The backers of a ballot initiative that would tap the Portland Clean Energy Fund to hire more police officers announced Monday that it had collected more than 62,000 signatures, well over the required 40,437 to get on the November ballot.
City Elections has yet to verify the initiative’s submitted signatures. The city must verify all signatures by Aug. 5.
“Portland’s comeback begins with restoring public safety,” Juanita Swartwood, the initiative’s chief petitioner, said in a statement. “Thousands of Portlanders from every part of the city signed because they believe we can have both more police and better policing.”…