Portland, Ore., voters OK drastic overhaul of city government [View all]

Voters in Portland, Ore., driven by frustration with surging homelessness and a desire to make government more inclusive, have approved a ballot measure that will completely reinvent City Hall, ushering in seismic changes that local officials will have just two years to put in place.

The hotly debated measure will upend almost everything about how Portland is run. It will more than double the number of City Council members, overhaul how voting is conducted and dissolve a power structure that many saw as being plagued by mismanagement and bureaucracy.

Previous attempts to change the system failed but following the sustained Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 and amid a spiraling homelessness crisis, this time “the broader conditions were really ripe for it to pass,” said pollster John Horvick, senior vice president of DHM Research.

“The combination of dissatisfaction with the city, plus an effectively delivered message around inclusion in elections — that really resonated with a segment of voters,” Horvick said.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/portland-ore-voters-ok-drastic-overhaul-of-city-government/ar-AA149osM