Listen to this story below.
There are just 27 days until Portland’s new form of government and newly elected leadership are in effect. A lot of work has gone into the transition since 2022, when voters passed the Charter Change measure that put the governmental transformation into motion.
"The City of Portland was tasked with what, at the time, seemed like an incredibly tall order," Mayor Ted Wheeler said, at a press conference Thursday.
This included expanding the City Council from four members to 12, elected from four new geographic districts. City Council will now focus on legislative policy, and the Mayor would oversee all the city's bureaus, consolidated under a professional city administrator.
Mike Jordan is the Interim City Administrator, with decades of experience in state, local and regional government. He says, the transition process has been smooth so far.
"I have never gone through a transition in any of those organizations as wide and deep and complex as this has been. And I also believe [it's] the most successful transition ... that I've been involved in," Jordan said.
Mayor-elect Keith Wilson has been a part of the transition team since his election in November. He says he will keep Interim City Administrator Jordan on staff until at least next fall.
"Our new city councilors are the best in Portland and I'm excited about my role executing the vision leadership and legislation they'll bring in the coming days," Wilson said.
But with this government transition, there’s still a lot of unknowns, particularly in the legislative branch of city government. The City Council will have to elect a President, decide on committees and how they will conduct themselves.
City Council will also be looking at a budget shortfall.
Wilson says, the crunch is coming, but there is hope to avoid layoffs through savings. Since the city bureaus are united under one roof for the first time, there are some overlapping costs that could be consolidated.
He says the budget crisis doesn't change his main priorities.
"We are not going to sideline our efforts on public safety, supporting families and small businesses, or leading on climate."
Wilson emphasized his central campaign promise too, ending unsheltered homelessness in Portland.
"It's a humanitarian crisis, it's a financial crisis, and a crisis of confidence wrapped up into one. Our mission is to rebuild a sense of civic pride and personal safety, so that people can thrive, and vibrancy returns to our public spaces," he said.
The final meeting of Portland’s Commission form of government and the current city council will be on Wednesday, December 18th, in the newly renovated council chambers.
The mayor and city council will be sworn in two weeks later, on Thursday, January 2nd.
- KBOO