“Jo Ann has been willing to tackle the tough issues, I especially appreciate our critical partnership to make our streets safer. “ - U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer

  • Hardesty Fulfills Pledge to Address Crisis on Streets by Creating Portland Street Response

    After deep listening with businesses, homeless communities, and neighborhood leaders, Commissioner Hardesty secured unanimous support to create Portland Street Response in 2021 to address the health crisis on our streets.

  • Collaborative Violence Prevention Pilot Shows Promise, Decreasing Gun Violence by 64%

    Commissioner Hardesty led a violence prevention pilot in collaboration with community and City bureaus in the Mt. Scott-Arleta neighborhood, which reduced gun violence in the area by 64%

  • Three New Village Shelters Established Following Onset of the Pandemic

    Following shelter in place orders at the onset of the pandemic, Commissioner Hardesty collaborated with Mayor Wheeler to establish 3 new villages style shelters, including one of the only LGBTQ+ specific shelter spaces in Portland.

  • Portland Protects Reproductive Rights Locally

    In response to abortion bans around the country (including most recently our neighoring state of Idaho) Commissioner Hardesty championed legislation dedicating funds to local organizations and directed our City Attorney’s to help fight these draconian laws wherever they surface.

  • Hardesty and Community Win Fight to Block Expanded Crude Oil Facility in NW Portland

    The City of Portland denied Zenith Energy’s permit for an expanded oil transport facility along the Willamette River after a 3 year fight. The decision affirms Portland’s climate justice goals and protects neighborhoods from the risk of oil spills.

  • $185M Upgrades for a Safer 82nd Ave

    Hardesty joined the long running neighborhood fight to transfer 82nd Ave from the state to the city, helping secure new funding for accessibility and safety upgrades. The “Avenue of the Roses” is now the commercial and educational center of some of Portland’s most diverse communities.

  • Sara Boone is First Black Fire Chief in its History

    Fire Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty promoted division chief and 24 year veteran firefighter Sara Boone as the next fire chief for Portland Fire & Rescue.

  • Clean Energy Measure Approved by 65% of Voters

    Jo Ann Hardesty formed the core leadership team that won the nationally recognized initiative. The fund generates $60 million annually from a 1% tax on corporations with $1 billion in receipts, for workforce training, tree planting, and retrofitting low-income homes.

  • Hardesty-Led Police Accountability Measure Wins in Landslide

    At the height of the racial justice protests, Commissioner Hardesty wrote and passed a groundbreaking independent civilian oversight measure with new authority to discipline officers, supported by 82% of voters.

  • Increasingly Dry Conditions Leads City to Ban Fireworks

    Commissioner Hardesty working with Portland Fire & Rescue introduced the ordinance the ban for the safety of our firefighters and community as we adapt to extreme heat and wildfires driven by climate change.

  • Portland Street Response Expands Citywide Following Hardesty Advocacy

    After a successful pilot, Commissioner Hardesty secured unanimous support for the expansion of the unarmed, 911 first responder program, freeing up resources and police for other priorities.

  • Street Corners Made Safer for All Modes of Transit

    Commissioner Hardesty cut through decades of inaction with the political courage to clear parking from over 350 dangerous street corners, increasing access for children and people with disabilities, improving neighborhood and business connectivity.

  • Study Shows Portland Street Response Success

    An independent evaluation from Portland State University Homeless Research Action Collaborative found Portland Street Response was highly effective, needed 911 response and recomended further expansion.

  • Safety Improvements in High Crash Corridors

    Responding to an alarming increase in traffic related deaths, Commissioner Hardesty recieved unanimous Council support for an emergency package of rapid street safety improvements that were mostly completed by the end of 2021.

  • City Ends Ineffective Police Units with Documented Racial Profiling Data

    By ending speciality units that audits showed to be ineffective and engaged in racial profiling, over 40 police officers were available to be re-assigned to Portlanders immediate needs such as 911 response or patrol, while we were able to expand community safety alternatives to policing.

  • Portland Invests in Hope, Healing, and Opportunity with Black Youth Leadership Fund

    Following the 100+ days of local racial justice protests in 2020, Commissioner Hardesty fulfilled a promise to invest in Portland’s Black Youth in collaboration with community partners like the Soul Restoration Center, Black United Fund of Oregon, and Oregon Community Foundation.

  • Hardesty Leads Portland to Strongest Facial Recognition Ban in the Country

    Protecting Portlanders privacy, preventing personal data (including children) from having their data sold, and addressing concerns of racial bias, Commissioner Hardesty championed the work of Smart City PDX to pass the strongest ban on facial recognition technology in the country - banning both the public and private use of the invase, biased technology.

