Transition to a mayor-council form of government
In 2022, Portland voters approved charter changes to move to a mayor-council form of government. The transition team led the implementation and worked with city partners to understand roles and responsibilities for the new elected officials, and how council meetings and policy processes would change under the mayor-council form of government.
Mayor is elected separately from the council, is often full-time and paid, with significant administrative authority.
Depending on the municipal charter, the mayor could have weak or strong powers.
Council is elected and maintains legislative powers.
Some cities appoint a professional manager or city administrator who maintains limited administrative authority.
This is the second most common form of government. It is found mostly (but not exclusively) in older, larger cities, or in very small cities, and is most popular in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. Cities with variations in the mayor-council form of government are New York, New York; Houston, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah, and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Learn more about our form of government
Council operations in the mayor-council form of government
The legislative council is the policy body for the City of Portland. They convene public meetings, gather input, debate, and evaluate policy choices and adopt laws to reflect those choices. The future council will continue to approve the budget, issue bonds, levy taxes, and set most rates and fees. The City Charter amendments approved by voters in 2022 explicitly prohibit the council from exercising the executive and administrative powers granted to the mayor.
The Mayor no longer serves on council. Instead, they lead the executive branch and have administrative authority. The future Mayor appoints, and council confirms, a professional city administrator. The mayor and city administrator work together to implement the laws and policies developed by council and manage all city bureaus. The mayor also develops and proposes the city’s budget to council’s review and approval.
This means that the mayor will be accountable to all administrative issues instead of the multiple commissioners-in-charge that were part of the commission form of government. The city will continue to host meetings, events, and surveys to understand what programs or projects should be created or could be improved. The community should focus on reaching out to the mayor and city administrator about service delivery questions and improvements.
| City Council Sets Citywide Policy | Mayor Oversees City Services |
|---|---|
| Engages the public on community needs. | Engages with staff and leadership on City operational needs. |
| Sets the direction of city government through a strategic planning process, usually with the help of a city administrator. | Leads implementation of council’s strategic plan, with help from City leadership. |
| Approves the City budget in accordance with the strategic plan. | Proposes necessary budget funding to implement the strategic plan. |
| Approves policies as necessary to respond to community or organizational issues and to achieve strategic outcomes. | Requests development of policies to address community or operational issues or to achieve strategic outcomes. |
City council organization and responsibilities
What is a council committee?
Council committees are small groups of councilors assigned, on either a temporary or permanent basis, to closely examine legislative matters. In Portland, committees will be made up of between four and seven councilors, with at least one councilor from each district but no more than two members from a district.
Agenda items or ideas for legislation will be assigned by the Council President to a committee for focused attention to explore and discuss policy options. Council committee meetings are public meetings, and it is common for most public input to be taken in committee meetings, rather than full council meeting. Because council committees will be focused on specific topic areas, community members interested in those topics will have more direct connection to the agenda items, discussions, and input opportunities.
How will council meeting agendas change?
As a result of council’s shifting role, council agendas starting in 2025 will have less administrative items already included in the budget and focus more on budget approval and changes, revenue decisions (including levying taxes and raising rates and fees), making laws through City code, accepting, and receiving reports, and other related functions.
Council agendas will focus more on setting policies and legislative functions such as convening public meetings, gathering public input, debating, and evaluating policy choices and adopting laws or policies to reflect those choices. With the mayor overseeing the execution of laws and city management, the council’s role in administration will be reduced.
Some items on council's agenda
Quasi-judicial hearings where the council is the deciding body, for example land use appeals (unless delegated to another individual or body by code).
Oversee sale or other transfer of city-owned property.
Issue bonds.
Levy taxes.
Approve property tax exemptions.
Approve settlements greater than $50,000.
Approve acquisition of property by eminent domain.
Approve annexation/changes to city boundary.
Accept grants that require budget amendment or appropriation.
Refer measures to voters.
Grant and revoke utility franchises.
Vacate streets.
Establish and abolish boards and commissions.
Set pay ranges for job classifications.
Set water rates and park fees.
Change number, designation of lots, blocks or tracts.
Authorize letter of agreement with a union.
When should you contact city council?
Contact the city councilors representing your district to highlight a pattern of issues in your community or to encourage them to advocate for budget allocations to resolve these issues.
Ways to engage with your councilors:
- Attend or provide input at a council committee or regular meetings.
- Participate in council-hosted meetings, events and town halls.
- Call or provide written input to council offices.
When should you contact the mayor?
Contact the mayor to improve a program that is important to you or help a bureau improve their service.
Ways to engage with the mayor:
- Participate in City-hosted meetings, events, and surveys.
- Apply to serve on a City advisory board, committee or commission.
- Call or provide written input to the mayor’s office.