How will Portland’s new crop of leaders tackle a revamped system and problems that have been building for decades? by Taylor Griggs Portland City Council will never be the same. Literally.  You probably already know that voters will soon elect an entirely new legislative body to lead the city. Come January, Portland’s 12 new city councilors will represent four geographic districts, with three people from each district on City Council. A new city administrator will, along with the mayor, work to implement policies that the council approves.  But what exactly is changing for our elected officials? And, perhaps more importantly, how will all of this impact you? While the practical effects of all these changes won’t be fully clear until the new council actually arrives in City Hall and gets to work, we have an idea of what to expect from our new form of government, and some predictions about how it will shake up Portland politics.  How things are supposed to work  The government transition will bring major changes for all Portland residents as well as elected officials. The charter reform measure and government transition were structured to give Portlanders better representation in local government. Those who helped craft the new system also hoped Portlanders who previously stayed away from city politics would be encouraged and inspired to participate in civic life. For the first time, city residents will have district representation in City Hall, giving underrepresented parts of Portland (like the easternmost part of the city) a chance for some real political leverage. City councilors and the mayor can expect to have dramatically different roles compared to current Portland commissioners. The future mayor of Portland will no longer serve as a member of City Council, and won’t cast votes on policies (except in the case of a tie). The mayor will instead lead the executive branch and have administrative authority.  The mayor will still have important responsibilities, like developing the city budget for council review and approval. What we don’t know yet is how this massive change will affect the power dynamic between the new mayor and council. The mayor won’t have veto power, meaning any legislation approved by the council is final. In addition, any new legislation proposed by the mayor must get approval from the council. The mayor will also appoint a city administrator, manage city bureaus, and implement council-adopted policies alongside the administrator.  The city administrator is a key change in the new governing system. Portland has always had professional directors leading each bureau, but never a professional manager overseeing all city operations. Think of it like a company CEO: Portland’s new city administrator will oversee an assistant city administrator and six deputy city administrators, one for each new service area.  As for the councilors, their jobs will ostensibly be to connect with constituents, determine what should be fixed or improved around the city, and work with each other to craft (or approve) policy that can get it accomplished. Instead of being tasked with overseeing city bureaus, the councilors will be expected to act in roles that are more akin to a state legislator.  The new district system should also open up more opportunities for residents to engage with their council representatives—but this may not come from permanent in-district offices. According to the Government Transition Advisory Committee, most cities with district representation don’t have such offices, due to cost and security concerns.  The advisory committee ultimately voted to recommend the city provide “temporary, low-cost offices in each district” beginning January 1, 2025. The offices should have accommodations for up to eight staff per district and be located near public transit. The future City Council will make the final decision on whether to continue managing permanent offices in their districts.  Whether or not councilors have offices outside City Hall, they’ll still be expected to attend local community meetings and hold regular town halls in their districts, as well as establish district-specific communication to engage with their constituents.  Same problems, new leaders Not only will the new council be bigger and operate differently, it’s likely to shift the city’s policies on homelessness. Out of 66 candidates the Mercury polled, 40 told us they disagree with the city’s new public camping ordinance. The ordinance was a hallmark piece of legislation approved by the current City Council earlier this year.  “I know it doesn’t allow for arresting people outright for ‘camping,’ but it is one of the outcomes and that’s just a step towards criminalizing being homeless,” says Thomas Shervey, a candidate running in District 1. “Fines provide little incentive to people who can’t pay them. Plus, our jails and court systems are already under heavy strain.” Ciatta Thompson is running in District 4, which covers Downtown Portland. Thompson says the city should focus more on connecting unhoused people with resources. “The camping ordinance should be repealed,” Thompson said, citing friction between the city and the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office over jailing unhoused people. “There must be real carrots and sticks for any ban to work. It needs to be treated like the urgent problem it is. I would push for more Temporary Alternative Shelter Sites within the city and Multnomah County, with the goal to congregate those in need in spaces where we can effectively deliver much needed resources,” Thompson added. The responses from these candidates suggest the next council could be less draconian about homelessness policy than those currently in office. It’s no surprise that most City Council candidates are decrying the city’s current leadership and running on a platform of change. What’s more difficult to gauge is whether voters will be able to differentiate the policy plans of each candidate in their district.  John Horvick is senior vice president at DHM Research, a public opinion research firm.  Horvick says by his observations, “every candidate is running to be a homeless solution finder.”  It makes sense, given the city’s unhoused population is equivalent to a small town. But there is little variance in priorities or platforms of each candidate. “I feel like all the candidates are running for the median voter,” Horvick says. “I’m a little surprised that nobody is really taking a big swing on trying to do something that’s obviously different.” Scan the websites and campaign platforms of all 98 City Council candidates and the primary concerns boil down to roughly half a dozen issues: homelessness and housing, public safety, addiction treatment, climate, transportation improvements, and economic revitalization.  Horvick said this election season, the discontent that influenced the 2022 election and brought us charter reform is likely still driving voters’ decisions.  “We made a change for charter reform at a time when Portlanders were really upset,” Horvick notes. “When Covid immediately hit, there was a bit of a rally effect. Not a good mood, but like ‘we’re in it all together, we’ll get through it.’ Then of course protests, homelessness, shootings and crime, and fentanyl spikes made people feel really bad about this place. I think a lot of why we got to where we are today is because people were still mad in 2022.” With many of those issues  still top of mind for voters, this election isn’t a question of what Portland’s biggest challenges are, it’s a question of whether a new governing system will put the city in a better position to tackle them.