Public commenter criticizes bond spending and calls for mayoral recall

Jesse Paris, who identified himself as representing Black Star Action Movement and several neighborhood groups, used his Aug. 11 public comment to criticize the city’s bond spending and Mayor Mike Johnston’s leadership. “We must be in more and more debt,” Paris said, referencing past bond measures including the Rise bond (2017), Elevate bond (2021) and a current “vibrant bond.”

Paris blamed city leaders for what he called broken promises and said the city’s fiscal choices were not benefiting Black residents. “So I asked you to recall, mayor Mike Johnston,” he said. He also defended earlier public commenters who described scams and economic hardship.

Why it matters: Paris framed bond measures and mayoral leadership as matters of fiscal policy and equity and used public comment to urge political action.

Details and limits: Paris made broad political claims about debt levels, municipal bankruptcy of certain departments and harms to Black communities. These remarks were part of public comment and no council action, vote or staff response was recorded during the Aug. 11 session.

Next steps: Comments were public testimony; any formal recall or policy review would require separate legal processes and was not initiated in the meeting.