Appoint Raymond C. Lee III as City Administrator
WHEREAS, per the City Charter, Portland's governance structure includes an executive Mayor and legislative Council, with a City Administrator who assists the Mayor in the management of the City; and
WHEREAS, Section 2-401 (f) of Portland's City Charter provides that the Mayor appoints the City Administrator, subject to City Council confirmation; and
WHEREAS, Mayor Wilson partnered with the Bureau of Human Resources and Strategic Government Resources (SGR) on an extensive nationwide search and an open and competitive process; and
WHEREAS, Mayor Wilson, executive leadership and SGR narrowed the field from more than 100 applicants to a list of highly qualified candidates; and
WHEREAS, Mayor Wilson identified the top 10 candidates for further consideration; and
WHEREAS, Mayor Wilson, Council President Pirtle-Guiney and Council Vice President Koyama Lane identified the top five candidates for in-person interviews; and
WHEREAS, City leaders including the Mayor, City Council, executive leadership and union partners conducted rigorous interviews and assessments of the top three finalist candidates; and
WHEREAS, Mayor Wilson has carefully reviewed Raymond C. Lee III's professional qualifications, years of service, strategic contributions, and notable achievements, further outlined in Exhibit A; and
WHEREAS, Mayor Wilson finds that Raymond C. Lee III, having served the cities of Dallas and Amarillo, Texas, and Greeley, Colorado, and based on his strategic leadership and accomplishments in governance transformation, fiscal stewardship, economic and community development, sustainability, regional infrastructure, housing and homelessness, organizational culture, labor relations, service innovation, public safety, intergovernmental relations, engagement, and equity, he is uniquely qualified to fulfill the responsibilities of the City Administrator as outlined in Section 2-406 of City Charter; and
WHEREAS, Mayor Keith Wilson has appointed, subject to Council confirmation, Raymond C. Lee III as City Administrator;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council hereby confirms Raymond C. Lee III's appointment as City Administrator in accordance with this resolution.
Official Record (Efiles)
Impact Statement
Purpose of Proposed Legislation and Background Information
Per the City Charter, Portland's governance structure includes an executive Mayor and legislative Council, with a City Administrator who, under the direction of the Mayor, directs and manages the work and services of the City. The City Administrator is appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by Council.
Mayor Keith Wilson is submitting this resolution for the appointment of Raymond C. Lee III as the next City Administrator for Council confirmation per the requirements of the City Charter.
Financial and Budgetary Impacts
The annual salary for this position is $370,000.
Including benefits, the full year cost of this position is approximately $535,700 (FY 25-26 dollars, not adjusted for inflation and benefit rate increases).
Funding for this position, including benefits, is available in the Office of the City Administrator's current year and ongoing budget.
Economic and Real Estate Development Impacts
Not applicable.
Community Impacts and Community Involvement
The City partnered with Motus Recruiting to conduct community listening sessions and a key attributes survey in 2024 to collect feedback from community members about the key qualities, skills, and experiences needed for a successful City Administrator. More information can be found here:City of Portland – City Administrator | Motus Recruiting and the results can be found here: download.
The Government Transition Advisory Committee, empaneled to advise the City Administrator on many aspects of charter change implementation from March 2023-March 2025, also provided recommendations on the recruitment: City Administrator Recruitment. Additionally, the Charter Commission led an extensive process to develop their proposals, which were submitted to voters for approval. A key element of the proposal was implementing a City Administrator to run the day-to-day operations of the City under the direction of the Mayor. The Charter reflects several qualifications and responsibilities of the role of the City Administrator. Information about the community engagement can be found in the Charter Commission's final report at Key Information & Documents | Portland.gov.
100% Renewable Goal
Not applicable.
Economic and Real Estate Development Analysis
Analysis provided by Prosper Portland
An Economic and Real Estate Development Impact Analysis was not submitted for this proposed action. Pursuant to City Council Resolution 37664, Prosper Portland staff has reviewed the action and agree that it does not require an Economic and Real Estate Development Impact Analysis.
Document History
Document number: 2025-485
President's referral: City Council