Portland committee presses city on fire‑chief hiring after public concerns about candidate’s background and pay

A public commenter and several Portland councilors pressed city administrators on the hiring process that led to an offer for the Portland Fire & Rescue chief job, asking whether the city’s vetting and reference checks were adequate and whether the candidate’s previous employers and later request for additional relocation pay were considered.

City Administrator Jordan and Ron Zito, deputy director for the Bureau of Human Resources, described the city’s multi‑stage recruitment process used for executive hires and said finalists undergo reference checks and background screening before an offer is finalized.

The public commenter who opened the conversation questioned the selection of Reginald Freeman, saying he had worked for “3 places in the last 4 years,” including a brief stint with the city of Oakland, an insurance company and what the commenter described as work for the Saudi government. The commenter asked whether that employment history was a “warning sign” and said he was concerned enough to ask the committee about it in public rather than privately.…