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Resident urges council to support mail-in voting access and consider a welcoming-city resolution
Summary
Michael Velasquez used public comment Aug. 20 to praise Oregon's high voter turnout and mail-in voting laws and to ask how Medford could adopt a "welcoming" or sanctuary-city resolution; staff directed him to the city's proclamations submission process and said the council would address next steps.
During public comment at the Aug. 20 Medford City Council meeting, resident Michael Velasquez spoke on two topics: support for Oregon's vote-by-mail system and a request that Medford consider a welcoming-city or sanctuary-city resolution. Velasquez noted Oregon's high turnout (he cited about 75% of eligible Oregonians casting ballots) and said mail-in voting is about accessibility and broad participation. He also asked how the council could adopt a resolution declaring Medford a welcoming city or sanctuary and cited other Oregon cities that have passed inclusive resolutions, mentioning Portland (2017) and Corvallis (2016). City staff and councilors responded during the public-comment exchange by directing Velasquez to the city website's proclamations submission portal for proclamations and noted that a resolution would follow the city's formal process if he wished to pursue it. No council vote or formal referral to draft a resolution was made at the Aug. 20 meeting; staff said they heard the request and would address next steps. Velasquez left a draft proclamation and asked about the procedure for bringing a resolution forward; the mayor and staff advised him on submission steps and said the council would consider the matter procedurally after review.
