Why are we preparing for these changing roles right now?
The roles of the mayor and city council will change in 2025. These changing roles are defined by the Portland City Charter revisions passed by voters, and additional changes to the City’s systems are needed to support and benefit these new roles.
We need to clarify the roles and responsibilities of council, the mayor and city administrator across the City’s new organizational structure to help city staff, Portlanders, and interested candidates prepare for the mayor-council form of government that will start on Jan. 1, 2025.
Working with Partners
The transition team and the Government Transition Advisory Committee continue to study and meet with other cities to learn their best practices and prepare for this transition.
Revisions to the City’s code on council organization and procedures to match the updated city charter and to guide council meetings starting in 2025 were adopted by Council in September of 2023 and provide helpful information about the changing roles of elected officials for interested candidates.
Throughout 2024, the team will continue to match other chapters of City Code to the updated City Charter. The transition team continues to engage internal subject matter experts and the Government Transition Advisory Committee to guide recommendations about various changes to set up the new council for success. Community listening sessions will be hosted in the spring and summer of 2024 to share work to date and seek feedback on emerging recommendations that will be made to the 2025 City Council.
Timeline for Council Operations Recommendations
2023 to January 2024: Collect and evaluate data and information.
March to April 2024: Gather community and staff input.
April to May 2024: Draft initial recommendations.
June 2024: Disseminate initial recommendations.
July to August 2024: Gather more input.
Fall 2024: Finalize recommendations.
How can you engage future elected leaders?
In November 2024, 12 city councilors will be elected from four different districts. These councilors will no longer directly oversee city bureaus and instead will focus on setting policies to achieve desired community outcomes. Key to Council’s role will be convening public meetings, gathering input, debating, and evaluating policy choices, and adopting laws to reflect those choices.
As a result of this higher-level role, community members will want to engage council when they want to highlight a pattern of issues in their community, advocate for budget allocations in their community, or to support their councilors’ priorities for the city. Council committees and regular meetings will be key for community to provide input to council, but individual councilor or district offices may host their own meetings, events, and townhalls to engage with community.
Do you need to report an issue or do you have a question on city services? Contact 311.
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.
Based on the revised charter, here are some examples of those anticipated council agenda changes beginning in 2025:
| Some examples of items anticipated to remain on council's agenda | Some examples of items anticipated to no longer remain on council's agenda |
|---|---|
Set council meetings for the year, select council president and vice president | Authorize contracts consistent with City budget |
Assign additional duties to the auditor or ombudsman with the auditor's consent/consultation | Discuss IGAs consistent with City budget (unless IGA creates new intergovernmental entity) |
Accept reports from the council, mayor, city administrator, deputy city administrators, their designees, or committees | Discuss Settlements less than $50,000 |
Approve the City’s budget and appropriations | Accept procurement bids |
Make laws by city code adoption, amendment and repeal | Discuss street renaming |
Confirm board and commission appointments | Discuss proclamations |
Confirm city administrator, city attorney and police chief appointments | Authorize grant applications and accept grants (unless it requires budget amendment or appropriation) |
Additional items expected to stay on council's agenda:
Hold 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.