The Government Transition Advisory Committee (GTAC) is the leading forum for community engagement on the Charter Transition project. As a 15-member body that was appointed by the mayor and approved by city council in March 2023, committee members will serve until March 2025. All committee meetings are open to the public.
The role of the advisory committee is to advise city council, the chief administrative officer and the City transition team on issues related to the development and implementation of the Transition Plan. Appendix A in the Transition Plan contains the Community Engagement Plan, which serves as a workplan for the committee.
The City has specifically requested the committee’s advice is the following areas: (1) community and employee engagement; (2) transition project budget; (3) change management; (4) voter education; and (5) definition and measures of success.
Among the committee responsibilities that were defined by city council, perhaps their most important role is to maintain open and consistent communication and engagement with internal and external stakeholders throughout the transition, and ensure input is meaningfully integrated into the City’s implementation of the November 2022 voter-approved charter amendments.
The Government Transition Advisory Committee is proud to partner with communities that have been left out of Portland’s political process
At least one of the two quarterly briefings or presentations committed to by GTAC members will be conducted in partnership with a community or communities that have been traditionally left out of City Hall and city decision-making, including Black, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Latinx/e, people of color, people with disabilities, immigrants and refugees, non-English speaking communities, people under age 25, houseless Portlanders, people who live east of 82nd Avenue, and the LGBTQIA+ community. Providing these opportunities in partnership means going to community and asking what their constituents care about and how best to reach them; inviting community to take the lead; and providing needed support including materials, space, and reimbursement for costs like staff time, food, childcare, etc. To support the committee in this work, all committee members and alternates participated a racial justice and equity training provided by the Office of Equity and Human Rights to support culturally responsive engagement; and committee members will be provided with materials to use in their engagement.
Host a speaker from the Government Transition Advisory Committee
If you are active in a community group, consider booking a member of the Government Transition Advisory Committee (GTAC) or City transition staff to speak at your next in-person or virtual meeting. GTAC members are prepared to give an overview of the transition covering topics such as ranked-choice voting, districts, and city organization.
Request a presentation from a member of the committee.