The City That Works (for Some)

By Yebeen Kim and Solomon Olshin

Portland’s current form of government is failing its most vulnerable citizens.

The CatlinSpeak team has launched an investigative report on Portland’s form of government. Our research led us to interview Mischa S. Webley, Communications Manager of the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods. Webley is a content expert on Portland’s government and representative of more than 60,000 Portland residents. He explains “our city’s commission form of government disadvantages minority groups, preventing their voices from being proportionately heard in places of power in Portland.

Our commission system is a group of “commissioners” elected by the entire population of Portland (rather than within individual districts). After they are elected, each commissioner chooses a city bureau to lead. Portland’s mayor is also considered a “commissioner” and has less power than mayors in other forms of government. They are primarily responsible for managing their chosen bureau in addition to their other responsibilities as mayor.

Because of its unique structure however, our commission system is widely viewed as flawed. Portland’s renowned City Club states in their report that our current system of government “represents a profound failure to promote equity.” This report, introduced in February 2019, outlines Portland’s shortcomings in promoting equal representation of all residents in local elections and therefore in positions of power.

“The system itself ignores low-income communities and minority groups”

Our analysis of the report reveals that Portland’s system of government has existed for more than 100 years (since 1913) and was designed to combat the widespread corruption, inefficiency, and “civic paralysis” of prominent cities (such as Chicago) during that time period. In reducing corruption, Portland’s commission system is widely regarded as effective, but our government is outdated.

The City Club reports that Portland is the only major city that retains the commission form of government. The report explains that for Portland’s citizens in 1913, racism was a motivating factor. The Supreme Court has affirmed that at-large voting systems like Portland’s minimize the voting strength of minority groups by permitting the white majority to elect all representatives of the district.” As seen in a historical census, Portland’s population was more than 80% white (non-Hispanic) until the late 1990s, so our white majority elected almost exclusively white (and male) leaders.

“Our representatives come from where the money is concentrated”

Source: Sightline

Historically, Portland’s population has opposed reform of the commission system. Over the years, eight proposals to rework the current system have been rejected. As recently as 2007, the majority of Portlanders have advocated to sustain our disproportionately representative commission system. But Portland’s views on city government may be changing. According to the Portland Business Alliance, 70% of voters support district elections in place of the at-large ones that the current system utilizes.

“Low-income communities are crumbling from lack of attention”

Anticipating opposition from Portlanders who support the commission system, Webley states that many Portlanders do not understand the faults and impacts of Portland’s “inefficient” system. First and foremost, Webley explains, low-income people are most negatively affected by this system. “Almost everyone serving as commissioners comes from just a couple neighborhoods from the city - mostly wealthy, white neighborhoods on the West side and the newly gentrified areas of Northeast and Southeast. Our representatives come from where the money is concentrated.”

Webley explains that running for office in a city-wide campaign is difficult and expensive. “By default, people with more money and connections are the ones running.” These elected officials, he states, often leave behind lower-income and minority groups from East Portland. Their neighborhoods, schools, social services, parks, and other infrastructure crumble as those in charge of the city’s bureaus struggle to effectively use taxpayer funds to meet Portland’s needs.

In response to the City Club’s new report, Webley explains that our form of government is making our city’s problems even worse. The commissioners we elect have no expertise in leading the bureaus they are in charge of — leading bureaus is not their area of expertise and shouldn’t be.

Not everyone is keen on changing Portland’s status quo. Those who favor the system, including Commissioners Nick Fish and Amanda Fritz, often use the 2018 election of first-ever African American woman Jo Ann Hardesty as proof that our commission system is not inherently racist.

Webley disagrees: “Just because one black woman in 100 years is elected doesn’t mean the problem is solved.” Her electoral victory, he explains “doesn’t address the core issue.” Commissioner Hardesty has said her victory was in spite of the system rather than because of it.

Editorial Note: Our team reached out to all Portland Commissioners. Commissioners Hardesty and Eudaly agreed to comment but were unable to share their position before the date of the article’s publication. Commissioner Fish declined to comment. Commissioner Fritz and Mayor Wheeler did not respond to our requests for their positions.