66-2023

January 19, 2023

To:                  Mayor Ted Wheeler

                        Commissioner Rene Gonzalez

                        Commission Mingus Mapps

                        Commissioner Carmen Rubio

                        Commissioner Dan Ryan

From:             Julia Meier on behalf of the Portland Charter Commission

Subject:          Final Report to Council on the work of the 2020 Charter Commission

The city charter requires that, at least once every ten years, City Council appoint a 20-member Charter Commission to review and recommend changes to the charter. City Council appointed the current Charter Commission in December of 2020.

Since December 2020, the 20-member City Council appointed Portland Charter Commission was deeply engaged in extensive research and ongoing public and community engagement to shape and inform recommendations for amendments to the City of Portland’s Charter.

In summer 2021, the Charter Commission decided to approach the charter review process in two phases – meaning two sets of issues and two election cycles. Phase I focused on the structure of city government. The Commission finalized its phase I recommendations in June 2022. The Commission’s proposal to change city government was on the November 2022 ballot as ballot measure 26-228. That proposal was passed by Portland voters.

The Commission began dedicated phase II meetings in June 2022. The Commission finalized its phase II recommendations in early December 2022 resulting in nine proposals referred to Portland voters and six proposals recommended to City Council.

The City Auditor’s Office is responsible for reporting on Charter Commission referrals to voters.

This report outlines the six proposals recommended to City Council. These proposals received between 11 and 14 votes.

• Remove the 5% cap on the City’s transient lodgings tax.
• Create an article dedicated to environmental issues that includes environmental justice as a core value of the City, requires the City to assess the climate impact of its decisions and establishes a right to a clean and healthy environment.
• Establish meaningful public engagement as a core value of the City.
• Require the City to create by ordinance a participatory budgeting program open to all residents.
• Expand right to vote in City elections to the fullest extent allowed by law.
• Create an Office of the Transparency Advocate.

Because each of the six proposals listed above received between 11 and 14 Charter Commissioner votes, the proposals go to City Council as recommendations. City Council will decide whether to refer these recommendations to the ballot as-is, modify them, or do nothing. We hope that City Council ensures the proposals are considered through open public processes.

The Charter Commission also prepared a report that summarizes its work. Please see Exhibit A for the Charter Commission’s ninth and final Progress Report. The Report includes detailed information about the phase II proposals referred to voters and the phase II proposals recommended to City Council.