council pay freeze are not yet specified.

Where they stand

The choices this office faces

Every candidate in this race is asked the same 8 questions. Timothy (TJ) Anderson is on record on 7, with 1 still open. A question without an answer is a research gap, not a position.

• Keep the monthly street repair fee?

  Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.

• Public money and terms for renovating the Moda Center?

  Said: Answered yes to public money for the Moda Center renovation, at no more than $60 million.

  Emailed response, response source

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

  Said: Says no additional taxes or fees would be passed until a value-based audit shows where the city’s money has gone.

  Emailed response, response source

• Hire more sworn officers, or invest first elsewhere?

  Said: Says more officers are “pretty much a given” to get response times down, with cadets, volunteers and other programs handling calls that do not need the most highly trained officers.

  Emailed response, response source

• Keep funding camp removals at current levels?

  Said: Answered yes when asked whether to keep funding camp removals at current levels.

  Emailed response, response source

• Restrict new AI data centers in the city?

  Said: Answered yes when asked whether to restrict new AI data centers in the city.

  Emailed response, response source

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

  Said: Answered no to a full 24/7 Street Response “not without additions,” without yet saying what those additions would be.

  Emailed response, response source

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

  Said: Answered no when asked whether to raise water bills to pay for the Bull Run filtration plant and system repairs.

  Emailed response, response source

Their answers to our questions

Three policies and what each would cost

Said: First would be a value-based audit and investigation of where our money went over this year and the past two years as a starting point. [...] I would expect that to cost no more than $5 million. [...] While this is going on, no additional taxes or fees would be passed until we figure out where everything is going. Second would be [...] a resolution that each councilor would put in 100 hours of volunteer work per year while they are on council. [...] Third would be that until the City of Portland is back to growth in average salaries and jobs for at least two full years, with tests done every six months, benefits and the pay structure for City Council would be frozen at current levels.

Received 2026-09-19

Housing affordability and production

Said: We need more housing, and the fastest way could be to make the city more investable, but there may also be ways we could reuse city assets to help with it. [...] Reuse city assets at a lower cost for short-term help, and for the long term, we need to make the city more approachable and investable, not just to big accounts but to people who want to make Portland a home.

Received 2026-09-19

Public safety

Said: Get police response times down. We will need more officers. That is pretty much a given. But if we can find ways to handle issues that may not need our most highly trained officers and instead give those responsibilities to a combination of cadets, volunteers, and other programs as appropriate, we can work on getting response times down faster.

Received 2026-09-19

Homelessness

Said: Spending money without thought is not helping. We need to figure out what has been working, what has not, and work with urgency because there are people who need help. But there are also citizens who do not want to see their taxes wasted, so first a clear understanding of what got us hear, a timeline of peoples needs through homelessness and a method to best work with others in the city to accelerate it and covering what needs remain.

Received 2026-09-19

City spending and revenue

Said: Get it under control. We have enough to do what we need with what we have, or at least get a full view of what we need before asking for more. Revenue is in the same boat. When revenue is not growing, we are not growing our tax base, and that means what we have available for next year will generally be smaller than this year's budget.

Received 2026-09-19

Climate, transportation and environmental health

Said: I think we can use this to help our business investability. [...] It is good for both, and we can use those areas of focus that benefit multiple things to help our climate efforts. [...] We are always going to have some cars and trucks, but I would like to see more public transit and better train systems. Leave cars for those who want them and those who need them for their services. Don’t burn our finances for the future for what we want now.

Received 2026-09-19

Advisory and budget-committee work

Said: As chair for the Department of County Assets and Management, I helped bring the group's thoughts together toward the budget recommendations for our department and the projects being considered. [...] TriMet Committee for Accessible Transportation: We have gone through information related to recent cuts, trying to make sure the lowest number of people would be affected, as changes to the TriMet service area are also reflected in paratransit. [...] Tuition Review Advisory Committee at Portland State: As a student, we voted on a recommendation for an 8% tuition increase for students. [...] The 8% vote in our group passed 5-4 as a recommendation. The finance board ultimately felt it was not a move they could make.

Received 2026-09-19

The Council’s choices, in short

Said: I will say I’m not going to lock in to a lot with a full board view, so there is a lot I’m not going to see, but if we need the short list: [Moda Center] Yes, but no more than 60 million. [Clearing camps] Yes. [Data centers] Yes. [Street Response] No, not without additions. [Water rates] No. [Street repair fee] Need more info; not going to give a short answer.

Received 2026-09-22

Council votes

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

A question the evidence leaves open

How would the $5 million audit be funded, and what would its findings change first?