Kate Snyder will be inaugurated Monday as Portland's third elected mayor. Snyder is a former school board chair, and has been running the Foundation for Portland Public Schools. She says she'll focus on the same issues that people talked to her about during the campaign."They're talking about affordable housing, public transportation, good schools, jobs that pay well and allow people to live in Portland," Snyder says, "the homeless shelter and how to respond to vulnerable populations in Portland, and the current plan."
Snyder says the city's dramatic growth is no surprise, but it does create new challenges. "The struggle that we're facing - and we're certainly not alone in this - is the affordability factor associated with living in Portland is becoming challenging."
The mayor's job is a full-time position that pays about $76,000 a year for a four-year term.
Snyder's win was a surprise to many, after a four-way race that brought out an unusually large number of voters.
Portland voters have chosen a new mayor in each of the three elections since the position was changed from a ceremonial post elected by the City Council.
