Loretta Smith

Commissioner Loretta Smith

(Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian)

Multnomah County voters will face a crowded ballot come November, with measures that would limit campaign contributions and turn the county's elected sheriff into a political appointee.

A committee charged with reviewing the county's charter -- its governing document -- heard testimony and voted Wednesday to put both hot-button issues before voters. The first motion passed 7-5, with one abstention, and the second passed 7-6.

"Wherever you are on the issue," committee chairwoman Kirsten Leonard told the board after their vote on the sheriff, "I'm going to congratulate this group on having sat through a lot of opinions, giving it a lot of thought and coming to a conclusion that gives the voters the right to a decision."

The "Honest Elections Charter Amendment" would ban candidates from accepting donations larger than $500 from individuals. The measure allows "small donor committees" that can only accept donations of $100 or less per person annually and says they can contribute any amount to a campaign. And a candidate will have to disclose their five largest contributors on political advertisements.

The idea is popular among Oregonians -- 75 percent of respondents supported contribution limits in a November 2015 poll by DHM Research. A similar measure passed in Seattle last November. Oregon is one of six states in the county without campaign contribution limits.

"Elections right now are funded by wealthy white donors," said Kristin Eberhard, a senior researcher with the Sightline Institute. "That shows up in the results. People of color are less likely to run, raise as much money and win. When you make those big donors less important, women and people of color are more likely to run and win."

But County Commissioner Loretta Smith, the board's lone African American member, said the opposite has been true in her experience. Women and people of color, she said, lack the networks to make "enough calls to pay for the campaign itself."

"What you're doing right now is making everyday people get on the phone every single day all day," she said. "That's all they're going to be able to do if they're limited to $500."

Some charter committee members questioned whether county elections was the right forum to tackle campaign finance reform.

"This is the right problem, but the wrong place," said committee member David Robertson. "This is really best addressed at the state level."

Others argued the local level is the most effective place to incite change, noting stalled attempts to pass campaign contribution measures in Salem in recent years.

"The right place to start an issue like this on the ballot is where the people have enough courage to put it there," said committee member John Vandermosten. "The Legislature doesn't have that courage, but we may. And if we do, we may have an impact on the future of this state."

The idea struck a chord with young people during Bernie Sanders' bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. Dominic Kukla, 24, presented testimony in favor the motion - in verse.

"Campaign finance reform is going to help so many people," he rhymed. "Starting with the truth that all men are created equal."

The motion to refer a vote on appointing a sheriff also drew mixed opinions.

It came amid controversy over the county's current sheriff, Dan Staton, who announced his resignation last month. Staton is set to step down Aug. 16, more than two years early, after facing allegations he mistreated employees and attempted to influence a union vote.

Staton also was accused of improperly investigating members of the charter committee but was cleared of criminal wrongdoing by the Oregon Department of Justice.

Proponents say an appointed official would more accountable and be able to coordinate more effectively with elected officials on policy issues.

"I know a lot is made of 'Accountability is you elect people,'" said Bill Farver, who served as Ted Wheeler's Chief Operating Officer. "The fact is, I don't think that's a very effective form of accountability. Accountability is a day-to-day piece. It requires having people be evaluated regularly and having them be responsible to their colleagues."

But opponents argue it would compromise a "democratic principle" and would leave sheriffs less able to the people they serve.

County Chairwoman Deborah Kafoury, a critic of Staton's, spoke against the shift at a committee meeting last week. Staton will be replaced by former Portland police chief Mike Reese, who has said he intends to stand for election in 2018.

On Wednesday, others testified that voters will still have a say when they elect county officials. The committee will discuss at their next meeting who will appoint the sheriff. But committee member Mark Sturbois said he isn't comfortable limiting voters' say.

"In today's climate, where nobody really trusts government anymore and everyone feels like they're shut out, I think taking a choice from the people is not something that i would like to support," he said.

Deputy Matt Ferguson, president of the union that represents patrol deputies, spoke against the measure as well.

"Having an appointed sheriff where that person serves the will and whim of whoever is in office at the time is a detriment to the agency," he said. "When someone asks me who I work for, I say I work for the citizens of Multnomah County."

-Talia Richman

trichman@oregonian.com

@TaliRichman