Portland, Oregon final major city to dump commission form of government

[Safiel]

Portland, Oregon is the final major United States city to dump the commission form of government. They instead will enter 2025 with a city manager form of government.

True commission forms of government are already very rare, less than one percent of municipalities. There are council forms that use the commission name but are not true commissions.

In a true commission, each commissioner leads a separate department, while the commission collectively acts as the legislature. For example, there may be a police commissioner, fire commissioner and public works commissioner. Popular very early in the 20th Century, but rapidly lost out to the city manager form.

 

[Luce]

Portland, Oregon is the final major United States city to dump the commission form of government. They instead will enter 2025 with a city manager form of government.

True commission forms of government are already very rare, less than one percent of municipalities. There are council forms that use the commission name but are not true commissions.

In a true commission, each commissioner leads a separate department, while the commission collectively acts as the legislature. For example, there may be a police commissioner, fire commissioner and public works commissioner. Popular very early in the 20th Century, but rapidly lost out to the city manager form.

It is outmoded. It creates unnecessary levels of factionalism.

 

[Safiel]

It is outmoded. It creates unnecessary levels of factionalism.

You pretty much nailed its disadvantages. I agree.

 

[eman623]

Don't turn around oh oh oh
ja ja the Commission left town oh oh oh

 

[aociswundumho]

Democracy is so awful that it doesn't even work at the local level.

City managers aren't elected.

 

[Luce]

Democracy is so awful that it doesn't even work at the local level.

So move somewhere else that is more suitable to your tastes.

 

[Phys251]

Democracy is so awful that it doesn't even work at the local level.

City managers aren't elected.

Would you prefer to live in authoritarian regime? Seems like it.

 

[aociswundumho]

Would you prefer to live in authoritarian regime? Seems like it.

The point is democracy is so disjointed, ineffective, and just downright stupid that it can't even work at the local level.

@Questerr
@Dans La Lune

 

[Phys251]

The point is democracy is so disjointed, ineffective, and just downright stupid that it can't even work at the local level.

@Questerr
@Dans La Lune

What is your favorite dictatorship? China? Russia? North Korea? China has lots of capitalism, you might like that. Add a slew of corruption and you get Russia, how 'bout it?

 

[aociswundumho]

What is your favorite dictatorship? China? Russia? North Korea? China has lots of capitalism, you might like that. Add a slew of corruption and you get Russia, how 'bout it?

Aren't American towns that are being run by an unelected bureaucrat a form of dictatorship?

 

[VanceMack]

 

[Safiel]

Aren't American towns that are being run by an unelected bureaucrat a form of dictatorship?

Actually, they are run by an unelected bureaucrat who is appointed and 100% accountable to an elected Mayor and an elected Council and who serves at the 100% pleasure of those elected officials.

Even in a strong Mayor form of government where the elected Mayor is the chief executive, he has myriad unelected bureaucrats assisting him.

While it has its issues, the council manager is a valid democratic form of government.

 

[LostInSeattle]

The point is democracy is so disjointed, ineffective, and just downright stupid that it can't even work at the local level.

@Questerr
@Dans La Lune

It takes work. All good governance does. And democracy takes more work than any other form. It's in no way perfect but it beats the alternatives.

And the more local it is the better it tends to work because the people running things live in the community, they're chosen by their neighbors, and they have a direct stake in the outcomes.

 

[aociswundumho]

It takes work. All good governance does.

There is no "good governance". There is no context were being ruled by some piece of shit flunky who couldn't make it in the private sector is "good".

 

[Dans La Lune]

The point is democracy is so disjointed, ineffective, and just downright stupid that it can't even work at the local level.

@Questerr
@Dans La Lune

And we come full circle. Just admit that you want to be ruled by a king.

 

[Dans La Lune]

The government of Portland, Oregon is based on a city commission government system. Elected officials include the mayor, commissioners, and a city auditor. The mayor and commissioners (members of City Council) are responsible for legislative policy and oversee the various bureaus that oversee the day-to-day operation of the city.[1] Portland began using a commission form of government in 1913 following a public vote on May 3 of that year.[2] Each elected official serves a four-year term, without term limits. Each city council member is elected at-large.

In 2022, Portland residents approved a ballot measure to replace the commission form of government with a 12-member council elected in four districts using single transferable vote, with a professional city manager appointed by a directly elected mayor, with the first elections to be held in 2024.[3]

Ballot Measure 26–228 in the November 2022 election was an amendment to the city charter that moved the city away from a commission system of government. It expands the council from four at-large council members to 12 councilors, who will be elected via ranked choice voting from four geographic districts (with three council members from each district). The mayor will no longer be a voting member of the council, except when needed to make a tie-breaking vote. It also removes responsibility for direct management of city bureaus from commissioners to a city manager overseen by the mayor and confirmed by the council.[5] Previous attempts to reform the city charter had been defeated seven times since 1913,[6] including as recently as 2007.

...

City Council seats, the city auditor, and the mayor are non-partisan, elected positions; each carries a four-year term. Beginning with the 2024 election, 12 councilors are elected via the single transferable vote ranked-choice voting method from four geographic districts (with three council members from each district). The Mayor and City Auditor are elected at-large using the instant runoff ranked-choice voting method. From 1913 to 2024 candidates faced off in a primary election (typically in May of even-numbered years); if no candidate won more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers faced off in a runoff election (typically the following November.) Three Council seats, including the mayor, were up for election in 2008; the other two seats, and the Auditor position, were up for election in 2010.

 

[Questerr]

The point is democracy is so disjointed, ineffective, and just downright stupid that it can't even work at the local level.

@Questerr
@Dans La Lune

How is an unelected position’s failure a fault of democracy?

Should Portland instead be ruled by whatever local rich person has bought the largest private army?

 

[LostInSeattle]

There is no "good governance". There is no context were being ruled by some piece of shit flunky who couldn't make it in the private sector is "good".

Oh right, you're an ideologue. My mistake.

 

[Phys251]

Aren't American towns that are being run by an unelected bureaucrat a form of dictatorship?

You didn't answer my question. Which dictatorship do you prefer?

 

[aociswundumho]

How is an unelected position’s failure a fault of democracy?

Because if you allow democracy, the cities will go bankrupt. The whole point of the city manager is to prevent the population of the town from voting for who is in charge.

 

[aociswundumho]

You didn't answer my question. Which dictatorship do you prefer?

None, of course.

 

[Questerr]

Because if you allow democracy, the cities will go bankrupt. The whole point of the city manager is to prevent the population of the town from voting for who is in charge.

Every city with an elected government is bankrupt?

 

[Questerr]

None, of course.

So someone who claims to own land doesn’t have absolute authority over that land? You don’t support their dictatorship?

 

[Phys251]

None, of course.

I don't believe you. You have repeatedly come out swinging against democracy, including right here in this thread, which shows how much you love authoritarianism.

 

[aociswundumho]

I don't believe you. You have repeatedly come out swinging against democracy, including right here in this thread, which shows how much you love authoritarianism.

1) Democracy is authoritarian.

2) The opposite of democracy isn't some other shit form of government.

3) Simply look at the world. In both democracies and dictatorships, all of the problems are caused by the state.