Tag: Portland City Government

NEW Directory of Elected Officials!

Photo of cover of Directory
Photo of the cover page of the 2021-23 Directory of Elected Officials

We’ve updated our Directory of Elected Officials. 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.

Portland’s Government – An Analysis

Video of LWV Panel Discussion

Could Portland’s Government be more effective with a new structure?

Click below to watch the video of our panel discussion about the strengths and weaknesses of Portland’s form of government.

If you prefer to watch the video on your Tv, here is the cablecast schedule:

The Multnomah Bar Foundation and the Carol & Velma Saling Foundation donated funding for the recording by MetroEast Community media.

You can also read the study report here.

 

Should we change Portland’s Government?

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.