Transition Overview

Information

The City of Portland changed its election system and form of government to implement voter-approved charter reforms. Approved in November 2022, Ballot Measure 26-228 included ranked-choice voting, geographic districts, a bigger city council and new leadership roles.

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What were the charter changes Portlanders voted on?

In 2022, Portland voters approved three charter changes that directed the transition team to:

Implement ranked-choice voting in time for the November 2024 election and lead voter education efforts.

Establish four geographic districts, with three city council members elected to represent each district – expanding city council to a total of 12 members.

Establish a city council that focuses on setting policy and engaging with community, transitioning day-to-day oversight of city services to a mayor elected citywide and a professional city administrator.

The transition project was established in November 2022 and completed most of its work by Jan. 1, 2025, when the City of Portland officially moved to the mayor-council form of government.

For questions on voting, districts, or how to connect with your city councilors, call 311 or go to Portland.Gov/Council.

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Why did Portland’s Form of Government Change?

Portland’s election system and form of government was proposed by the Charter Commissionin 2022. Those recommendations were approved by voters in November 2022.The Commission included 20 community leaders appointed by council in December 2020 to review the City’s founding document. 

The Charter Commission spent 18 months studying alternatives to the commission form of government and leading a community engagement process with people across the city. Thousands of Portlanders voiced their opinions throughout the once-a-decade process via surveys, community listening sessions, public meetings and written feedback. The proposal that went to the ballot was supported by 17 of the 20 charter commissioners. 

In November 2022, 57 percent of Portland voters approved Ballot Measure 26-228.

Review key documents, updates, and reports from the Charter Commission

Transition Workplan and Timeline

In July 2023, the transition team released its workplan to implement the three charter changes Portlanders voted for. This enabled the City of Portland to hold its first election using geographic districts and ranked-choice voting in November 2024

Transition Work Plan July 2023 1.4 MB

November 2022: Transition began.

January 2023: Independent District Commission appointed to begin establishing geographic districts. 

March 2023: Salary Commission appointed to establish salaries for elected officials. Ranked-choice voting code is updated.

July 2023: The Independent District Commission shared a draft plan with three map options and the Salary Commission shared a draft salary report. Both commissions received public comment from Portlanders and staffed educational presentations with the Government Transition Advisory Committee.

September 2023: New geographic districts adopted, elected official salaries established. 

October 2023: City Organization project released its first draft of the new city organizational structure. City code is updated to reflect council's new role.

November 2023: The draft city organization structure is updated. Transition project's annual report released.

December 2023: City Hall renovation project began. City Hall chambers were updated to seat the expanded council and make needed security and technological upgrades.

Late 2023-2024: Government Transition Advisory Committee led over 150 educational presentations on the transition and ranked-choice voting.

March 2024: Council operations project engaged Portlanders on council responsibilities and legislative process.

July 2024: City Code is updated to reflect the city’s new organizational structure.

November 2024:Portland voters elected new leaders using ranked-choice voting and geographic districts. The mayor and half the city council will run for four-year terms; the city auditor and the other half of the city council will run for initial two-year terms.

December 2024: Portland’s newly elected leaders participate in a robust onboarding process to prepare them for their roles.

January 2025: New city councilors began meeting.

Community Engagement and Participation

Three community groups were appointed to ensure the City of Portland implements voters’ direction effectively and efficiently, while advancing the city’s values of equity and anti-racism.

An Independent District Commission established four geographic districts.
A Salary Commission set salaries for elected officials.
A Government Transition Advisory Committee advised on the overall process.

In addition to the team's ongoing engagement efforts, community members had several opportunities to provide input to these public bodies throughout the transition. Read the monthly public comment and community engagement reports to see what Portlanders had to say about the project.

Transition Budget

Making the transition is expected to cost $4 million to $5.9 million per year over the next three years, according to the City Budget Office. After the initial transition, ongoing costs of the new form of government are estimated at an additional $900,000 to $8.7 million per year – the equivalent of 0.1 to 1.4 percent of general fund discretionary resources. Those figures do not reflect potential cost savings from improving service delivery.

View the 2022 City Charter Reform Cost Summary551.71 KB