Article 2 Elective Offices

There shall be no elective officers of the City of Portland other than the Mayor, four (4) Commissioners and the Auditor. All said officers shall be elected at large by the legal voters of the City of Portland and for a term of four (4) years, except as otherwise provided. [May 3, 1913, new secs. 7 and 8; rev. 1914, sec. 21; 1928 pub., sec. 21; 1942 recod., sec. 2-107; rev. Nov. 6, 1962.]

Each elected official shall be a citizen of the United States and of the State of Oregon, and a registered voter who shall have been a resident of the City of Portland or of an area which has become part of the City prior to filing the declaration of candidacy or petition for nomination, for a period of not less than one (1) year immediately preceding the election. Beginning in the November 2024 election, a Councilor elected from a district must have resided in that district and been a registered voter in that district for a period of not less than one (1) year immediately preceding the election. If any officer shall be elected without such qualifications or shall cease to have the same, the office shall immediately become vacant. [May 3, 1913, new sec. 9; rev. 1914, sec. 22; 1928 pub., sec. 22; 1942 recod., sec. 2-108; rev. Nov. 6, 1962; am. Dec. 18, 1984; amended November 8, 2022, effective December 14, 2022.]

No official appointed or elected to elective office shall, during the official’s term of service, hold any other office or position of profit, or pursue any other business or vocation, or serve on or under any committee of any political party.  [May 3, 1913, new sec. 14; rev. 1914, sec. 26; 1928 pub., sec. 26; 1942 recod., sec. 2‑112; rev. Nov. 6, 1962; amended by Ordinance No. 190204, effective December 18, 2020.]

Every official appointed or elected to elective office before entering upon the performance of official duties, shall take an oath or affirmation that the official will support the Constitutions of the United States and of the State of Oregon, and will faithfully and honestly discharge their duties; that the official holds no other office or position of profit, and that the official is not a member of any committee of any political party.  If such oath or affirmation be false in any particular, it shall be deemed a delinquency in office on the part of such official.  [May 3, 1913, new sec. 15; rev. 1914, sec. 27; 1928 pub., sec. 27; 1942 recod., sec. 2‑113; rev. Nov. 6, 1962; amended by Ordinance No. 190204, effective December 18, 2020.]

(a)  A vacancy in office shall exist when the Mayor, a Commissioner or the Auditor fails to qualify by taking the oath following their election, or when any officer or employee dies, resigns, is removed from office, is convicted of a felony, is judicially declared to be mentally incompetent, is convicted of an offense which constitutes corruption, malfeasance or delinquency in office, forfeits their office under specific provisions of this Charter, or is elected or appointed to a different office, and qualifies, takes and assumes the duties of such different office.

(b)  If a vacancy occurs in an office elective under this Charter more than one hundred (100) days preceding the regular primary election to be held in the fourth year of the term of that office, or less than seventy‑one (71) days preceding the regular general election to be held in that year, the Council, by a single resolution, shall call for two (2) special elections not more than forty‑five (45) days apart.  The first special election will be for the purpose of nomination.  It shall be held not more than ninety (90) days after the vacancy occurs, unless the Council finds reasonable cause for delay beyond ninety (90) days.  If one candidate receives a majority of the votes cast for the office, that candidate will be deemed elected to fill the unexpired term of the office and the second special election will not be held.  If no candidate receives a majority, one of the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes cast in the first special election will be elected to fill the unexpired term in the second special election.

(c)  If a vacancy occurs in an office elective under this Charter less than one hundred and one (101) days and more than seventy (70) days preceding the regular primary election to be held in the fourth year of the term of that office, the Council shall call for a special election to be held not more than forty‑five (45) days following the regular primary election.  The regular primary election will be for the purpose of nomination to fill the unexpired term and nomination of candidates for the next four‑year term of the office to be voted upon in the regular general election.  If one candidate receives a majority of the votes cast for the office, that candidate will be deemed elected to fill the unexpired term of the office and the special election will not be held.  If no candidate receives a majority, one of the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes cast in the regular primary election will be elected to fill the unexpired term in the special election.

(d)  If a vacancy occurs in an office elective under this Charter less than seventy‑one (71) days preceding the regular primary election, but more than seventy (70) days preceding the regular general election, to be held in the fourth year of the term of that office, and the incumbent vacating the office:

(1)  Was one of two or more candidates for the same office in the regular primary election, then if an opposing candidate was nominated by a majority of votes cast in that primary, that candidate will be deemed elected to fill the vacated office until the regular general election and the candidate elected at the regular general election will fill the balance of the unexpired term.  If no candidate opposing the incumbent was nominated by a majority of votes cast in that primary, the Council shall call for a special primary election as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection.

