Craddick emerges as best choice for Metro seat

The Gresham Outlook, Apr 28, 2010 (2 Reader comments)

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A successful councilor for the Metro regional government must be a strong advocate, a willing collaborator and a creative long-term thinker. And in the race for Metro Council District 1, voters in East Multnomah County are fortunate to have four candidates who each exhibit one or all of these attributes.

In addition to possessing such specific skill sets, three of the candidates – Shirley Craddick, Chris Gorsek and Duke Shepard – also have the prerequisite volunteer, professional and governmental experience necessary to hit the ground running at Metro. In the final analysis, however, we believe Craddick, who currently serves as a Gresham city councilor, is the best prepared candidate heading into the May 18 primary election.

Craddick is in her second term on the City Council, where she has proven her ability to work with her fellow councilors – and with other cities in East County – to advance broad community goals. Although she comes from an environmental perspective, we have been impressed with Craddick’s growth on the council and her willingness not only to consider economic concerns, but also to push for appropriate economic development in Gresham.

Craddick’s base is in Gresham, but she has reached out fully to other areas within the district she hopes to represent, which covers East Portland, East Multnomah County and a portion of Clackamas County. She has earned the endorsements of the mayors of Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview, Wood Village and Damascus.

In a Metro race, such endorsements signify more than they might normally mean. The main role of a Metro councilor is to forge consensus over transportation or land use issues in his or her own backyard and then carry that position forward to the regional level. In East County’s case, this area will get its fair share of the regional pie only if it presents a unified front to the region. The fact that the leaders of five local cities already have united around Craddick bodes well for her ability to continue to achieve consensus in the future.

A very strong field

Any reservations we have about recommending Craddick stem mostly from the strength of her opponents. Either Shepard, who serves on the Mt. Hood Community College board of directors, or Gorsek, a former Troutdale city councilor, would be capable of performing admirably as Metro councilor.

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