City of Portland
City Council Election 2024

On November 5 voters in the City of Portland will elect three new City Council members. Portland operates under a Council-Manager government form, with a nine-member City Council comprised of the Mayor, five district Councilors, and three at-large members. The eight Councilors serve three-year staggered terms. This year, one at-large seat and seats in Districts 1 and 2 are being vacated.

In preparation for this election cycle, Greater Portland Landmarks created a City Council Candidate Survey to learn more about the candidates' visions for the future and views on historic preservation in Portland, to begin a dialogue about issues that are important to us, and to share what we learned with our supporters. We are encouraged by the full participation in the survey by all candidates, and their very thoughtful responses on a range of important issues that affect our city. 

The survey ranged from broad inquiry into the value of preserving historic buildings and neighborhood character, to specific questions about issues the city is currently facing and ways historic preservation benefits important comprehensive planning goals. We are especially pleased to see the candidates support and value many of the core tenets of our mission, including:

  • preserving Portland's special character, history, and identity for residents and visitors

  • maintaining the city's status as a Certified Local Government with access to important funding opportunities including rehabilitation tax credits

  • sustainably reusing historic buildings to preserve neighborhood character and reduce waste, including finding appropriate new uses for the city's high schools following their planned consolidation on a new campus rather than demolishing them

  • supporting the goals of the City's comprehensive plan including historic preservation, equitable and affordable housing production, walkable mixed-use neighborhoods, and resilience in the face of climate change

  • developing and enhancing neighborhood density along transit corridors and on underutilized lots to re-knit the fabric of our neighborhoods and enliven the city's major corridors

  • supporting the city's climate goals and its working waterfront

We encourage you to read the candidates’ responses as you consider your votes this election. Their responses are organized by Council race and a sample question, asking how much importance the candidates place on Portland’s historic preservation programs and their role in shaping the city’s future, is excerpted below. To view the full survey and all questions and responses, please click each race here (District 1, District 2, At-Large) or the district maps embedded below.

District One

District One

Sarah Michniewicz
High importance. Historic preservation has been shown to support housing density and climate goals. I believe it is most successful when it can thoughtfully integrate well-reasoned adaptations that enhance its mission without undermining the essence of what makes Portland such a wonderful place to be.

Todd Morse
I think the impact of historic preservation is so much more than the amount of land it represents. In the not too distant past there was a plan to essentially level Portland’s Old Port and redevelop it. This is a small portion of Portland’s land area but now with the benefit of hindsight it is obvious how this would have destroyed Portland’s identity. Portland is defined by its historic fabric. It is why there are neighborhoods in Portland that are still walkable and for better or for worse it is why tourists from all over the world want to come to Portland. Historic areas are in a lot of ways a non-renewable resource which is why they are so important to preserve, once they are gone they are gone. I view the future of Portland’s historic preservation as identifying what it is that we value and making sure we protect it for future generations.

 

District Two

Atiim B. Boykin
They must go hand and hand and find ways to incentivise keeping historic character. There are creative ways to do this without having Portland residents feeling bound to fines and restrictions that foster a hostile environment.

Nancy English
I am deeply engaged in honoring our past by protecting Portland's historic buildings and the fabric of our historic streets and neighborhoods. Much will change in the years to come but finding a way to hold on to that past is essential -- even as we acknowledge the damage and cruelty perpetrated by some of our ancestors. Like the shell midden sculptures built into the landscape at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens by Shane Perley-Dutcher and Anna Tsouhlarakis, presenting visitors with the history of the indigenous world in place before European settlement, historic districts that speak truthfully can help us face our own complexity. I am sure what we preserve will change as we continue to embrace our humanity. But our best future shall rise like an old forest from our past.

District Two

Catherine Nekoie
I place great importance on historic preservation. As residents of Portland, you can walk through our beautiful city and see the rich history reflected in its architecture and landmarks.

Robert O'Brien
It is so easy to take for granted how unique Portland's built environment is. I travel to towns and cities all across America for work, and there are precious few with historic neighborhoods (both commercial and residential) as intact as ours. I was talking to a business owner in Bucksport, Maine, a couple of years ago who told me (unsolicited), "When I drive through these Downeast towns, you know right away which ones have a future and which ones are dying on the vine by how well they've kept up their architecture." I felt the same way visiting Quebec City a few years ago -- how that small city is an international destination because of its historic district -- and on the drive home, observing which of those French-Canadian towns that had crushed their historic village centers in the 1980s in favor of modern strip malls. They'll never get that historic character back. Portland must defend our historic architecture as one of our most precious assets.

Wesley Pelletier
Our historic preservation programs should be recognized for their role in building our economic base, especially in commercial districts like the Old Port. I believe these programs should be maintained and expanded in conjunction with other goals to move toward denser, non-auto-centric urban designs that have historically made our city a success.

 

At Large

At Large Seat

Jess Falero
I think preservation is incredibly important, and there’s many ways to preserve history and also solve local crisis. We just need to think outside the box and be resourceful.

Ben Grant
I hold it in balance with other needs. We should preserve what gives Portland its character, but also be open to new things that help us meet our needs. So long as there are fair and open processes - and rules that everyone understands and abides, I am confident we as a City can reach that balance.

Grayson Lookner
I think it's tremendously important. Portland has changed dramatically in the 12 years I've been here, and even more so since the early 90s when I first came here from Camden to go to the Civic Center. I don't want to see our history and heritage fall victim to material progress. It is also important for me to that what makes our city what it is - our working communities, working families, and creative communities, can afford to remain in the city. Portland should be a place where our diverse people still remain invested in the whole. I want to preserve Portland's small town appeal while addressing our big city problems. I believe we can do both.

Brandon Mazer
First let me say, we owe a great debt of gratitude to former Mayor Pam Plumb for sponsoring and garnering council support for the Historic Preservation Ordinance during her tenure. It served and continues to serve as an important basis for preserving the connection to the city's past and its rich cultural history. Its importance cannot be understated as to the significance role it played in shaping the city as we know it today and into the future. It was also disappointing to me that a majority of the current Council seemingly ignored our ordinance and the recommendation of both the Historic Preservation Board and the Planning Board when it voted to remove the former Children’s Museum as a contributing building in the Congress Street Historic District.

Jake Viola
It is so important to learn from the mistakes of the past – like the demolition of Union Station – and recognize that once our historic buildings and neighborhoods are gone, they are gone forever. We must preserve that which makes Portland, well, Portland. We can reuse historic buildings for different purposes, and we should adapt as we face new needs, but we should incorporate this history into our future so that we never lose our identity.