City commissioners verbally sparred with angry members of the public on Wednesday over whether to approve a $10 million contract for security guards at Portland City Hall.

Dozens of residents showed up to oppose the contract with G4S Security Solutions, saying the city should not hire the company because of its work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Israeli government.

The commissioners said the contract was in the best interest of the city. G4S has been Portland’s security contractor for years and the guards they provide are union members who do good work and deescalate tense situations, the elected officials said.

Mayor Ted Wheeler did not allow time for residents to testify on the contract, leading audience members to shout at Wheeler, who twice put the City Council meeting into recess and cleared the Council chamber.

Once back in session, people opposed to the contract shouted over Commissioners Nick Fish, Jo Ann Hardesty, Chloe Eudaly and Amanda Fritz as they were explaining their votes.

“You are disrupting and disrespecting me,” Eudaly said.

An audience member yelled back, “You’re disrespecting the people who voted for you!”

“You don’t know what I’m going to say,” Eudaly responded, before voting against the contract.

Disruptions continued as Fritz was called to vote. “Are you not going to let me talk?” she said over protesters’ shouts.

Wheeler cleared the council chambers again.

“Third time’s a charm,” he said, once the council reconvened with members of the public kept outside.

“Ah, I had such a great speech and there’s no one here to hear it,” Fritz said before voting to approve the contract. “It’s really disheartening that people are not willing to listen.”

City Hall security costs have escalated under Wheeler’s administration. The annual cost was $175,000 in 2016 but had ballooned to $847,000 by last year, driven mostly by an increase in the number of guards deployed. Those increases were approved even as officials concluded there were fewer security threats at City Hall.

On Wednesday, the Council approved spending $2 million a year on security with G4S. The contract was approved 4-1 with Eudaly the sole vote against it.

-- Gordon R. Friedman

GFriedman@Oregonian.com