Randy Billings is a government watchdog and political reporter who has been covering Portland City Hall for the Press Herald since 2012. His beat touches on a wide range of topics, including immigration, homelessness, education, tourism, real estate development and the economy in Maine’s largest city. He has been a Portland-based journalist since 2005. A life-long Mainer who loves the outdoors, Randy is also a bassist who brews his own beer at his North Yarmouth home, where he lives with his wife and two children.
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PublishedSeptember 7, 2020
How to win an election during a pandemic: Candidates for local offices get creative
Many of the honored traditions of handshakes, door-knocking and group events carry a risk of transmitting coronavirus.
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PublishedSeptember 4, 2020
Portland ballot will only summarize 6 citizen referendums
However, the city will also send the full ordinance proposals to residents who request absentee ballots; others can see them at the polls.
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PublishedSeptember 1, 2020
Protesters raise awareness about potential flood of evictions in Maine
About 20 people gathered in downtown Portland to urge action to avoid a wave of evictions that could put thousands of Mainers on the streets as winter approaches.
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PublishedAugust 28, 2020
Lawsuit challenges access to prized piece of Portland’s working waterfront
Attorney Glenn Israel, who represents Soley Wharf, says the aim is to allow the owners to enforce parking and gear storage rules.
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PublishedAugust 21, 2020
New proposal could be Portland’s tallest building and add 260 apartments downtown
Rents for most units are projected to range from $1,200 to $2,000, while 27 would be deed-restricted as workforce housing with rents affordable to median income tenants.
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PublishedAugust 12, 2020
Debate heats up over public health versus police spending in Portland
Over the past decade, spending on police has increased by nearly 40%, while the public health budget has dropped by more than 50%. But city officials say those numbers don’t reflect additional investments in social services.
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PublishedAugust 4, 2020
Portland councilors approve $14 million in low-income housing incentives
Most of the units will be restricted to households making less than 60 percent of area median income.
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PublishedAugust 4, 2020
Portland officials try to help City Hall campers get shelter as storm bears down
The remnants of a hurricane highlight the need to address the encampment at City Hall, which has grown since a few people first pitched tents last month.
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PublishedAugust 2, 2020
Portland homeless encampment elicits sympathy, frustration
Some taxpayers say it shouldn’t be up to Portland alone to provide services for people in need, while others see the desperation of those living on the street as a failure of local leadership.
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PublishedAugust 2, 2020
Cody Taylor: Had early experience with homelessness
‘I will be supporting these people until we get these demands met.’
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