The Government Transition Advisory Committee revised its previous draft recommendations based on community feedback. At their Sept. 11 meeting, the advisory body voted to advance final recommendations to City leaders of the new government. After 18 months of service, working alongside City staff, engaging Portlanders where they are, and asking for innovative solutions to barriers in effectively engaging the public across the City, the committee hopes that City leaders will be inspired and moved to action by the recommendations.
The Government Transition Advisory Committee is made up of volunteers with diverse experiences and expertise, appointed by city council in March 2023 to serve until March 2025.
“The GTAC’s task is to ensure effective and efficient implementation of charter reforms, engage the public, and provide strategic advice to the City that is research informed,” said Julia Meier, who staffs the committee. “They are united in involving Portlanders in the successful transition of our government.”
In spring 2024, the committee engaged community to inform its draft recommendations. On May 15, the committee released its draft recommendations for community consideration. Final deliberations were made after a summer of civic engagement. The summer of civic engagement included 403 survey responses, 70 attendees at two listening sessions, five youth and multicultural community-based organizations policy discussions, and 16 internal City briefings. For more about the committee’s work with Portlanders, read the community engagement report.
“I want to thank everybody on the committee and subcommittee. We were all strangers at one point, coming here at a transformational moment in the city’s history,” said committee member Destiny Magaña Pablo. “I just want to thank you for building that trust, collaboration and idea-sharing and challenging each other with that joint passion of listening to Portlanders, to their vote, to their input, to their creativity and to their needs. I’m really excited for the potential of our final recommendations document.”
The committee focused its work on areas of charter reform that would produce the most significant improvements to how Portlanders engage with City government. The recommendations fall into four categories.
- Engaging with City government
- Setting up council in the new government
- Setting up council committees in the new government
- Participating in the City’s new budget process
The committee is honored by and thanks the hundreds of Portland residents who came to a meeting, a community presentation, a listening session, or provided impressive and useful input in any number of ways in these past few months. The members of the Government Transition Advisory Committee hope these recommendations reflect and advance your interests and concerns to shape and form this momentous transition into Portland’s future.
Request a presentation by the Government Transition Advisory Committee
Fill out a form at Portland.gov/transition/engage to request a speaker.