The Portland City Charter is similar to a constitution for the city; it defines how Portland is governed. Every ten years, the City of Portland appoints a volunteer Commission to review the City Charter. Over the past year, twenty Charter Review Commissioners have been considering ways to improve the way Portland's government works. They have learned from Portlanders, other cities, and numerous other sources about changes to the Charter that could make Portland's government more effective, representative and responsive to its residents. Now, they are close to making decisions about possible Charter revisions. Next November, Portland voters will decide whether to accept the Commission's recommendations. In this podcast, the Project Manager for the Charter Review Commission and three of the Commissioners explain their goals and process. They also answer questions from LWV members and the audience. If you vote in Portland, this is a podcast for you.
Thanks to Project Manager Julia Meier, Commissioners Avalos, Billings-Yun, and Streeter, and LWVPDX members Debbie Kaye, Linda Mantel and Audrey Zunkel-deCoursey for their work to make this program possible.