Portland District 4 and 5 City Council candidates discuss housing, public safety and more

Portland, Maine – On a Wednesday evening, residents of the Deering Center gathered at The Light Church on Brentwood Street to hear candidates for Portland City Council answer a series of tough questions. The forum, hosted by the local Deering Center Neighborhood Association, ran back‑to‑back, allowing voters to compare positions on the District 4 and District 5 seats that will decide the city’s political future in the upcoming election.

Two districts, four voices

In District 4, the seat covering East Deering, parts of Back Cove, Deering Center and North Deering, incumbent Councilor Anna Bullett faced challenger Jacob Viola. Bullett, who has served on the council for three terms, said she would “continue to build on the work the city has done with the Social Housing Task Force and the permitting and inspections office’s performance‑improvement plan.” She added that the city’s inclusionary‑zoning rule—requiring new large developments to set aside at least 25 % of units for affordability—must be “changed” to better meet Portland’s needs.

Viola, on the other hand, accused the city of “under‑building” and “over‑regulating,” and said it is simply too expensive for developers to build in Portland. “The city needs to find a way to hire more officers,” he said, and added that social workers could help ease the flood of calls related to drug use and mental health. When asked about police recruitment, Bullett explained the department’s staffing struggles stem from the fact that recruits must wait months for a state training academy session. She proposed that the city develop its own training program to speed up onboarding.

Both candidates endorsed the city’s Vision Zero plan and the crash‑mitigation infrastructure already underway. Bullett called for a “better pedestrian and biking after‑crash protocol” for the council, noting that today the council only receives incident reports from police. Viola suggested “novelty” devices—flashing lights and rearranged signage—could help slow drivers on roads in the district.

A crowded race for District 5

District 5, which includes Riverton and parts of North Deering, saw a more crowded field. Councilor Kate Sykes chose not to seek reelection, leaving the seat open for Michael Todd Chretien, Jakobi Delgado, Kevin Gardella and Ilma López. All four candidates said they support the city’s rent‑control ordinance, but each offered a different vision for expanding Portland’s affordable‑housing supply.

Chretien promised to build 5,000 units over the next five years and to appoint a “housing czar” to oversee the effort. Delgado focused on the challenges that smaller developers face under current zoning rules, while Gardella stressed the importance of including nearby residents in large‑scale projects. López argued that Portland must “define what affordable housing really means,” pointing out that some people can’t afford what the city labels “affordable.”

The candidates also addressed the city’s multi‑faceted approach to homelessness, public drug use and mental‑health crises. Gardella said “trained medical experts” or “street doctors” could relieve some pressure on public‑safety personnel. Delgado called for the county to reopen treatment facilities and for the city to work with the county on that effort. López and Chretien each urged more collaboration among institutions, with López advocating “in‑between” services and Chretien emphasizing “wraparound” services.

When the topic turned to police‑department expansion, the candidates split. Delgado and Gardella urged the hiring of more constables, with Gardella adding a wish to expand mobile‑healthcare programming and Delgado calling for more mental‑health services for law‑enforcement staff. López said the police may not need to grow if other city sectors step in, while Chretien said the department’s current size is appropriate but that staff should be reallocated to meet demand.

Other issues and a call to action

The forums also tackled taxes, climate‑change policy, communication with constituents and specific concerns of the Deering Center. Members of the neighborhood association announced they would share recordings of the debates on their website, deeringcenter.me, ahead of Election Day, hoping to give voters a clear view of the candidates’ positions.

As the city moves toward the 2026 election, the debates provide a snapshot of how Portland’s residents plan to shape housing policy, public safety, and community services. The candidates’ promises, however, will ultimately be tested on the November ballot.