Portland confirms Raymond Lee as city administrator
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Meet Portland's new city administrator. Photo: Kale Williams / Axios
City councilors voted unanimously Wednesday to confirm Raymond Lee as Portland's first long-term city administrator.
Why it matters: The city administrator is the most powerful unelected position in city government, overseeing staffing at more than 24 city bureaus, supervising day-to-day operations and managing the budget.
- Lee steps into a role created when Portland transitioned to a new form of government over the past year, and he replaces interim administrator Michael Jordan.
What he's saying: Lee said he spent some time in Portland ahead of Wednesday's confirmation hearing and he heard a common theme among the people he spoke with.
- "Everyone is hungry for change," Lee told reporters after the hearing. "And not just to complain. They want to be a part of that change."
Between the lines: Several councilors asked Lee how he would help build trust between the city's legislative body and the mayor, where tensions have simmered over the budget and competing priorities.
- Lee promised to host regular meetings with councilors to keep them informed, especially on issues relating to the city's finances.
Context: Lee, 41, comes to Portland by way of Greeley, Colorado, where he had served as city manager since 2021.
- In Greeley, a city of 116,000 about an hour north of Denver, Lee oversaw some 1,600 employees and a budget of roughly $515 million.
- Portland, by contrast, has more than 7,000 city employees and a budget of $8.5 billion.
Catch up quick: Lee led several key initiatives in Greeley that made him stand out among the more than 100 people who sought the Portland job, according to a city press release.
- He helped launch two programs to help homeless residents transition to permanent housing.
- And he worked on the early stages of development for a $1 billion, 300-acre entertainment and housing district with an arena, hotel and transit hub.
- Lee also faced a budget crisis in Greeley similar to the one Portland worked through this year.
Lee used cash reserves and a hiring freeze to help the city climb out of a $21 million shortfall, per OPB.
- Before his time in Greeley, Lee spent time working in government jobs in Dallas and Amarillo, Texas.
What's next: Lee will start his new job Dec. 29 with plans to relocate to Portland in January.