Mayor Ted Wheeler's office has fired senior policy adviser Nathan Howard over his use of Wheeler's city-owned car, three City Hall officials said Thursday.

Howard had recently driven home in Wheeler's city-owned white Ford C-Max hybrid, but was dishonest about where he went with it when asked last week, said the officials, who knew about the firing but weren't authorized to speak on the record about it.

Howard said he was aiding Wheeler at an event the evening of March 13 when he drove the mayor's city car home because he wasn't feeling well. Howard, 28, said he returned the car the next morning. City rules generally forbid employees from using city cars "for any purpose except official city business."

Michael Cox, Wheeler's deputy chief of staff, confirmed that Howard no longer works for the mayor. Cox declined to elaborate.

Howard said he "made a bad judgement call" by taking the mayor's car home and regrets failing to come clean about it right away. He also said he believes it was not right for the mayor's office "to unceremoniously fire me for this infraction."

Still, Howard said he is grateful to have had the opportunity to work for Wheeler. "I'm a huge believer in the city of Portland and public service and I know this mayor has what it takes to improve the lives of Portlanders," Howard said.

Before becoming one of Wheeler's five senior policy advisors, Howard played an integral role in Wheeler's ascendancy to the mayor's office as his deputy campaign manager. Howard and his brother, Aaron Howard, also co-founded and own Cave Junction-based marijuana farm East Fork Agriculture LLC., which operates under the name East Fork Cultivars, and a business called East Fork Hemp LLC.

Howard's ouster may open a rift between Wheeler and Portland's most liberal residents, some of whom saw Howard as a positive influence on the mayor's policymaking.

Margot Black, an organizer with Portland Tenants United, said Howard's firing "leaves a huge vacuum" in the mayor's office that can't be easily filled. She said Howard was one of the few who could "hold the mayor and the staff in that office accountable to campaign promises," particularly on issues of affordable housing.

Other locals aired their outrage on Twitter.

Voting rights advocate Henry Kraemer tweeted that Howard "was perhaps progressives' best friend" in Wheeler's office, adding, "I expect many Portlanders will miss (Howard's) presence there, whether they all know it or not." Local social justice activist Cameron Whitten tweeted, "A loss for the city."

As news of Howard's departure spread, Portland's Resistance co-founder Gregory McKelvey tweeted, "Say it ain't so!" Howard replied, "I wish it wasn't."

Howard posted The Oregonian/OregonLive story on his firing to his Facebook page Thursday afternoon, saying the situation is ironic given his dislike of cars and driving. Katrina Maley Wheeler, who is married to the mayor, commented, "This was not an easy decision. I know they tried to make it work. You're missed, I can tell you that."

-- Gordon R. Friedman

503-221-8209; @GordonRFriedman