News Archives

Portland Is Changing! Charter Implementation Successes and Challenges

A recorded Panel Discussion

On September 19, 2023, a panel of leading experts discussed the work accomplished thus far and work that is underway to ensure effective and fair implementation of the charter reforms approved by voters last November. Panelists:

- Melanie Billings-Yun, Charter Review Commissioner, 2020-22 (Moderator)
- Shoshanah Oppenheim, Charter Transition Project Manager
- Marcus Mundy, Executive Director, Coalition of Communities of Color
- Leah Benson, Co-Chair, Government Transition Advisory Committee (GTAC)
- Alex Zielinski, Reporter, Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB)

Click on the arrow to view the video recording of the program:

Listen to the podcast of this program by clicking here.

The video is being shown on cable TV at the times listed below.

LWV Info on Charter Reforms

By M.O. Stevens – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10470949

The League is working hard to make sure the charter reforms that voters passed in November 2022 will make Portland’s government and elections better.

Our new page on City Charter Reform links to resources explaining ranked choice voting and the decisions being made now about our 2025 city government. We’ll be adding more resources as these decisions are finalized. Stay tuned!

Updated Directory of Elected Officials Available Now

We’ve updated our Directory of Elected Officials, with information from the results of the May 2023 Special Election. Read it by clicking here. You’ll find information about how to contact all the elected representatives who serve people in our area. There are websites, emails, or phone numbers for everyone from President Biden to the directors of the Fire Districts.

When you have a concern about government, you can use this contact info to ask questions or express your opinion. The Directory also has information about political parties and voter registration. Finally, if you need more details about area governments, check out the Contact Elected Officials page of this website.

Comment on Portland’s Proposed Council Districts

Portland’s City Council is expanding in 2025! In November 2024, we’ll elect three city councilors from each of four new Council Districts. You can help decide on the boundaries of your district.

The Independent Districting Commission has proposed three different maps for the new Council Districts. They want to hear from as many Portlanders as possible. Please comment to let them know what you think.

Click here to view a presentation about these three possible district maps. Learn about how each district was designed and the pros and cons of each design. Decide which you like best. Then, attend a hearing (schedule below) or submit comments.

- Weds, July 5, 6-8 PM, East Portland Community Center, 740 SE 106th
- Thurs., July 6, 6-8 PM, Taborspace, 5441 SE Belmont
- Sat., July 8 12-2 PM, APANO, 8188 SE Division
- Sun., July 9, 1-3 PM, SW Community Center, 6820 SW 45th
- Weds., July 12, 6-8 PM, Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th
- Thurs., July 13, 6-8 PM, Self Enhancement Inc., 3920 N. Kerby Ave
- Fri., July 14 from 12-2pm hosted virtually via Zoom
- Sat., July 15, 12-2 PM, Charles Jordan Community Center, 9009 N Foss
- Sun., July 16, 1-3 PM, Youth PDX, 16126 SE Stark

OR submit comments by July 22, 2023 in one of the following ways:

- Fill out the IDC’s public comment form
- Call 3-1-1 and share your comments verbally
- Email your comments to: DistrictCommission@portlandoregon.gov
- Mail comments to the Office of Management and Finance, Independent District Commission, 1120 SW 5th Ave., Room 901, Portland, OR 97204

For more information, see the District Commission’s webpage here.

Thank you for helping to shape Portland’s new Council districts!

Our New President and Board

New LWVPDX President Carolyn Buppert talks with members after her election

At our Annual Membership Meeting on May 24, 2023, Portland League members elected a new volunteer president, Carolyn Buppert. You can read about the meeting and the decisions that members made here. We also elected new board members and committee chairs. You can read the bios of all the LWVPDX 2023-24 board members and leaders here.