Dr. Sharon Meieran

WE KNOW WHAT TO DO, WE HAVE A SOLUTION!

People often wonder why, with so much money, homelessness, mental health, and addiction have gotten so much worse in Multnomah County.

Having spent eight years as a Multnomah County Commissioner, while working on the front line as an ER doctor and street medicine provider, I will help you understand the issues and disconnects that have led to our current crises. More importantly, I will identify real solutions.
Join me to connect the dots and explore how, together, we can fix Multnomah County!

Breaking Down the News That Shapes Our Community

I will pull back the curtain of Multnomah County and share what’s really at the heart of our region’s seemingly intractable dysfunction. And how, together, we can implement straightforward solutions to restore our community.

A Guide to Understanding Multnomah County

Real stories often don’t make it into the headlines. But they need to be understood if we ever want our local government to function effectively and keep its promises.

Addressing What Truly Impacts Multnomah County

The problems we face in the Portland area aren’t as hard to solve as we’re making them. As a lawyer, emergency room doctor, and former Multnomah County Commissioner, I have rare insight into the region’s toughest challenges from a practical, policy, and political perspective.

I was born in Palo Alto, California, the daughter of Gene Meieran, a scientist/mineral collector, and Roz Meieran, an artist/sociologist.

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and attended UC Berkeley, majoring in Economics and English. I went directly to law school and practiced law in the Bay Area for seven years. I developed an expertise in trademark and copyright law and volunteered in children’s advocacy and family law.

At the age of 30, I decided to pursue my true dream of becoming a doctor. I remember it like it was yesterday – it was my 30th birthday, and I felt so old. But I realized I didn’t want to look back when I was 80, think how young I’d been at 30, and wish I had at least tried to pursue my dream. So I decided to go for it.

Multnomah County plays a critical but often overlooked role in the daily lives of hundreds of thousands of people. It is responsible for essential services that form the backbone of our community’s well-being, including homeless services, public health programs, mental health and addiction treatment, emergency medical response, and disability support. Despite its broad impact, many residents remain unaware of what the County actually does, how its systems operate, or the extent to which its decisions affect their everyday lives and future opportunities.

Through this series, I will take you step by step into the inner workings of Multnomah County, what it is, how it functions, and why its effectiveness as a local government body directly shapes the future of the entire region. Whether it succeeds or falls short has real, measurable consequences for individuals, neighbourhoods, families, and the region.

Too often news outlets only reflect press statements issued by local governments, missing essential context, background, and information. Here, I translate the headlines, providing critical context, correct the record when needed, and fill in the gaps.

In this space, I aim to do things differently. I break down the headlines, offer the necessary historical and policy context, and connect the dots to tell the real story—clearly, honestly, and without spin. This is about making complex issues understandable and holding power to account by providing the information that’s too often left out.

Many people are asking the same questions: With so much funding and so many programs, how has Multnomah County struggled so profoundly to address homelessness, mental health & addiction, and public safety? The frustration is real, and the answers are not always easy to find.

In this space, I aim to offer a more comprehensive understanding of the situation. I’ll unpack the history, explore the underlying factors, and present the research and facts that often get lost in the noise. By offering this context, I hope to empower you to engage in thoughtful, informed conversations about the issues that affect us all. The goal is to promote not just awareness, but also a more effective and civil approach to addressing these crucial problems.