Whatchamacolumn: City governance to represent all the people
McMinnville City Council’s final 2024 meeting on Wednesday began with extended, well-deserved accolades for long public service by Mayor Remy Drabkin and outgoing council members Kellie Menke and Adam Garvin. Then, intense debate over appointment of new city Water & Light commissioners provided a final governing controversy for Drabkin following her November election loss to incoming Mayor Kim Morris.
After three years on the city Planning Commission, Drabkin ran unopposed for City Council in 2014 and 2018. She was named council president in 2021, and interim mayor in 2022 after former Mayor Scott Hill resigned. Again unopposed, Drabkin was elected mayor in 2022 to complete Hill’s term of office.
Drabkin garnered regional and national attention as McMinnville’s first woman mayor, and first queer-identifying person to hold that office. She has focused on progressive housing and homelessness policies; procurement of outside funding for city projects; and expansion of progressive government operations through a new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee.
During the 2024 campaign, fellow councilor Sal Peralta wrote, “No local official has done more to bring resources into Yamhill County, to address problems like homelessness, crime, addiction and affordable housing, than McMinnville’s Mayor Remy Drabkin.”
City finances, however, were on the minds of 2024 voters. Drabkin’s time as councilor and mayor has been marked by significant increases in taxes, fees, regulations and government complexity in a city with just 5 percent population growth over the past 10 years. She became vulnerable to a widespread 2024 backlash against progressive government expansion.
One reader’s campaign letter argued: “Kim (Morris) is in favor of transparent, consistent, responsible financial management. She aims to get answers, while being mindful of burdensome fees for citizens … She understands the delicate balance between visions of a better city and the financial reality for many people.”
This year, focusing on DEI, Drabkin created and used a new public process for appointing a Water & Light commissioner. When two more commissioners resigned last week, pending her own loss of office, Drabkin returned to direct appointment without applications, public access or outside consultation.
Drabkin defended her action Wednesday with a thinly developed scenario that the vacancies would prevent official business activity by a five-member W&L Commission. Resulting controversy this week caused three City Council members to vote against appointment of Lisa Macy-Baker based solely on disagreement with the process. Drabkin broke that 3-3 tie to confirm the appointment.
Councilor Zack Geary reversed positions related to appointment of Adam Garvin, who was confirmed by a 3-1 vote after his own recusal and an abstention by Councilor Jessica Payne.
Ironically, the city incorporated ideas from Drabkin’s earlier W&L process into guidelines for all council appointments to committees, boards and commissions. The City Charter, however, provides mayoral prerogative for appointing W&L commissioners.
A change in city leadership will bring new and often welcome scrutiny to city policies and budgets and operating philosophies. But those leaders also need to realize that they represent all the people of McMinnville, not just those who put them into office.
Jeb Bladine can be reached at jbladine@newsregister.com or 503-687-1223.
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