Portland Holds Vote , on Scrapping , the City's Charter.<br />'The Independent' reports that residents <br />of Portland are voting on a measure <br />to completely overhaul City Hall.<br />The vote comes amid surging homelessness <br />and gun violence while the city struggles <br />to recover from the COVID pandemic. .<br />The vote comes amid surging homelessness <br />and gun violence while the city struggles <br />to recover from the COVID pandemic. .<br />The proposal would scrap the city's commission <br />form of government and also implement <br />a rare form of ranked choice voting.<br />In 2007, 66% of Portlanders on average <br />that year thought the city was headed in <br />the right direction. Now, it’s about 10%. <br />People are really upset with <br />the way that the city is going, John Horvick, Pollster, via 'The Independent'.<br />'The Independent' reports that reforming <br />Portland's charter has been voted on <br />in the past but has always failed. .<br />According to city law, a commission must <br />convene once every decade to review the charter.<br />Currently, city council members act <br />as administrators of the city's various bureaus. .<br />The new measure would replace the charter <br />with the more common mayor-council system <br />and would expand the City Council to 12 members. .<br />The changes are reportedly meant <br />to make City Hall more inclusive.<br />Supporters of the measure argue that the change <br />could boost voter turnout and make <br />government more representative
