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Prospective Board Member Guide

The Urban Flood Safety and Water Quality District (UFSWQD) invites prospective candidates to file for one of five elected Board of Director positions open during the November 5, 2024 election. In addition, candidates may request to be nominated by the Governor for one of four appointed positions. 

Please note: 

  • All nine board positions are non-partisan.
  • All terms will begin in January 2025
  • A person may file for only one position during the same election. 

Board Member Responsibilities 

  • Collectively, the UFSWQD Board of Directors is the District’s official policy and decision-making body for the special district. A complete job description is linked here.
  • Board members serve as the Budget Committee, approve the budget and the capital improvement plan for the District. 
  • The time commitment for board membership is estimated to be 6-10 hours per month. The Board generally meets once a month for a two-hour meeting. Board members should expect to spend an additional hour preparing for each meeting. Board members may also serve on sub-committees or act as liaisons to other community-based or governmental organizations. As the District begins to implement major capital projects and new statutory mandates, board members should expect to spend extra time familiarizing themselves with projects and topics. 
  • The current Interim Board of Directors is considering a compensation policy for board members proposed to include an optional monthly stipend of $400. 

Position Summaries 

The five elected positions include: 

  • Position 1 – At-large position 
  • Position 2 – At-large with ties to the managed floodplain 
  • Position 3 – At-large with ties to the managed floodplain 
  • Position 4 – At-large with ties to the managed floodplain 
  • Position 5 – At-large with ties to the managed floodplain 

The Governor will appoint four additional positions: 

  • Position 6 – One director with expertise or an interest in flood safety. 
  • Position 7 – One director with expertise or an interest in environmental conservation. 
  • Position 8 – One director with expertise or an interest in environmental justice. 
  • Position 9 – One director representing the Port of Portland from among persons recommended by the board of commissioners of the Port of Portland. 

If you are interested in applying for one of the appointed positions, please reach out to Wendy Lynn for more information through this form. The application to be considered for an appointment by the Governor is linked here. Please indicate which specific position you are applying for in the second form field, e.g. Position 6, flood safety.  The deadline to apply is end of business September 13, 2024.

Prospective Board Member Interest Form

Dates and Deadlines 

Qualified candidates who submit completed form SEL 190 Multnomah County Elections no later than Tuesday, August 27, 2024 at 5:00 pm will be placed on the ballot.  

  • First day for electoral candidates to file July 18, 2024. 
  • Candidate Information Session 6-7 pm Thursday July 18, 2024. Register here.
  • Candidate Information Session 6-7 pm Monday August 19, 2024. Register here.
  • Electoral candidates must file with the County by 5:00 PM August 27, 2024. 
  • Voters’ Pamphlet deadline is 5:00 PM August 29, 2024.  
  • Prospective appointees must apply to the Governor by September 15, 2024.  
  • November 5, 2024 Election Day 
  • Governor appointments will be made by mid-November. 
  • January 2025 swearing in and first board meeting

Elected Board of Director Position Eligibility 

Each of the five elected directors must meet specific criteria. If you have questions about whether you qualify, please reach out to Board Coordinator Wendy Lynn.  

Candidates are encouraged to complete this form to demonstrate their qualification to run for the board prior to filing their candidacy with Multnomah County Elections. The form may be submitted along with the County’s SEL 190 form. It is not a requirement. If you have any questions, please reach out to Board Coordinator Wendy Lynn at wlynn@mcdd.org or 971-710-2438. 

 

Position 1. At-large requirements: 

  • Must reside within the boundaries of the District; and 
  • Be a registered voter.

Positions 2-5. Must meet one of the following specific criteria: 

Option #1: 

  • Reside within the managed floodplain; and
  • Be a registered voter.

OR Option #2:

  • Own real property located within the managed floodplain; and
  • Be a registered voter. 

OR Option #3:

  • Is the designated representative of a business or other for profit or nonprofit corporation that owns real property located within the managed floodplain and is authorized in writing by the owner to be a candidate at the time of filing the declaration of candidacy; and
  • Be a registered voter.

