Mayor Wheeler to control city bureaus next month in 'biggest shift in over 100 years'

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – In a major step in the City of Portland’s upcoming restructuring, Mayor Ted Wheeler will take control of all government bureaus starting July 1.

Under the mayor, a new city administrator will be tasked with running day-to-day operations, including the city bureaus — a shift from the city’s current form of government in which city commissioners lead a group of several bureaus at a time.

Voters approved the restructuring of the city's government in November 2022 with Measure 26-228, which means Portland City Council members will be relegated to focus on city policy.

Mayor Wheeler said the shift will make the government more efficient. However, it will require six months to complete.

“This is a major shift,” Wheeler said. “This is the biggest shift the city has seen in over 100 years. It requires us to not only shift the boxes, but also think more horizontally."

Portland’s soon-to-be-phased-out form of government has the Mayor and four commissioners elected at large, with each one in control of a specific bureau. The new charter will alleviate commissioners of these executive roles, with the bureau duties going to an appointed city administrator in the Mayor’s office.

The new form of government also increases the number of council members from four to 12, all of whom now represent specific areas of the city, with the Mayor and auditors remaining as city-wide elected representatives.

"This is a big change for Portland, but we are changing from what is an anomaly in city government across the United States to what is a normal operating city government in the United States,” Michael Jordan, the interim city administrator, said.

Wheeler said the goal is to get that new form of government road-tested now to ensure there are fewer issues in January when he leaves office and the new government structure takes effect Jan. 1, 2024.

"I don't have a personal stake in the outcome of this process by truly doing this, because the public wants us to do it,” Wheeler said. "There will be hitches along the way. We can anticipate what some of them might be, but many things we're just going to have to get in there, roll up our sleeves, start doing the work, and address issues as they arise.”