Tensions simmer between city council and the executive branch
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Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photo: Emily Harris/Axios
Recent high-profile city decisions, including approving a plan to cut down hundreds of trees in Forest Park, have left some city councilors frustrated with the city's executive branch, saying there's been a lack of transparency.
Why it matters: The city has been operating under its new form of government for more than three months and city councilors, the mayor and the city administration are still learning — and testing — the limits of their new roles.
The big picture: Under Portland's old form of government — in which councilors oversaw city bureaus — dissent was often stifled because councilors were hesitant to criticize other bureaus lest their own bureaus come under criticism, said Paul Manson, a political science professor at Portland State.
- "Now that the council is independent I expect more of these conversations, and it's a good thing for Portland," Manson told Axios, saying it will result in more oversight.
Driving the news: Earlier this week, a city hearings officer approved a controversial plan by Portland General Electric to cut down hundreds of trees in Forest Park to expand transmission lines.
- Councilor Sameer Kanal said he had asked for councilors to be informed of the decision but didn't learn about it until after it was made, calling it "by far the most unexpected negative experience I've had as a councilor."
- After Mayor Keith Wilson announced an expansion of Portland Street Response, Councilor Angelita Morillo — a staunch supporter of the program — said the council had not been made aware of the mayor's plans.
- When the city approved a land-use application for fossil fuel storage and transportation company Zenith Energy, Kanal said, he found out about it through a press release.
What they're saying: "This is not good governance," Kanal said on Bluesky.
The other side: "The strength of our new form of local government lies in the collaboration between a more representative, responsive city council and an executive branch," Wilson said in a written statement to Axios.
- He noted that some of the contentious decisions were made by city staff, who are required to act "independently and non-politically."
- Wilson also said there needs to be a balance between adhering to administrative rules and communication between branches.
The bottom line: Morillo told Axios that the collective decisions made without the council's input were part of a "pattern of the executive branch encroaching on the legislative branch's power."
- "Councilors who have been elected to represent their districts can't do that properly if decisions are being made without us," she told Axios.