What is a City’s charter and what is City code?
The City Charter is a guiding document that establishes a local government’s system and structure. Portland’s Charter determines how the City runs elections, the roles and responsibilities of the City’s elected leaders, and how the City’s bureaus and services are managed.
City code is a collection of laws passed by a local governing body. Portland currently has 34 chapters of City code that can be referenced at portland.gov/code.
What does Code 3.02 do and why does it need to be revised?
Code revisions are needed to align with the voter-approved City Charter amendments. Revisions to the City’s code are also needed to give the 12-member, district-based council the structure and formal guidelines needed to operate effectively starting in January 2025. Clarity about the roles and responsibilities of council, the mayor and city administrator across the City’s new organizational structure will help city staff, the public, and interested candidates prepare for the mayor-council form of government.
The transition team is working with city partners to develop revisions to the City of Portland Code 3.02 on council organization and procedures to match the updated City Charter and to set up the 2025 city council for success. These proposed revisions will be presented to council on Sept. 20, 2023. The timing of these code revisions will provide helpful information about the changing roles of elected officials as interested candidates file to run for office. Work will continue in 2024 to match other chapters of City Code to the updated City Charter. Additional recommendations for council operations will continue to be developed and informed by the community. These recommendations will be provided to the 2025 council so they can make their own choices about how they will work together as a group.
Read the draft revised code being reviewed by City Council.
Read the Responses to Frequently Asked Questions and Comments regarding Code 3.02.
What’s changing in Code 3.02?
Reorganized to promote clarity and accessibility.
Edits to align with the amended City Charter.
Key policy choices based on City Charter Amendments:
Role of the council president
Council meeting schedule
Clarifying vote requirements not defined by the charter
Council meeting management