City of Portland Core Values

Anti-racism | Equity | Transparency | Communication | Collaboration | Fiscal Responsibility 

These values, competencies, and associated behaviors guide our actions as we engage our workforce and serve the community. They should serve as facets of everything we do and every decision we make in the City.

View full size image of colored wheel of city's core values and behaviors or competencies

Anti-Racism

• Self-Awareness: Own your thoughts and conduct. Recognize and address your own micro-aggressions and privilege. Be intentional, non-defensive, and authentic when communicating. Educate yourself.
• Intentional Partnership: Actively emphasize racial/social justice, inclusion, human rights, institutional and systemic change. Identify the needs of underrepresented communities, and work in allyship to find solutions. Listen to understand.
• Action: Participate in dismantling institutional and systemic racism, and discriminating policies. Educate yourself. Walk your talk.
• Commitment: The City of Portland is an anti-racist institution. Addressing issues concerning anti-Blackness is a priority for the workforce and city. Actions to dismantle institutional and systemic racism are the responsibilities of every employee and resident. Racism, discrimination, and bias are not tolerated within the workplace or in our communities. The City of Portland condemns oppression, violence, and hate speech toward people of color. 

Equity

• Mindfulness: Hold yourself accountable, before you ask it of others. Recognize the impact of individual and systemic bias, stereotypes and gaslighting. If you see it, gather the courage to stop it. Support physical and emotional safety and well-being.
• Advocacy: Champion the City’s equity goals and translate them into your day-to-day work. Hold others and yourself accountable while creating a sense of belonging and an accessible environment.
• Cultural Humility: Work to understand diverse cultural values and celebrate differences. Participate on multicultural and multigenerational teams. Learn from others but don’t hold BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) colleagues or those with disabilities responsible for educating you.
• Commitment: We value the intersectional identities and lived experiences of our workforce and over 650,000 residents. We acknowledge Oregon’s history of exclusion, and we are dedicated to rebuilding trust through reconciliation and restorative justice. Solidarity and the preservation of diverse communities and their cultures enhances the livability and vibrancy of our beautiful city. Equity, access, and the removal of institutional and systemic barriers to resources and opportunities are essential in diversifying our workforce and the public good. Our vision to lead people, cultivate change, and develop a culture of innovation, inclusion, and inspiration to strengthen our city and its communities. Sense of belonging, support, and safety are vital for a diverse, equitable, and inclusive city and workforce. We respect the value and contributions of community, including but not limited to Black, Indigenous and people of color, people with disabilities, older adults, younger adults, LGTBQ+, and immigrants and refugees. The Office of Equity and Human Rights sets the foundation and accountability mechanisms for the City’s equity work. 

Transparency

• Historic and Current Context: Proactively share history as well as institutional knowledge with job candidates and the workforce; city, state, civic; the good and the bad. Build trust with openness and honesty. Share a candid historic and current perspective which dignifies and contributes to an environment of respect for all.
• Integrity: Create, demonstrate, and maintain an ethical work environment. Use the City’s core values as a foundation. Communicate with no hidden agenda.
• Accountability: Accept responsibility for your mistakes, decisions, and words. Have the courage to show vulnerability, listen to and implement feedback from all levels. Engage the community to build mutually beneficial and trusting relationships over time.
• Commitment: Transparency is essential to upholding the principles of democracy. Reimagining political processes occurs through accountability. Portland, Oregon, being the first city in the United States to adopt an Open Data policy leads the nation in developing a culture of information sharing. We establish and maintain trust through integrity and intentional inclusion. 

Communication

• Empowerment: Understand and accept that everyone has different working/communication styles. Be respectful of differences and make information accessible. Proactively learn from others and share your knowledge with openness and objectivity. Demonstrate dignity. Shift the power dynamic that is inherently built to uphold white supremacy; provide space for the voices and contributions of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) and staff with disabilities to assume key leadership roles.
• Leading change: Participate in dialogue focused on positive change. Support your team when moving through challenging situations. Be responsive, timely, and transparent.
• Emotional Intelligence: Listen to understand with empathy and sincerity versus listening to respond. Solicit and provide effective feedback. Cultivate self-awareness and understand the difference between impact and intent.
• Commitment: Communication serves as a catalyst for transformative change. Knowledge sharing impacts our workplace and communities. Storytelling and narratives promote a culture of inclusion. The power of collective voice unifies our city. 

Collaboration

• Intentional Inclusion: Practice broad outreach and engage the community to ensure diversity. Approach outreach/inclusion from a culture add (growth), rather than a culture fit (fixed) mindset. Create an environment for diverse perspectives; ensure all voices have value. Reach out to bring in – with authenticity and kindness. Center the voices and experiences of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) staff and staff with disabilities.
• Peer Support and Training: Support, develop, and empower others. Take on new assignments with different people. Approach challenges from a growth mindset. Teamwork Encourage feedback and accountability among your team. Build relationships throughout the City and community. Be available.
• Commitment: Our belief that “we are better together” promotes collaboration and the co-creation of knowledge. The nexus of politics and public service connects our workforce and communities. Civic engagement and receptive collective action empower our employees and residents. Inclusive outreach and public engagement increase institutional knowledge and awareness. All behaviors, actions, decisions, and systems reflect a culture of accountability and commitment to the City’s core values. 

Fiscal Responsibility

• Commitment: Dedicate yourself to the details while working within a public budget. Use resources appropriately – consider how decisions will impact populations negatively impacted by fiscal decisions historically and our most systematically oppressed communities. Develop trust internally and externally by making informed decisions regarding public funds and government spending.
• Clarity: Make sure data and information regarding budgetary decisions and fiscal allocations are accessible and readily understood by broad audiences. Share priorities and eliminate any sense of entitlement. Consider asking the question: Who is better off?
• Sustainability: Promote inclusive and equitable practices that focus on fiscal resiliency, climate action, anti-racism, and the needs of our most historically oppressed communities. Model social accountability.
• Commitment: City of Portland is fiscally accountable to our community. Every budget decision focuses on fiscal resiliency, climate action, equity, and the needs of our most vulnerable populations. Community values, addressing inequities, and transparent budgetary decisions are essential in developing trust. Rethinking budget processes ensures the economic sustainability of our city.