During November and December 2019, League members are considering whether and how Portland’s city government should change.  Their work is the final step in a process that began more than two years ago. In May 2017, members voted to restudy of our government.  A summary of the results of the two-year study – The City That Works: Preparing Portland for the Future – was published in September. Then the study committee sent copies to all Portland LWV members. The study’s cover is shown in the photo above. You can read the online version of the study by clicking here.

After reading the study, members are gathering in groups to discuss its findings. In preparation for the discussions, members also attended or viewed the recording of a panel discussion. The panel explored the Portland government’s strengths and weaknesses. You can see the recording of that panel discussion here. The panelists were Mike Gleason, who served for 18 years as Eugene’s city manager; Chris Tobkin, who worked for Bud Clark during his two terms as Portland Mayor; Julia DeGraw, who is part of Portland Forward and was a candidate for Portland City Council; and Betsy Pratt, who was the chair of the study committee.

We expect that the members’ discussions will lead to a general agreement or consensus on how to make Portland’s government more effective. That member agreement will become the basis for a new LWVPDX advocacy position.