Support Smart, Local Journalism
Make a Small Monthly Donation

Give now

City Hall
Posted inNews

Portland Offers Blazers a Fully-Funded Arena Renovation, But Will It Be Enough?

In 8-4 vote, City Council sends proposed Moda Center lease terms to Trail Blazers with nearly $400M commitment from city over 20 years
Avatar photoAvatar photo by Courtney Vaughn and Jeremiah Hayden

Updated: 3:20 pm August 14 Amid raucous calls from protesters not to spend millions renovating the Moda Center, Portland City Council approved a lease term sheet to send to the Portland Trail Blazers Wednesday, August 12. The city is in the process of negotiating a 20-year lease agreement with the Blazers for the team’s use […]

Posted inNews

Controversial Police Initiative Sparks Quarrel Between State and City Elections Officials

Auditor’s Office cites “no credible errors” in response to accusations from petitioners of Community Safety Initiative as initial sampling shows petition falling short of November ballot requirements
Avatar photoAvatar photo by Courtney Vaughn and Jeremiah Hayden

Updated: 5:13 pm July 30 Controversy surrounding a ballot initiative that would divert funds from Portland’s Clean Energy Fund to hire more police officers continues to grow—and has now spawned a quarrel between Oregon’s Secretary of State and the Portland Auditor’s Office.  The Enhanced Community Safety ballot initiative, also dubbed the “Safer Portland” measure first […]

Posted inNews

A Budget Fix, a Mayor’s Influence, and the Subtext of That Unsavory Banter Among Councilors

Here’s what was gained and lost in the last-minute maneuver from Portland City Council to save dozens of jobs
Avatar photo by Courtney Vaughn

A $12.2 million supplemental budget passed by Portland City Council will preserve 30 jobs that were slated to be cut in the city’s 2026-27 general fund budget. It was one of two competing legislative packages voted on Wednesday, July 22, both of which sought to save positions for city workers using different funding sources. The […]

Posted inNews

City Sends First Draft Moda Lease Terms To Blazers, To Surprise of Council

Some councilors are frustrated over a process they say has excluded them and backed the city into a financial corner that weakens negotiating power.
Avatar photo by Courtney Vaughn

Updated: 4:48 pm July 17 The city of Portland delivered the first draft of a term sheet to the Trail Blazers management on Thursday, July 16, setting the city one step closer to a long-term lease agreement with the team for the Moda Center. No terms have been finalized, and the Council is in disagreement […]

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, […]

Posted inNews

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 […]

Posted inNews

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 […]

Posted inNews

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 […]

Posted inNews

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 […]

Posted inNews

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 […]

Posted inNews

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 […]

Gift this article