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Portland City Council is Using City Codes to Fight Back Against Trump

A new ordinance will bolster local sanctuary law while a resolution aims to strengthen protections for immigrants and protesters.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

An ordinance and a resolution approved by Portland City Council on Wednesday aim to strengthen the city’s sanctuary status and use all available legal resources to resist deployment of any federal military presence. What was approved Councilors unanimously approved a Protect Portland Initiative, which prevents local police from being federalized, and creates a framework to […]

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Portland’s Most Effective Channel For Addressing Community Concerns is a Back Door

The city’s Public Environment Management Office runs frequent community meetings and gets quick results. You just might not know about it. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Portland’s new form of government, which went into effect this year, was designed to make it more accessible for all residents to participate in city policy discussions. Still, most Portlanders struggle to figure out how to cut through layers of local bureaucracy to make their voices heard, with limited time and opportunities available to speak […]

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Amended Budget Approval Underscores Rifts Among Portland City Councilors

Councilor Steve Novick says community centers are off the chopping block after Council agreed to divert $2M from police to parks. 
Avatar photoAvatar photo Courtney Vaughn and Taylor Griggs

With more than 120 proposed budget amendments and nearly 12 hours of deliberations, Portland City Council worked until midnight Wednesday to pass an $8.5 billion 2025-26 budget.  The budget, which is scheduled for final adoption on June 18, includes additional funding for homeless shelter beds and public safety, but it also relies on deep cuts […]

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With Vision Zero Resolution, City Councilor Wants Portland to Renew Traffic Safety Vows

Since Portland pledged to eliminate traffic fatalities in 2015, deadly crashes have hit 30-year highs. Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane wants the city to reaffirm its commitment to addressing the crisis. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Just about 10 years have passed since Portland City Council first adopted a Vision Zero resolution in June 2015, setting the goal to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries on the city’s streets. At the time, city leaders said that even though it didn’t set target dates to accomplish its goals or dedicate funding to […]

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Councilor Mitch Green Suggests Borrowing Money from PCEF to Fund Parks

Green’s proposal comes as Mayor Keith Wilson floats deep cuts to Portland Parks & Recreation to fill a budget shortfall. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

As Portland leaders grapple with a major citywide budget shortfall, some have sought potential relief from one of the city’s most prosperous initiatives—the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF). The fund, which collects a 1 percent tax on local sales at large retailers to pay for carbon reduction projects, has found major financial success […]

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City Council to Overturn Hearings Officer’s Approval of PGE Forest Park Plan

All 12 members of the council indicated they would reject the plan at an appellate hearing last week. Their decision underscores the broader implications of the utility project to people on both sides of the issue. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Portland General Electric’s proposed utility project in Forest Park, which would require removing nearly 400 trees in order to make way for transmission upgrades, has been a source of controversy in the city since it was announced last year. A recent City Council move to reject the plan marks the latest snag for PGE’s project—and […]

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City Council Halts Vote on AI Rental Pricing Software Ban

Portland City Councilor Angelita Morillo says city attorneys are monitoring a lawsuit in California related to the algorithm-driven software 
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

An ordinance that would prohibit AI-driven rental pricing software in Portland was referred back to the Housing and Homelessness Committee as the city waits to see how a lawsuit over a similar ordinance in California plays out.

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Will Portland Police Cooperate with Trump’s FBI?

The Police Bureau’s relationship with a federal anti-terrorism task force triggered a broader conversation about illegal surveillance, racial profiling, and Islamophobia.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

For years Portland Police Bureau has cooperated with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), but with a new federal administration intent on broadening the JTTF’s scope and power, city leaders are uneasy about PPB’s arrangement. What seemed like a routine annual report to City Council sparked a broad discussion Wednesday about racism, immigration, surveillance, […]

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New Housing Committee Takes on Portland’s Affordability Crisis

City Councilor Angelita Morillo says she’ll introduce a policy to ban anti-competitive rental price-fixing software.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

Portland city councilors provided inklings of their first legislative work this week, signaling their intent to address construction permitting, rental pricing, and residential vacancy rates as key tools to address the city’s housing affordability crisis. The first round of Portland City Council policy committee meetings kicked off Monday, laying the groundwork for how the city’s […]

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City Council Reluctantly Approves Mike Jordan’s Tenure as City Administrator Until 2026

Despite Council frustration and public outcry over recent Zenith decision, Jordan will continue to lead the city through a transitional year and turbulent budget cycle.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

Michael Jordan, Portland’s interim city administrator, will continue in the role through the end of the year—though not without some drama.   Jordan has been in the top administrative management role since July 2024, when former Mayor Ted Wheeler appointed him to serve as the city’s first (albeit temporary) city administrator. It’s a new position […]

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Facing Public and Council Opposition, Portland Grants Zenith Key Approval

City staff issued Zenith the land use credential shortly after two city councilors called for an investigation into the company. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

The city of Portland issued Zenith Energy a new Land Use Compatibility Statement (LUCS) on Monday morning, enabling the company to continue its local oil storage and transport operations in compliance with the state. The decision was met with immediate backlash from advocates who are critical of Zenith and the city’s oversight of it, which […]

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Michael Jordan Tapped to Stay on as City Administrator

Portland City Council will vote on Mayor Wilson’s appointment of Jordan to the city’s top management role through end of 2025.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

Portland’s first city administrator is… the same person who’s been quietly keeping the city running for the last few years. Michael Jordan, who’s served as the interim city administrator since July, is expected to stay on until next year. The position is responsible for overseeing all of the city’s bureau operations, with deputy city administrators […]

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