Shea Flaherty Betin, the executive director of Prosper Portland, has been asked to step down by Mayor Keith Wilson after a brief tenure marred by public disagreements with city councilors regarding funding.
Flaherty Betin’s departure comes with a severance package of $212,992, equivalent to a full year’s salary. According to Prosper spokesman Shawn Uhlman, this severance was guided by comparable city agreements and reflects Flaherty Betin’s role as the economic development director.
The conflict began when Flaherty Betin engaged in a public dispute with councilors Mitch Green and Jamie Dunphy. The councilors proposed an amendment that sought to strip Prosper of its entire general fund budget of $11 million. Although the proposal was ultimately rejected in a City Council meeting held on May 21, the contentious exchange contributed to Mayor Wilson’s decision.
Green and Dunphy had previously expressed concerns over the lack of oversight at Prosper, which operates with a unique level of independence compared to other city agencies, maintaining its own board, budget, and legal team.
During a lengthy council session discussing the budget amendment, internal communications among Prosper staff revealed their critical and often sarcastic views towards the council members. One employee recalled a comment made by Councilor Dunphy shortly before the budget vote, while another echoed frustrations regarding the perception that Prosper does not adequately report its activities to the city.
An employee commented on the council’s eventual approval of Prosper’s budget, jokingly questioning who would buy champagne to celebrate. Another employee cryptically replied with what seems to be a veiled critique of the situation.
The interim director of economic development at Prosper, Andrew Fitzpatrick, joined the conversation, expressing skepticism about the council’s commitment to participatory budgeting and public engagement if it threatened their own authority.
Flaherty Betin also weighed in, directing criticism at Willamette Week (WW) for reporting on a controversial $7 million loan awarded to an inexperienced shoe incubator project that went against established risk guidelines of Prosper.
In a message, Flaherty Betin claimed, “WW has an agenda, we’ll push back, but H8ERS HATE. We fought for community and community fought for us. We’ll be unpacking this for months to come…”
Internal messages from Prosper staff were sent to Mayor Wilson’s office the week prior to Flaherty Betin’s resignation. While it remains unclear if these communications directly influenced the mayor’s decision, they certainly raised concerns regarding the agency’s leadership.
In a statement released by Mayoral spokesman Cody Bowman, it was acknowledged that several city council members expressed their worries about Prosper’s leadership to the mayor’s office.
Overall, this conflict sheds light on the strained relations between Prosper Portland and the city’s governing body, highlighting deeper issues of oversight and accountability within the agency.
The future direction of Prosper Portland remains uncertain as the agency seeks new leadership while contending with ongoing debates about its operational autonomy and funding strategies.
image source from：https://www.wweek.com/news/city/2025/06/06/prosper-executive-director-will-receive-212992-in-severance/
