With Multnomah County facing mounting pressure over homelessness, addiction, behavioral health services and budget cuts, three current or former commissioners are offering voters competing ideas for how to run the government that oversees those programs. Sharon Meieran, Shannon Singleton and Julia Brim-Edwards are seeking to replace Chair Jessica Vega Pederson in November. The chair serves as the county’s chief executive, proposes its multibillion-dollar budget, appoints department directors and oversees nearly 6,000 employees. The position pays $253,496 a year and has broad power over which proposals reach the five-member commission. The race comes as an estimated 14,500 people in Multnomah County are experiencing homelessness, at least half of them unsheltered. County programs have faced questions about their performance even as the local safety net confronts deep cuts, staff turnover and uncertainty over federal funding. A survey commissioned by the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center found that voters expressed less trust in the county commission than in other local governments. “It is a disaster and people are outraged,” Meieran said. The candidates agree that county government needs to deliver better results, but differ on how much it needs to change. Meieran, a physician and former commissioner, wants a sweeping reorganization. Singleton, a social worker and housing advocate who joined the commission in 2024, emphasizes coordination and reforms shaped by people who use county services. Brim-Edwards, a former Nike public affairs executive and current commissioner, says she would consolidate oversight and press for measurable results. The election will also be the county’s first to use ranked-choice voting. Campaign fundraising has been limited by county contribution rules. As of the week before the candidates’ September debate, Brim-Edwards had raised about $195,000, Meieran $126,000 and Singleton just under $43,000. Their reported cash balances were $67,000, $66,000 and $29,000, respectively. **A sweeping overhaul** Meieran, 62, served on the commission from 2017 to 2024 and ran unsuccessfully for chair in 2022. She says the county’s structures and spending practices are preventing it from addressing major problems. Her plan would restructure governance, contracting and performance management, and shift toward zero-based budgeting, in which spending must be justified against specified goals. “Unless we actually change how the county does its work, we’re never going to get to solving these big problems,” Meieran said. Supporters say her willingness to confront failures could help improve services. Critics, including former county Homeless Services Department director Dan Field, have questioned whether her combative style would make her an effective manager. Field said staff need direction rather than public scolding. Meieran rejects the idea that her bluntness makes her unfit to lead, arguing that calling out failures helped force attention to issues such as slow ambulance response times. **Reforms from the front lines** Singleton, 49, previously led homeless services nonprofit JOIN, advised former Gov. Kate Brown on housing and directed the state’s equity and racial justice work. She says people seeking help can be passed among county departments and caseworkers without consistent support, wasting resources and making it harder to get services. Her approach would focus on improving coordination rather than remaking county government from the ground up. As a commissioner, she has supported lobbyist disclosure requirements, changes to the county’s drug deflection program and reducing reliance on one-time funds for ongoing services. Singleton also says the county should account for the potential effect of new federal Medicaid work requirements on low-income residents. She has criticized what she describes as a defensive culture under the current administration and says service users should have a greater voice in budget decisions. Her critics include District Attorney Nathan Vasquez, who argued that Singleton would harm public safety. Singleton said she does not support unlimited funding for law enforcement, particularly when other departments are absorbing larger cuts, but rejects the claim that she disregards public safety. **A focus on accountability** Brim-Edwards, 65, has served on the commission since 2023 and previously sat on the Portland Public Schools board. She points to her work on statewide school funding, a sobering center expected to open next year, and efforts to restore funding for county drug-treatment and mental-health courts as evidence that she can deliver results. If elected, she says she would create a central structure linking healthcare, behavioral health, addiction treatment and housing. She also wants an audit of homeless-service contractors and says she would seek to prevent further reductions to corrections and the District Attorney’s Office. Brim-Edwards has backing from major public-sector unions, elected officials and business-aligned political groups. The business-backed United for Portland has funded billboards promoting her candidacy. Meieran has criticized the business community’s advertising spending, warning that outside money could influence the contest. Brim-Edwards’ supporters say her labor backing reflects a record of working with unions. She has also faced criticism from former Portland school board colleagues, who described her management style as overly controlling. Basic Rights Oregon recently withdrew its endorsement without explaining why. Brim-Edwards called attacks on her record a smear campaign and pointed to her Democratic affiliation and support for progressive causes. The next chair will take office amid fiscal challenges, including the expected expiration of a regional homelessness services tax and the possibility of further funding pressures. The candidates’ differing plans put a central question before voters: whether the county needs a fundamental redesign, more integrated services or tighter oversight of existing programs.