(2)  Was an unopposed candidate for the same office in the regular primary election, then the Council shall call for a special primary election.  If the special primary election is held less than one hundred and one (101) days preceding the regular general election and no candidate is nominated by a majority of votes cast, the candidate elected in the regular election will fill the balance of the unexpired term.  If the special primary election is held less than one hundred and one (101) days preceding the regular general election and a candidate is nominated by a majority of votes cast, that candidate will be deemed elected to fill the balance of the unexpired term.  If the special primary election is held more than one hundred (100) days preceding the regular general election and a candidate is nominated by a majority of votes cast, that candidate will be deemed elected to fill the balance of the unexpired term.

(3)  Was not a candidate for the same office in the regular primary election, then if a candidate is nominated by a majority of votes cast in that primary, that candidate will be deemed elected to fill the balance of the unexpired term.  If no candidate is nominated by a majority of votes cast, the Council shall call for a special election in which the candidate receiving a majority of votes cast will be deemed elected to fill the balance of the unexpired term.

Any election required by this subsection, between two nominees who received the highest number of votes cast in a prior election, shall be held not more than forty‑five (45) days after the prior election.

(e)  A person holding an office elective under this Charter may file with the Auditor a written notice of intent to resign from office on a specific future date of the occurrence of a specific event within the unexpired term of the office.  The Council then may by resolution schedule and hold the special election or elections, as provided in subsections (b) through (d) of this Section, although no vacancy has occurred.  However, no candidate elected to fill an unexpired term under this subsection may take and assume the duties of the office unless and until the vacancy occurs.

(f)  If a vacancy occurs in the office of the Auditor, the Council may fill the office by appointment pending election as provided therein.

(g) In the event of the death or crippling disability preventing the performance of three (3) or more members of the City Council due to natural disaster, calamity, accident or enemy attack, the following City officials in the order named shall succeed to the vacancies on the City Council:  City Auditor, City Attorney, Chief Administrative Officer, and the Chiefs of Staff of disabled Council members in the order of their seniority as an executive assistant.  Any individual serving under this Section shall have all qualifications required in this Charter for an elected official.  The City Council thus constituted shall serve as an interim Council for the purpose of transacting necessary City business.  The interim Council so constituted shall as soon as practical select from among qualified citizens of the City of Portland, as defined by Section 2‑202 of this Charter, persons to serve as members of the City Council.  The persons so selected shall serve until the next regular election.  The City Council as thus constituted shall, if the regularly elected Mayor is not a member thereof, elect one of their number as Mayor.  Members of the Council as thus constituted shall serve as City Commissioners by this Charter.  The Council as constituted under authority of this subsection shall meet in the City Hall, if possible, but may meet at an alternate location which shall be designated in advance by the Council as an alternate site for the transaction of City business.  In the event of martial law, the Council shall be organized as by this subsection provided, and it shall function to the extent possible under the order establishing martial law.  The provisions of this subsection shall be supreme in the event it shall be employed, notwithstanding any other provisions of this Charter or ordinances of the City in conflict therewith.  [May 3, 1913, new secs. 17 and 18; rev. 1914, secs. 29 and 30; 1928 pub., secs. 29 and 30; sec. 29, am. May 18, 1934; sec. 30, am. May 17, 1940; 1942 recod., secs. 2‑115 and 2‑116; sub. sec. 5 added to sec. 2‑116, Nov. 2, 1954; secs. 2‑115 and 2‑116 revised and combined Nov. 6, 1962; am. May 26, 1970; am. Dec. 14, 1971; am. May 20, 1980; am. May 17, 1988; am May 18, 1994; amended May 15, 2012, effective June 13, 2012; amended by Ordinance No. 190204, effective December 18, 2020.]

The Mayor appoints members of the first Salary Commission, subject to Council confirmation. Thereafter, the City Administrator appoints members of the Salary Commission, subject to Council confirmation. The Commission consists of five (5) City residents who are qualified human resource professionals with compensation experience who represent a diversity of race, gender, age and geography. Elected or appointed City officials and employees, and candidates for elected City office who have filed and been qualified to the ballot by the City Elections Office, may not serve on the Commission.

The first Commission must be confirmed by March 15, 2023 and complete its work by August 1, 2023. Thereafter, the Commission must be confirmed by January 1 of each odd year.

The Commission sets the salaries for Councilors, the Mayor and the Auditor by the affirmative vote of at least three (3) Commissioners, documenting the basis of its decision. Adjusted salaries take effect July 1 of each odd year, except for the first Commission’s adjusted salaries which take effect January 1, 2025. [Section added November 8, 2022, effective December 14, 2022.]