October 21, 2020

Sarah Iannarone Releases Blueprint for First 100 Days

Recent polling has shown voters remain undecided on the Portland Mayoral election. Many voters have not heard of insurgent frontrunner Sarah Iannarone, and many have contacted the campaign to ask, “What will Sarah do differently?” Responding to the questions of undecided voters, Sarah Iannarone, Candidate for Mayor, today released A Blueprint for the First 100 Days of her administration.

Among many solutions to the problems Portland faces, the Blueprint details Sarah’s commitment to take the following actions at the start of her administration:

• Place Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty in charge of the Portland Police Bureau
• Authorize the city to begin purchasing and rehabilitating hotels and motels into hundreds of units of permanently affordable housing
• Establish a community-based small business center to help small businesses navigate and recover from the COVID-19 crisis by identifying business practice recalibration and government support and programs available
• Initiate a “climate test,” to weigh the climate impacts of every policy Portland considers
• Sign the Mayors for a Guaranteed Income pledge

Sarah Iannarone said of the plan, “For the last year, my campaign has been leading the conversation on COVID response, pushing for action on police reform, and calling for humane housing policy that will make our neighborhoods safer and our streets cleaner. Today, I’m ready to put those plans into action. We have a clear path to victory for progressive policy - the Blueprint shows voters what’s on the other side.”

The plan also details Iannarone’s commitment to reconfigure staffing in the Mayor’s office to oversee her bold policy agenda: Housing; Youth, Family and Education; Small Business; Mobility Justice; and Labor Relations policy positions within the Mayor’s office are detailed in the plan. In a statement, Campaign Director Gregory McKelvey said, “The current Portland mayor’s office has proven mismanaged, non-communicative, and with high staff turnover. They’ve been largely ineffective at addressing our city’s most pressing problems in a timely fashion. Staffing up and getting to work will be a critical part of our first month.”

The plan ends with Ianarone’s pledge to Portland voters:

“As Mayor, I pledge that my decision making will be done through collective and inclusive processes. I will not operate alone or oppose the popular will of Portlanders. The people of Portland are the right people to make decisions about the future of our city - not just by electing me Mayor, but by holding me accountable to do what I say I will do. And while my Plan for Progress is important to me, and important to Portland’s future, I will remain nimble in addressing all the ongoing crises our city faces and any that may emerge. I am committed to making sure the Portland’s mayor’s office functions efficiently and effectively by staying connected to and activating our city’s civic network. I will work hard to transcend politics and bring all Portlanders together to realize a truly progressive future for this wonderful place we call home.”

Iannarone plans to convene a community summit at City Hall (COVID-permitting) on April 10, 2021, at the end of her first 100 days, to report back on her progress and be accountable to the voters of Portland.

The full plan is live at sarah2020.com/100.