Sho Dozono promises voters he'd bring fiscal responsibility to city hall if elected mayor. But when his restaurant downtown falls behind in rent payments to the city, what's a voter to think?

Don't worry, he says. It’s part of doing business.

Bush Garden restaurant's lead owner, Dozono, is also one of the city's leading candidates for mayor.

“I'd love to keep (the restaurant) open but not under the current circumstances,” he said, explaining why he has been withholding rent at the space on the bottom floor of the city-owned parking garage.

Dozono says Bush Garden’s business is currently choked off by construction and a lack of parking.

The unpaid rent money, he says, is his leverage in talks with the city.

“It is part of my negotiation," he said.

In any case, city employees who may work for Dozono one day say he's delinquent about $22,000 and must pay the bill or else.

“Then we turn to the city attorney's office,” explained Diana Lee Holuka, a manager who oversees property acquisition for the City of Portland.

The city is trying to coax redevelopment of the parking facility at 10th Avenue and Yamhill Street into a prime retail location.

Pending that decision Dozono's business is getting a nicely discounted month-to-month rent, nearly half what it used to be.

But Dozono says it's not enough. He says he needs more incentive to stay open at the location.

“I can pull the plug any time and pay my debt and move on but I'm trying to hang onto a restaurant that's been the oldest Japanese restaurant -has a rich history,” said Dozono.

“All of our other tenants, as I recall, are current,” explained Lee Holuka, regarding other tenants who occupy space in city-owned parking garages.

The city is playing by the books. The mayoral candidate says he's behaving like a successful businessman.

“I hope the viewers will see this as a business decision not a delinquent, deadbeat business person trying to become mayor of the city,” said Dozono.

City finance workers say they'll need back payment by the end of the week or they'll have to bring the matter to the city attorney's office for potential legal action.

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