Portland Charter Commission Advances Change to City Government to Voters
We are thrilled to share that Portland voters will have the opportunity this Fall to consider a change to our city government.
Tonight, 17 Charter Commissioners of the 20 serving on the Portland Charter Commission voted to advance a measure amending the Portland Charter to the November 2022 ballot.
The measure, if approved, will amend the city charter to:
Establish a mayor-council government, in which an expanded City Council of twelve members focuses on setting policy and approving budgets, while a Mayor carries out laws and a professional City Administrator manages city services.
Create four geographic City Council districts, in which three council members will represent each district.
Allow voters to rank candidates in their order of preference for all elected offices including the offices of City Council, Mayor, and Auditor.
The Charter Commission has worked diligently to hear from Portlanders, meet with city employees and local organizations, and use community input to shape their unified proposal. During this process, the Coalition of Communities of Color has been honored to support community engagement and education alongside twelve culturally specific organizations, hosting more than 22 listening sessions and events.
Throughout CCC’s engagement, we heard our communities calling for change to our systems of local government. Many Portlanders feel that the city government is not effectively responding to their needs and feel the City Council has historically not represented their communities.
We are excited about how this measure will improve the delivery of services for all residents, increase geographic representation and accountability between elected officials and communities, and ensure voters have more choices to elect candidates that share their values. Thank you to everyone who made their voice heard and helped to shape this process.
For more information, please visit CCC’s Charter Review webpage, check out our educational materials, or explore the Charter Commission’s website. You can also reach out to Sol Mora, CCC’s Civic Engagement Manager, at sol@coalitioncommunitiescolor.org.