Map of District 

The District encompasses the entirety of Multnomah County within the Urban Growth Boundary. The managed floodplain is currently defined by the historic boundaries of the Peninsula Drainage District #1, Peninsula Drainage District #2, Multnomah County Drainage District #1, and the Sandy Drainage Improvement Company. 

Interactive Map 

To verify that an address is located within the Urban Flood Safety & Water Quality District or the managed floodplain, you may use this interactive map of the District. 

  • Uncheck the “Voting Districts” checkbox in the top right of the webpage. 
  • Click on the arrow to the left of “Congressional, State, and Local Jurisdictional Boundaries.”  
  • Select the checkbox next to either “Urban Flood Safety and Water Quality District” or “Managed Floodplain.” 
  • Use the magnifying glass / search function in the upper left to check a street address to see if it is in the District or managed floodplain.

Multnomah County Election Filing Process

Please reference the County’s resource guide: Multnomah County Elections Division Candidate Guide. The following is a summary: In order to file for office, all candidates will need to complete an SEL 190 form and return it to Multnomah County Elections by 5:00 pm on August 27, 2024. 

The SEL 190 form must be submitted to Multnomah County Elections: 

  • In person at their office: 1040 SE Morrison Street, Portland OR 97214 
  • By mail to the address above  
  • By email to filings@multco.us 

For emailed forms, please include a signature that looks like your wet signature – no digital signatures like Docusign are allowed; for most people, this will mean printing, signing, and scanning or taking a photo. 

Candidates are encouraged to complete this form to demonstrate their qualification to run for the board prior to filing their candidacy with Multnomah County Elections. The form may be submitted along with the County’s SEL 190 form. It is not a requirement. If you have any questions, please reach out to Board Coordinator Wendy Lynn at wlynn@mcdd.org or 971-710-2438. 

In order for the filing to be complete, candidates will either need to: 

  • Pay the $10 filing fee by the filing deadline. Multnomah County Elections accepts check, cash, debit/credit; people can pay with debit/credit over the phone at 503-988-VOTE if they don’t want to come into the office to file; or  
  • Submit a signature petition by mail or in person by the filing deadline. Candidates will need 25 valid signatures from voters who are actively registered within the UFSWQD on the date that they sign. It is recommended to collect more than 25 signatures in case some of the people who sign are not eligible or their signatures cannot be matched to their voter files. Candidates must mail or bring the original signature sheets to the Multnomah County Elections Division. Electronic submission is not possible. 

To learn more about the UFSWQD Board election process and to download all required forms, please go to the  Multnomah County Elections Division website, the special districts election webpage or call 503-823-4000. 

 

Voters Pamphlet 

Candidates may choose to submit a statement to appear in the Multnomah County Voters’ Pamphlet. To do so, they must pay a $25 fee and submit a signed JCVP-01 form. If you want to include endorsements in your candidate statement, you will need to submit a JCVP-02 form for each endorser. These will need to be submitted by the Voters’ Pamphlet filing deadline listed below in order to appear in the Voters’ Pamphlet.  

 

Campaign Finance Requirements 

Candidates must track all contributions and expenditures. If a candidate exceeds $750 in campaign-related expenditures or contributions, there are reporting requirements. Please review the Oregon Secretary of State Candidate “Quick Guide” on Campaign Finance Reporting (https://sos.oregon.gov/elections/Documents/candidatequickguide.pdf and  the Campaign Finance Manual (https://sos.oregon.gov/elections/documents/campaign-finance.pdf) for instructions and deadlines. Campaign finance filing is conducted electronically through the Secretary of State’s Elections Division 

 

Informational Links

ORS 550 – UFSWQD authorizing statute  

Flood Safe Columbia River Website 

Multnomah County Elections Webpage

Multnomah County Elections Division Candidate Guide 

Special District Association of Oregon – Special District Board Member Handbook 

Oregon Government Ethics Commission 

 

 Contact 

For answers to general questions about the UFSWQD Board of Directors and questions about position requirements, please reach out to Board Coordinator Wendy Lynn at wlynn@mcdd.org or 971-710-2438. 

For answers to specific questions about the filing process and to download all required forms, please go to the Multnomah County Elections Division website or call 503-988-8683.