Government of Portland, Oregon facts for kids

The Government of Portland, Oregon helps run the city of Portland, which is in the U.S. state of Oregon. Portland uses a special system called a city commission government. This means that the city is led by elected officials, including a Mayor, a City Council (also called Commissioners), and a City Auditor.

The Mayor and the City Commissioners work together to make laws for the city. They also oversee different city departments that handle daily tasks. The City Auditor makes sure that the government is working correctly and honestly. Portland started using this type of government in 1913 after people voted for it.

Each elected official serves for four years. There is no limit to how many terms they can serve.

How Portland's Government Started

For a long time, people in Portland talked a lot about how the city should be run. Around 1911 and 1912, different groups suggested various plans for the city's rules, called "charters."

Finally, in 1913, the city council presented a new plan to the people. This plan was accepted, and that's when the city commission government system began. H. Russell Albee became the first mayor under this new system.

Later, in 2007, Portland citizens voted on a plan to change the government to a "strong mayor" system. In this system, the mayor would have more power. However, the citizens voted against this change. People have suggested similar changes many times over the years, but they have always been rejected.

Electing City Leaders

When people vote for City Council members and the City Auditor, these positions are "non-partisan." This means that candidates do not run as members of a political party. Each person elected serves a four-year term.

Elections usually happen in May of even-numbered years. If no candidate wins more than half of the votes, the top two candidates have a second election. This "runoff" election usually takes place in November.

From 2006 to 2010, Portland had a special system for elections. Candidates could get public money to help pay for their campaigns. To get this money, they had to collect many small donations from people. For example, a mayoral candidate needed 1,500 donations of $5 each to get $160,000 in public funds. However, in November 2010, Portland voters decided to stop using this public financing system.

Getting Around Portland: Public Transit

Most public transportation in Portland is handled by TriMet, which is a regional agency, not directly by the city government. However, the city of Portland does own two important transportation systems: the Portland Streetcar and the Portland Aerial Tram.

The Portland Aerial Tram is like a cable car that carries people up a hill to Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). OHSU manages the tram, but the city helped plan it and paid about 15% of the building costs. The city also pays 15% of the tram's running costs each year.

The Portland Streetcar System

The city of Portland owns the Portland Streetcar system. The city's Portland Bureau of Transportation helped plan and build the streetcar, which opened in 2001. They worked with Metro (a regional government) and TriMet.

The city hires TriMet to provide the drivers and maintenance staff for the streetcar. TriMet also pays some of the streetcar's operating costs. Some administrative tasks are handled by a non-profit group called Portland Streetcar Inc. (PSI). This group's board reports to the city's Transportation bureau.

Other Governments Affecting Portland

Portland is the main city, or county seat, of Multnomah County. This means the county government also has a big impact on Portland.

There's also Metro, which is a regional government. Metro mainly focuses on how land is used and developed in the area around Portland.

Of course, Portland is also affected by the government of the state of Oregon and the federal government of the United States. All these different levels of government work together and influence policies in Portland.