How much will it cost?

I don’t understand why the four ballot measures proposing to change Portland’s Charter aren’t required to include an estimate of the costs should they pass. Take the form of government measure (please). Even now, the Mayor has twenty-three staff in his office. I’m told the costs of the Mayor’s office have doubled in the past few years. Dan Saltzman lists five staff; Erik Sten, seven; Randy Leonard, six; and Sam Adams, eight.

The form of government proposal is silent on administrative costs and reorganization of Council staff should the proposal to give all administrative powers to the Mayor pass. Since the Council would have to approve the budget, and would need perhaps even more staff to remain informed about policy issues in all bureaus instead of a primary few, it seems unlikely the number employed in the offices of the four non-Mayoral Councilors would be reduced. So I’d like to know:

1. How many more staff would be needed in the office of the Mayor, if these proposals pass?

2. How many staff would the Chief Administrative Officer need?

3. What would the additional staff cost?

4. In cities that have switched to the proposed form of government, has the experience shown savings in administrative costs and city expenditures, or not?

5. How do salaries of at-will employees compare with those of staff protected by the Civil Service section of the Charter? Do at-will employees tend to earn more, to compensate for not having job security?

6. What was the cost of the process leading to the Charter changes on the May ballot, and what is the estimated cost of the more inclusive public process required for future Charter Commission processes?

And perhaps most of all, can anyone tell me why these proposals were not required to give fiscal impact statements?

How can citizens make reasoned choices about whether the upheaval in government structure is worth the extra expense, if they aren’t given information about how much it would cost?