Charter Reform Passed! Now What?
In November 2022 Portlanders made their voices clear: we want a city government that works well and represents all of our communities. Measure 26-228 passed with 58% of the vote, making way for a new government structure and elections system in Portland.
You may be curious… What happens next?
A change like this does not happen with a flip of a switch, but rest assured the wheels are turning. The transition to a new form of government must be done thoughtfully and carefully and it will take multiple years to fully implement the will of the voters. Change is already underway and will be complete by the beginning of 2025.
See below for the new city government timeline, adapted from the City of Portland’s website, portland.gov/transition:
November 9, 2022 – The City of Portland launched the transition, including a brand new website to keep track of the changes: www.portland.gov/transition.
November 9 to December 1, 2022 – Applications open for Independent District Commission. Mayor will nominate and City Council will approve 13 members.
December 1 to January 31, 2023 – Applications open for Salary Commission. Mayor will nominate and City Council will approve 5 members.
January to February 12, 2023 – Applications open for Government Transition Advisory Committee. Mayor will nominate and City Council will approve 15 members.
January 2023 – Hiring of city transition staff.
January 25, 2023 – District Commission is seated. Meet the 13 members here.
March 8, 2023 – Salary Commission is seated. Meet the 5 members here.
March 22, 2023 – Government Transition Advisory Committee is seated. Meet the 15 members here.
April 19, 2023 – City Council adopts new elections system to implement ranked choice voting.
Between February to August 2023 – District Commission hosts public hearings, to help draw City Council district lines. The city engages in voter education about ranked choice voting and the new changes. View the City’s Transition-related events here.
By August 1, 2023 – Salary Commission sets elected officials’ salaries.
By September 2023 – District Commission approves a final map of City Council district lines.
November 2024 – First election using ranked choice voting within four districts (all City Council seats plus Mayor & City Auditor open and elected at the same time*).
January 2025 – Elected officials enter the new mayor-council form of government and work to hire a city administrator.
March 2025 – Transition Advisory Committee completes work (unless the Mayor or Council determines work is completed at earlier date or should be extended).
*In future election cycles, half of City Council will be elected during U.S. presidential elections, and the other half will be elected during congressional midterms/Oregon gubernatorial elections. The districts where voter turnout is historically lowest will elect their City Council representatives during U.S. presidential elections to take advantage of higher voter turnout.
Ways to get involved:
Attend events and meetings hosted by the City of Portland’s Transition team. View all events here.
Make sure you are on the email list to receive updates from the City of Portland on the transition and opportunities to take action and share input.
Sign up for email updates from the Portland United for Change coalition, which is staying together to support community involvement during the implementation of Measure 26-228.
Submit Public Comment to the Independent District Commission: The Independent District Commission wants to hear from you! All public comments will be shared with the future Independent District Commission and will be posted on the website. Public comments are welcome in any language.
This page will be updated periodically. Please refer to The City of Portland for official updates and additional information on the transition.
Coalition members include:
“Portlanders are ready for transformative change, and examples near and far demonstrate that this measure is the change that Portland needs.”
— DEBBIE KITCHIN AND ANDREW SPEER
