One of Portland’s leading mayoral candidates is paying back rent he had been withholding to try and renegotiate his lease.

Photo courtesy of showyoursupportforsho.com

Sho Dozono

Sho Dozono is a co-owner of Bush Garden on 10th and Yamhill. He owed around $18,000 in rent on the property.

On Wednesday, Dozono showed reporters the check he planned to give the city rent and property taxes.

Dozono said he hoped to renegotiate his lease and that the business is currently choked off by construction and a lack of parking. The city is trying to coax redevelopment of the parking facility into a prime retail location.

Background: Dozono owed back rent

“I'm disappointed the city has turned this into a political football when we have been active in negotiation, we just met with them last week,” He said.

The business was getting a discounted month-to-month rent, nearly half what it used to be.

But Dozono said that was not enough. He says he needs more incentive to stay open at the location.

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.

In a statement released Wednesday, Dozono's camp framed the issue around construction hassles downtown as an issue for City Hall.

"Commissioner (Sam) Adams hired a research firm in Mississippi to dig up information that could be used to eliminate his only competition," Campaign manager, Amie Abott said. "Even more interesting is that this all comes about during the Sauvie Island Bridge Project, a pet project proposed by Commissioner Adams and is not supported by most Portlanders."

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