Article 3 Provide for Periodic Charter Review

City Charter Article

Section 13-301 Charter Commission.

(a) From time to time, but no less frequently than every 10 years, the Council shall convene a Charter review commission (“Charter Commission”) to review and recommend amendments to this Charter provided, however, that the first Charter Commission shall be convened no later than two (2) years after the effective date of this Article.  The Charter Commission shall be reflective of the City in terms of its racial and ethnic diversity, age and geography. It shall be comprised of twenty (20) residents of the City.  Each member of the Council shall nominate four (4) Charter Commission members who shall be subject to confirmation by the Council.  The term of office of each member of the Charter Commission shall be no less than two years.  The Council may reappoint members to additional terms of office or to subsequent Charter commissions.  The Charter Commission shall determine its own rules of procedure. No member of the Charter Commission shall serve as an elective officer of the City during the member’s service on the Charter Commission.  The Mayor or Council may request that the Charter Commission review specific sections of the Charter, but the work and recommendations of the Charter Commission shall not be limited to such specific sections.  The Commission shall provide a written report of its findings to the City Council.

(b) A vacancy exists on the Charter Commission upon a member’s resignation, death, inability to serve or failure of a member without cause to attend three successive regular meetings.  If there is a vacancy on the Charter Commission, the Council member who made the original nomination, or that member’s successor in office, shall nominate a person to fill the unexpired term of office, subject to confirmation by Council.  [New Section May 15, 2007, effective January 1, 2009; amended May 15, 2012, effective June 13, 2012; amended by Ordinance No. 190204, effective December 18, 2020.]

Section 13-302 Submission to Voters.

All Charter amendments proposed by the Charter Commission supported by an affirmative vote of at least fifteen (15) members of the Charter Commission, after a public hearing process prescribed by the Council, shall be submitted to the voters of the City of Portland at the next primary or general election that is at least 120 days after the date the recommendations are presented to the City Council.  All Charter amendments proposed by the Charter Commission supported by an affirmative vote of a majority but less than least fifteen (15) members of the Charter Commission shall be considered as recommendations to the City Council.  The Council may, but is not required to, refer such proposed amendments to the voters of the City of Portland.  [New Section May 15, 2007, effective January 1, 2009.]

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