Frequently Asked Questions

Consolidation merges two overlapping governments into one. Portland and Multnomah County share 80% of their population but operate separate bureaucracies — two HR offices, two IT departments, two legal teams. We're proposing to combine them.

Yes. Oregon's City-County Act of 1971 (ORS 199.715–199.780) explicitly provides a legal framework for consolidating city and county governments.

Multiple times. Jacksonville merged with Duval County (1968), Nashville with Davidson County (1962), Louisville with Jefferson County (2003). San Francisco, Denver, Philadelphia, and Honolulu all operate as combined city-counties.

The current system is failing. Only 25% of residents trust local elected officials. When problems arise — homelessness, library safety, transit — the city and county point fingers at each other. With one government, there's one chain of command and one ballot box.

They choose for themselves. Each city in Multnomah County votes separately on whether to join. Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview, Wood Village, and Maywood Park can opt in or remain independent. Nobody is forced to join.

We filed a petition in January 2026 under the City-County Act. The 180-day signature window closed on July 20, 2026 without the signatures needed to convene a charter commission. The petition route stays open; we can restart the clock when the moment is right. The city council and county commission can also initiate proceedings by resolution, with no petition at all.

Initiation doesn't approve consolidation — it says the question deserves serious study. A 13-member charter commission then spends up to two years designing a proposal with public input. Then voters decide.

Near term: the Multnomah County Charter Review Committee (applications due October 1), conversations with candidates ahead of the November election, and work to modernize the City-County Act in the 2027 legislative session. When proceedings begin, a charter commission forms, drafts a charter, and voters approve or reject it. See our roadmap for details.

A 13-member charter commission including state legislators, city and county representatives, and representatives from other cities. They have up to two years to design the charter. Voters get the final say.

Nothing changes. Consolidation only happens if a majority of both Portland and Multnomah County voters approve.

The goal is to reduce waste, not raise taxes. You're currently paying for duplicate administrative departments. The charter commission will determine the exact structure, and voters approve or reject it.

In other consolidations, employees typically transition to the new government with protections. The target is wasteful duplication in management, not frontline workers who deliver services.

Services should improve through clearer accountability. The charter commission will design service delivery with resident input — areas can maintain current service levels or opt for urban-level services.