  • Legislature Removes Red Tape for Red Light Cameras

    Portland is experiencing a major spike in traffic deaths, and one key tool in reducing speeds and crashes is photo radar. Thanks to State Representative Jeff Reardon whose district includes East Portland, the legislature passed House Bill 4105 that Commissioner Hardesty strongly advocated for, giving cities like Portland the option of having a civilian traffic enforcement agent instead of only a sworn police officer to administer photo radar citations. This helps keep costs low and supports our police officers to do work they've been trained to do instead of sitting behind a desk.

  • Portland Invests $6 million in Community, Violence Prevention

    Commissioner Hardesty joined Commissioner Carmen Rubio in supporting a package of investments and policy changes designed to reduce violence: multilingual street level outreach, engaging with victims of gun violence, and restorative justice.

  • Hardesty Doubles Down on Making Street Plazas Permanent

    After two years of pandemic-driven outdoor seating and car free streets, Commissioner Hardesty is proposing making permanent these new people-centered, small business economic spaces. 90% of survey respondents supported the spaces, and 74% reported walking or biking to get there. Over 1,000 businesses have applied for and received a permit.

  • Camping Restrictions Enacted in Wildfire Zones

    Commissioner Hardesty, who oversees the Fire Bureau, worked with community partners to offer alternatives to houseless campers in areas like Forest Park and Powell Butte for their safety. Higher temperatures and drier summers raised the risk for wildfires.

  • Hardesty Extends Free Outdoor Seating Permits

    Near the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the city of Portland implemented its Healthy Business Permits program, which allowed more than 1,000 struggling restaurants and businesses to expand onto sidewalks and street parking. Hardesty won support to extend the program and now is proposing making it permanent.

  • Hardesty Early Champion to Protect Willamette River from Fuel Disaster

    Oregon's aging fuel storage housing millions of gallons of flammable materials poses a serious threat to our region. Addressing the significant risks to our Northwest Portland Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub along the Willamette River identified in the joint city-county study that Commissioner Hardesty was an early champion for, Senator Michael Dembrow led the Fuel Disaster legislation. Senate Bill 1567 passed with bipartisan support, requiring energy terminal owners to submit comprehensive seismic vulnerability assessments and risk mitigation plans.

  • Civil Liberties Advocates Applaud Hardesty and Council on Leaving Flawed Terrorism Task Force

    With the Trump Administration targeting immigrants, Muslims, and other Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, Hardesty fulfilled her campaign pledge and won council support to withdraw from the Joint Terrorism Task Force, a federal partnership with Portland Police due to not enough civilian oversight to ensure officers abide by civil rights laws and evidence that the task force has made Portland safer.

  • Hardesty Completes Promise to Hold Community Meetings Throughout Portland

    Commissioner Hardesty engaged hundreds of Portlanders all over Portland while completing her campaign promise to hold community conversations in each section of Portland during her first year in office.

  • Hardesty Wins New Accountability and Transparency in Police Union Contract and Transparancy

    Fulfilling a promise to engage the community more intentionally, Hardesty fought for outside legal counsel and more opportunities for community input over a 3 year process. The contract provides for the expansion of Portland Street Response and a new discipline guide, complementing the voter-approved independent oversight board.

  • Hardesty Takes No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge

    Addressing the climate crisis we are in, Commissioner Hardesty signed an official pledge not to take money from fossil fuel companies and executives joining U.S. Senator Jeff Merkely, Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal, and other electeds.

  • Ankeny Food Cart Village Anchors Downtown Recovery

    As part of an envisioned Green Loop, the city council invested in helping transition the iconic Alder Street Food Cart pod to a new location at West Burnside and SW Park. Commissioner Hardesty won council support for city resources to help the 55 carts displaced due to luxury development.

  • Portland's Biketown Expands into North and East Portland

    Responding to community feedback, Commissioner Hardesty supported the expansion of e-bike services by 25% into neighborhoods with higher concentrations of communities of color and with less reliable access to public transit.

  • Neighborhood Programs Stabilized Under Commissoiner Hardesty's Leadership

    In a Bureau shuffle by Mayor Wheeler, Commissioner Hardesty took charge of the Office of Community & Civic Life inheriting an ongoing grievances and investigation processes. Listening to workers and community, the office has developed new leadership, focusing on healing and transformation.

  • Fire Dept Launch Program to Address Health & Social Needs

    With council support secured by Commissioner Hardesty, Portland Fire & Rescue launched a new community health program for 911 calls identified as non-emergency issues, generally 30% of the calls. Firefighter first responders will fill the gap to connect residents with health care and education on alternatives to 911 in order to reduce the burden on emergency services.

  • Portland Creates Nation's First Safety Net for Cannabis Industry & Workers

    Commissioner Hardesty won council approval to allow the Office of Civic & Community Life to provide emergency relief grants for cannabis business and individuals in their economic recovery.

  • Hardesty Wins Restrictions on Federal Officers in Portland

    Commissioner Hardesty secured a resolution that created safeguards to ensure federal deputized officers remained under local control and protected Portlanders from being charged with bogus federal charges during the racial justice protests in 2020.

    OPB