The Portland City Council delayed its decision about policies for the planned shelter Monday, including whether to set a limit on the number of people who would be served there.
Randy Billings
Staff Writer
Randy Billings is a government watchdog and political reporter who has been the State House bureau chief since 2021. He was named the Maine Press Association’s Journalist of the Year in 2020. He joined the Press Herald in 2012 as the Portland City Hall reporter, where his beat touched on a wide range of topics, including municipal government, immigration, homelessness, housing and social services. Prior to that, he worked at various weeklies as well as business and arts publications. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine, Orono. He lives in North Yarmouth with his wife and two children and enjoys the outdoors and playing his upright bass.
Posted inLocal Elections, Maine, News
Portland council decides to ask voters whether to expand ranked-choice voting in city elections
The effort to expand ranked-choice voting to all city elections was initially led by Fair Elections Portland, but the group failed to gather enough signatures to put it on the ballot.
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Posted inMaine, News
Portland council delays vote on facial recognition ban
While Councilor Pious Ali is concerned about the technology and says it can misidentify women and people of color, other councilors want to wait until Kate Snyder is sworn in as mayor and the issue is studied by a committee.
Posted inMaine, News
Portland poised to ask voters to expand use of ranked-choice voting
The City Council on Monday is expected to set a date to ask whether they want to expand the voting method to all council and school board elections.
Posted inMaine, News
Portland considers ban on face-scanning technology
Civil rights advocates fear the proliferating facial recognition technology will be used to conduct mass surveillance of innocent civilians without probable cause.
Posted inMaine, News
Portland councilors must decide how many homeless people new shelter can hold
The City Council has to set the capacity so the shelter can be designed, but advocates for the homeless fear the city could abandon its 30-year commitment to taking in anyone in need of shelter.
Posted inBusiness, Maine, News
High-priced housing market is squeezing low-income renters
Residents of The Woodwinds are the latest tenants in the Portland area to feel the pressure exerted by rent increases, a development boom and a lack of affordable housing.
Posted inLocal Elections, Maine, News, Politics
On the day after, Portland’s mayor-elect reflects on a win that surprised even herself
Kate Snyder says in a Q&A with the Portland Press Herald that she’s already making plans to meet with city councilors and the city manager to begin the transition to her new full-time job.
Posted inElections, Local Elections, Maine, News, Politics
Kate Snyder wins heated race for Portland mayor, unseating incumbent Ethan Strimling
After taking a commanding lead, the former school board chair wins a late-night ranked-choice runoff.
Posted inElections, Local Elections, Maine, News, Politics
Ethics commission to take up complaints in Portland mayoral race after election
But its executive director said that a PAC formed to oppose Mayor Ethan Strimling’s re-election was late to file reports and could face over $7,000 in fines, while a complaint against Strimling’s campaign was unsubstantiated.