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Posted inNews

Police Oversight Board Members Say Budget Ordinance Could Erode Public’s Trust in New System

Six members of Portland’s Community Board for Police Accountability caution that a new attempt to raid funds could invite legal trouble.
Avatar photoAvatar photo by Jeremiah Hayden and Courtney Vaughn

Members of Portland’s new police accountability system are speaking out amid a proposed supplemental budget ordinance that could draw money from the Office of Community-based Police Accountability to repay contingency funds borrowed from the city’s general fund. An ordinance from Council Vice President Olivia Clark, along with Councilors Steve Novick, Loretta Smith, and Elana Pirtle-Guiney, […]

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Parks and Recreation Interim Director Will Exit at End of June

The bureau has seen two director exits in a year as the city weathers high turnover among its leadership ranks.
Avatar photoAvatar photo by Jeremiah Hayden and Courtney Vaughn

Another bureau director is resigning from the city of Portland. Sonia Schmanski, the interim director of Portland Parks and Recreation, submitted her resignation Wednesday, effective at the end of June, according to an email to staff from Public Works Deputy City Administrator Priya Dhanapal.  Art Pearce, deputy director of planning at the Portland Bureau of […]

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Net Benefits: The Future of Public Tennis in Portland

The US Tennis Association wants to run Portland’s public tennis programs. Advocates say private money will yield benefits, but others are wary.
Avatar photo by Taylor Griggs

A proposal to let the private US Tennis Association (USTA) take the reins of the Portland Tennis Center—and the rest of the city’s public courts—has gained momentum. The plan comes amid a broader push for Portland’s parks bureau, facing budget woes and a growing maintenance backlog, to open its doors to offers from the private […]

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Portland City Councilors are Tearing into Mayor Wilson’s Proposed Budget. Here’s What Could Change.

Proposed changes could affect the city’s climate fund, city manager pay, policing, and more.
Avatar photo by Courtney Vaughn

Facing a $160 million city budget gap, Portland city councilors are proposing a slew of amendments to Mayor Keith Wilson’s proposed 2026-27 budget that would trim top administrative pay, save a North Portland fire station, stop the mayor from raiding clean energy funds, and divert $10 million in police oversight funding to offset cuts to […]

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Council Budget Talks Highlight Tension Over Proposed PCEF Moda Center Investment

Mayor Keith Wilson has suggested Portland’s Clean Energy Fund can spare $75 million for Moda Center upgrades, but the details are murky.
Avatar photo by Taylor Griggs

If Mayor Keith Wilson wants to allocate clean energy fund dollars to renovate the Moda Center, he’ll have to go through Portland City Council first. And it’s not clear if they’re going to let him.  Earlier this year, amid a fervor to ensure Portland Trail Blazers’ new owner Tom Dundon keeps the basketball team in […]

Posted inFood and Drink

Highlights from Portland City Council’s Foie Gras Ban Hearing

The juiciest quotes from 90 minutes of testimony discussing force-fed poultry products.
Avatar photo by Katherine Chew Hamilton

The future of foie gras is on shaky ground in Portland. A proposed ordinance would ban the sale of foie gras within city limits, with restaurants receiving a fine of $1,000 to $5,000 for each violation.  Foie gras is a luxury ingredient made by force-feeding ducks until their livers become fatty and enlarged. Proponents believe […]

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Portland City Council Officially Adopts Transportation Utility Fee

The fee will help pay for key road maintenance and safety programs, which have long gone without adequate funding.
Avatar photo by Taylor Griggs

The Portland City Council voted Wednesday to implement a fee that will offer a significant new source of funding for the city’s beleaguered transportation bureau. The transportation utility fee will be officially implemented starting in January 2027, coming in the form of an additional charge tacked onto Portlanders’ water and sewer bills. The new program […]

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Portland Moves To Shake Up Transportation Funding With New Utility Fee

Portland City Council is expected to adopt the new fee to pay for road maintenance. It’s a plan that’s years in the making.
Avatar photo by Taylor Griggs

Portland City Council is poised to adopt a new funding mechanism for the city’s cash-strapped transportation bureau, in the form of an extra charge on Portlanders’ utility bills. The new fee, expected to go into effect in January 2027, will be tacked onto residential and commercial water bills. Most Portland households can expect to pay […]

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Portland City Council Votes To Reshape Its Committee Structure

Councilors determined eight was too many when it comes to their policy committee load. Come the end of March, they’ll be saddled with just five.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Portland’s transition to a new form of government last January brought new practices and procedures for the City Council. Among the largest changes, impacting both the Council and members of the public, was the introduction of eight policy committees. The committees, which considered topics including transportation, climate, finance, homelessness, and public safety, were intended to […]

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Former City Hall Staffer Files Discrimination Complaints Against Councilor’s Office

The complaints, which have yet to be investigated by the city and state, allege Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane and her chief of staff retaliated against and fired a staffer after she requested ADA accommodations.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

The Mercury’s Jeremiah Hayden contributed to this story.  A former staffer in Portland City Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane’s office filed complaints with the city and state, alleging the councilor and her chief of staff, Mary Li, retaliated against her after she requested reasonable accommodations for a disability.  The former employee, Sprout Chinn, believes she was punished and […]

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Council Workers’ Union Complaint Alleges Loretta Smith Fired Staffer in Retaliation for Union Organizing

The newly-formed Council Alliance of Workers union is calling on city councilors to uphold their commitment to labor rights in their own workplaces.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

A new union representing Portland City Council aides and operations staff filed an unfair labor practice (ULP) complaint against the city for alleged anti-union conduct from Councilor Loretta Smith’s office. The complaint, filed January 13, alleges Smith retaliated against and fired a former aide due to his role in organizing the Council staff union.  The […]

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Portland City Council Votes to Adopt AI Rental Price-Fixing Software Ban

The proposal to ban algorithmic rental pricing software underwent several revisions to protect the city from lawsuits. City Council approved the ordinance, despite resistance from a few holdouts.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Updated: November 20: Portland City Council voted Wednesday night to adopt Councilor Angelita Morillo’s proposed AI rental price-fixing ban, with eight councilors in support. In addition to co-sponsors Green, and Koyama Lane, the ordinance was approved by Councilors Dunphy, Avalos, Kanal, Loretta Smith, and Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney. Clark and Ryan voted no, and Councilors […]

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