Vote Key: 
= cast progressive vote 
= opposed progressive vote 
= absent
< MORE PROGRESSIVE OVERALL LESS PROGRESSIVE OVERALL >
| Vote | Ethan Strimling 94% | Pious Ali 88% | Brian Batson 82% | Spencer Thibodeau 76% | David Brenerman 76% | Justin Costa 71% | Jill Duson 65% | Nick Mavodones 65% | Belinda Ray 53% | . |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Assistance for Asylum-Seekers.Progressive Vote = YES The council voted to continue providing aid to asylum-seekers who had been excluded by LePage administration policy changes. General assistance covers basic needs, including rent, food, and other essential services. | Motion passed 9-0, December 19, 2016 |  | | | | | | | | | |
| $64 million bond to repair Longfellow, Lyseth, Presumpscot, & Reiche Elementary Schools. Progressive Vote = YES The 4-school bond fell one vote short of the 7-vote supermajority needed to pass the council and advance to the voters without a competing option. | Motion failed 6-3, March 20, 2017 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Fee Increase for Non-Owner-Occupied AirBnB Units.Progressive Vote = YES While debating a first-ever ordinance regulating short-term rentals, the council considered an amendment by Councilor Brian Batson to increase registration fees for non-owner-occupied units by 50 percent. | Motion failed 4-5, March 27, 2017 | | | | | | | | | | |
| AirBnB Regulation.Progressive Vote = YES Amid Portland’s tight housing market and affordability crisis, the council capped the number of short-term rental units allowed in the city and required hosts to register and pay a fee. | Motion passed 8-1, March 27, 2017 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Thames Street Extension.Progressive Vote: NO Last year, the city council voted to sell a plot of city-owned waterfront land to a private developer (58 Fore Street) for $400,000—less than half the appraised value. This year, the council voted to allocate $1.4 million of taxpayer money to build a road to that same piece of property. | Motion passed, 8-1, April 5, 2017 | | | | | | | | | | |
| $24 Million One-School Bond to Repair Only Lyseth Elementary School.Progressive Vote: NO While debating the 4-school bond, Councilor Belinda Ray offered an amendment opposed by the PTOs of all four elementary schools and Protect Our Neighborhood Schools to reduce the bond to $24 million and fully renovate only Lyseth Elementary School. Had this amendment passed, the 4-school bond would have been dead. | Motion failed 2-7, April 24, 2017 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Final School Bond Compromise.Progressive Vote = YES After weeks of negotiation, the council passed a historic compromise allowing Portland voters to vote on the 4-school bond, with a 2-school competing option cutting out Reiche and Longfellow also placed on the ballot. | Motion passed 8-1, April 24, 2017 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 100% Clean Energy by 2040.Progressive Vote = YES Councilor Spencer Thibodeau proposed a resolution backed by the Sierra Club’s Climate Action Team, setting a goal of powering 100 percent of city operations with clean energy by 2040. | Motion passed: 9-0, May 1, 2017 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Locate Homeless Shelter Within 2.75 Miles of Downtown.Progressive Vote = YES Those who work with homeless people stress that people need connections to normalcy, not isolation, to escape homelessness. The council considered an amendment to rule out industrial parks and the remote outskirts of the I-95 corridor as options for future homeless shelters. | Motion failed: 1-8, June 5, 2017 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Strengthen Clean Energy Goals in Comprehensive Plan.Progressive Vote = YES The comprehensive plan is a legally binding document setting priorities for Portland’s development. The council considered two amendments to strengthen the climate and clean energy provisions in the comprehensive plan. | Motions passed 7-1, June 5, 2017 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Put Rent Stabilization on the November Ballot.Progressive Vote = YES After an error by Portland’s city clerk threatened to delay ballot questions on rent stabilization and zoning, the council corrected the error to ensure both questions would appear on the November ballot. | Motion passed 9-0, September 6, 2017 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Zoning Incentives for Affordable Housing Developments.Progressive Vote = YES Backed by Avesta Housing and the Portland Housing Authority, the amendments relaxed setback rules and density and height restrictions for affordable housing developments known as Planned Residential Use Developments. | Motion passed 8-1, September 6, 2017 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Join Lawsuit Against Opioid Manufacturers.Progressive Vote = YES In 2016, 376 Mainers died of drug overdoses, including 42 in Portland. The national lawsuit against manufacturers of opioids would, if successful, hold drug companies accountable for fraudulent marketing and bring new resources to the city to fight the epidemic. | Motion passed 9-0, September 18, 2017 | | | | | | | | | | |
| LED Lights in City Street Lamps.Progressive Vote = YES The council voted to approve $8.5 million for efficient LED street lights, which over time will save the city money while reducing energy use and pollution. | Motion passed 8-0, October 16, 2017 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Targeted Tax Relief for Low-Income Seniors.Progressive Vote = YES Proposed by Mayor Ethan Strimling, the Portland Senior Tax Equity Program provides property tax rebates to nearly 900 low-income seniors. | Motion passed 8-0, November 20, 2017 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Prevailing Wage Requirement for Taxpayer-Subsidized Projects.Progressive Vote = YES Backed by the Maine State Building & Construction Trades Council and introduced by Mayor Ethan Strimling, the prevailing wage amendment requires that contractors receiving a TIF subsidy pay no less than the wage paid to most workers in the field in the area. | Motion passed 8-0, November 20, 2017 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Apprenticeship Requirement for Taxpayer-Subsidized Projects.Progressive Vote = YES Apprenticeship programs are proven to be effective in growing the pool of skilled labor and helping young workers gain a path to the middle class. Backed by the Maine State Building & Construction Trades Council and introduced by Mayor Ethan Strimling, the amendment would have required contractors receiving a TIF subsidy to participate in an apprenticeship program. | Motion failed 3-5, November 20, 2017 | | | | | | | | | |