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Portland Mayor Charlie Hales and state Treasurer Ted Wheeler have differing views about who should hire the city's next development director.

(The Oregonian/OregonLive)

A political rift has emerged over who should get to hire the next director of Portland's urban renewal agency.

Mayor Charlie Hales indicated last week that he plans to fill the high-profile position even though Hales will leave office at year's end.

But mayoral candidate Ted Wheeler is now calling on Hales to hold off until voters pick Hales' replacement.

"I believe it would be in the city's best long-term interests that the new director is chosen by the next Council based on a shared vision for the commission's future," Wheeler wrote in a letter delivered to Hales' office Friday.

Wheeler's plea comes after the current director of the Portland Development Commission, Patrick Quinton, announced Feb. 8 that he'll step down in May or June to pursue other opportunities.

Portland's mayor oversees the development commission, although an appointed board of directors -- nominated by the mayor -- approves commission business. Quinton reports to Tom Kelly, the board's appointed chairman.

At the time of Quinton's announcement, both Hales and Kelly said they wanted to hire his replacement.

"My inclination would be to proceed," Hales told The Oregonian/OregonLive. Added Kelly: "It's our job to keep the agency going in the best way possible, as opposed to waiting for the next politician to come along."

Portland voters may elect a new mayor May 17. If no candidate emerges with more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two candidates will head to a November runoff, where a winner will be crowned. Either way, the new mayor won't take office until January.

In his letter, Wheeler argued that the development director is a "critical person" within any mayoral administration. Portland needs to hire someone who will focus on neighborhood economic development and supporting local business, added Wheeler, the state treasurer.

"I hope you agree that the best course of action is to appoint an interim director until the election season is over," Wheeler wrote.

The other mayoral frontrunner, Multnomah County Commissioner Jules Bailey, told The Oregonian/OregonLive that the decision to hire or wait is Hales' to make.

Mayoral spokesman Brian Worley said Hales was out of the office Friday and unavailable for comment. Asked if Hales had changed his stance on hiring Quinton's replacement, Worley said, "No, I don't believe so."

At least one other city leader expected that Hales' successor would make the decision.

Quinton last week sent an email to colleagues and others announcing his resignation. In it, Quinton indicated that someone within the agency -- likely his deputy director, Kimberly Branam -- should take over on an interim basis.

"I am confident that PDC's current leadership can guide the agency over the next year until a new mayor is in office and can lead a formal search," Quinton wrote.

-- Brad Schmidt

503-294-7628

@cityhallwatch