Lauded as one of the best places to live in America, Portland is a city with a vibrant downtown, diverse neighborhoods, natural beauty, good schools and friendly people.?? Home to about 560,000 residents within 145 square miles, Portland maintains deep ties to the Pacific Northwest's natural beauty. Portland has a reputation for being unique, and our particular structure for governance is no exception. Portland voters adopted the commission form of government in 1913, and over 100 years later, Portland is the only large city in the country continuing to operate under this structure. The five members of the City Council are each elected at large and have legislative, administrative, and quasi-judicial responsibilities. The Mayor assigns bureaus to each Council member.
The City of Portland is a full-service city with approximately 6000 represented and non-represented permanent employees and a budget of over $3.46 billion.?? The City has maintained its Triple-A bond rating for over 40 years, with strong financial management policies and practices in place