What form of government are we changing to?
Starting January 2025, Portland will have a mayor-council form of government.
Portland currently has a commission form of government, which means that City Council, consisting of a mayor and four commissioners, exercises legislative and executive powers. Executive power includes managing City bureaus.
In the upcoming form of government, we'll have a mayor and a council consisting of 12 councilors who will be elected in their districts. The new council will no longer oversee day-to-day operations of Portland bureaus. Instead, a new city administrator who reports to the mayor will lead administrative operations of the City. This will effectively make the new City Council a legislative body instead of the hybrid legislative/executive body that it has been.
What are some characteristics of a mayor-council form of government?
Mayor is elected separately from the council, is often full-time and paid, with significant administrative authority.
Depending on the municipal charter, the mayor could have weak or strong powers.
Council is elected and maintains legislative powers.
Some cities appoint a professional manager or city administrator who maintains limited administrative authority.
This is the second most common form of government. It is found mostly (but not exclusively) in older, larger cities, or in very small cities, and is most popular in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. Cities with variations in the mayor-council form of government are New York, New York; Houston, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah, and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Learn more about the mayor and city council's changing roles.
What does it mean to have a legislative council? What will the mayor do?
Starting January 2025, city council will be the policy body for the City of Portland. They will convene public meetings, gather input, debate, and evaluate policy choices and adopt laws to reflect those choices. The future council will continue to approve the budget, can issue bonds, levy taxes, and set most rates and fees. The City Charter amendments approved by voters in 2022 explicitly prohibit the council from exercising the executive and administrative powers granted to the mayor.
The mayor will no longer serve on council. Instead, they will lead the executive branch and have administrative authority. The future Mayor will appoint, and council will confirm, a professional city administrator. The mayor and city administrator will work together to implement the laws and policies developed by council and will manage all city bureaus. The mayor will also develop and propose the city’s budget to council for review and approval.
This means that the mayor will be accountable to all administrative issues instead of the multiple commissioners-in-charge that we have today. The city will continue to host meetings, events, and surveys to understand what programs or projects should be created or could be improved. The community should focus on reaching out to the mayor and city administrator about service delivery questions and improvements.
Learn more on our page dedicated to their changing roles and council operations.
Is being a council member a full-time job? If a councilor was a City of Portland employee before they were elected, could they keep their job?
Being a councilor is a full-time job. The City Charter does not allow elected councilors to hold other jobs or receive outside income. They will be full time, solely dedicated to their elected role.
When should you contact city council?
Contact the city councilors representing your district to highlight a pattern of issues in your community or to encourage them to advocate for budget allocations to resolve these issues.
Ways to engage with your councilors:
- Attend or provide input at a council committee or regular meetings.
- Participate in council-hosted meetings, events and town halls.
- Call or provide written input to council offices.
When should you contact the mayor?
Contact the mayor to improve a program that is important to you or help a bureau improve their service.
Ways to engage with the mayor:
- Participate in City-hosted meetings, events, and surveys.
- Apply to serve on a City advisory board, committee or commission.
- Call or provide written input to the mayor’s office.
Where can I learn more about the new form of government?
The City's Transition Team provides more details about the changes to Portland's form of government on their website.