In an apparent move to grant C-TRAN permission to pay for operation and maintenance of light rail, members of the County Council voted to remove Michelle Belkot from the C-TRAN board of directors, a day after Belkot said she would be voting to ensure C-TRAN does not pay for light rail

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

Less than 24 hours after standing her ground, saying she had the right to vote her conscience, the Clark County Council has removed Michelle Belkot from the C-TRAN Board of Directors.

Belkot had proposed that C-TRAN revert to its older language in regard to light rail transit on the proposed new Interstate Bridge, stating that C-TRAN would not pay for operations and maintenance and other projects associated with TriMet’s rail system. 

In November of 2024, C-TRAN board voted to say that C-TRAN may pay for operations and maintenance.

Belkot, noting she was representing her constituents, said she wanted to protect Clark County taxpayers from the costs to operate and maintain Oregon’s TriMet Light Rail.

“I’m to the point it looks like I’m going to have to get an attorney. This isn’t legal,” Belkot told Clark County Today on Wednesday night.

When it became clear that Belkot’s position would prevail if a vote were to be taken Tuesday night, the vote was tabled until a future C-TRAN meeting. Belkot’s vote would have been the deciding vote in favor of reverting to the older language.

On Wednesday, the Clark County Council removes Belkot from the C-TRAN board. The Clark County Council has two members who also serve on the C-TRAN Board of Directors.

“I’m feeling censored and censured right now,” Belkot said, adding she did nothing to deserve this rebuke.

“I wasn’t out of line. I was not unprofessional. I addressed my concerns,” Belkot said. “There is nothing in the bylaws that support what they did yesterday, or today.”

Belkot said Wil Fuentes made the motion to remove her from the C-TRAN board. Glen Yung seconded the motion. Matt Little also made a motion to revise the bylaws to say board members must vote collectively with the council. That will be determined at a later date.

Clark County Today was at Tuesday’s C-TRAN meeting and filed this report: https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/c-tran-board-tables-vote-on-language-regarding-the-funding-of-light-rail-maintenance-and-operations/

The council replaced Belkot with Fuentes. The presumption is that Fuentes will vote in favor of allowing C-TRAN to pay operation and maintenance costs, as well as potentially pay for park-and-ride structures. Fuentes was present at Tuesday’s meeting, sitting in the audience.

“I thought it was disturbing what they did today,” said Rob Anderson, leader of Reform Clark County, an organization with the mission to serve and protect people’s rights in all the various government institutions throughout Clark County.

“They’re not cancelling Michelle per say, they’re really cancelling her voters and the citizens who voted for her,” Anderson said. “It’s not a shock, but it’s still kind of hard to watch.”

Just before a vote was seemingly to take place Tuesday, Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle, also a C-TRAN board member, asked each board member how they intended to vote and how the process to come up with that vote worked. For example, Camas’ representative, Tim Hein, said he was given direction from the Camas City Council that voted unanimously to support a new bridge but not to pay for light rail. So he was going to vote for the older language.

It became clear the vote was going to be close. Clark County councilors Sue Marshall and Belkot differed on how they should vote. Marshall implied that Belkot was supposed to vote how the County Council directed both of them to vote. Belkot said she checked with the legal team and she believed she was able to vote however she felt best for the citizens.

If a vote had taken place, it likely would have passed 5-4, with C-TRAN reverting back to the original language.

Marshall then asked to table the vote. McEnerny-Ogle seconded the motion. The motion would carry 6-3. Battle Ground’s Troy McCoy and Washougal’s Molly Coston had previously said they would vote for the old language but they also sided with McEnerny-Ogle and Marshall, agreeing to table the vote. 

Belkot told Clark County Today that she reached out to a former Clark County councilor who also served on the C-TRAN board. They recalled that on a few action items, they disagreed, and did not vote as one block from the county.

Belkot said she feels punished for supporting her constituents. She also said it is clear that Sue Marshall and Matt Little are not serving their constituents. During Council Time on Wednesday, Belkot read off the list of municipalities that do not support the current language, that do not support C-TRAN paying for light rail: Washougal. Camas, Battle Ground. La Center. Ridgefield. Yacolt.

“Chair,” Belkot said she told Marshall, “your district does not support this (current) language.”

Belkot said she knocked on 30,000 doors during her campaign.

“My district was very very clear when I campaigned. I talked to a lot of people,” Belkot said. “They don’t want light rail.”

Wednesday morning, Belkot said she had received several threatening emails from light-rail supporters. She forwarded many of the emails to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. 

Belkot also said that she intends to be at the next C-TRAN meeting, April 15, even if she is no longer on the Board of Directors.

“All Michelle was doing was following up on her campaign promise,” Anderson said. “Clark County taxpayers don’t want to pay for Portland services. Unfortunately there are a handful of people who don’t mind doing Anne and Portland’s bidding. Michelle is not one of them.”

“I’ve been representing my constituents,” Belkot said. “I’m the only Clark County councilor that grew up in and is from Clark County. I have personally voted against (light rail) again, and again, and again.”