PDC Charter changes – a Done Deal

A January 5, 2007 memorandum jointly authored by Mayor Potter and Commissioner Erik Sten, sent to the other members of the Council and Auditor Gary Blackmer, indicates that there are at least two, probably three votes to refer a Charter amendment on PDC to the ballot in May. The Mayor and Erik have agreed to ask the Legislature for a state law amendment to make the City Council of any city over 400,000 (i.e., just Portland) the Budget Committee for its development agency. This would give the Council direct authority over PDC spending, rather than the indirect pressure the Council holds now by being required to authorize bond issuance to finance that spending. The memo says the two agree to send the Charter amendment implementing this change to the ballot in May, which with Commissioner Dan Saltzman’s alleged agreement to support the Mayor would provide the required three votes.

“After further research into ORS 294.305, we believe what best accomplishes our collective goal is to draft a statutory change that makes the City Council the “budget committee