It seems Portlanders are exiting the honeymoon phase with their new form of city government.
The latest regional survey by the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center found that just 31% of Portlanders felt a member of City Council represented them and advocated for their interests, while 36% said none did and another 33% didn’t know.
That’s a slight improvement from 2024 polling ahead of the overhaul of the city charter, which expanded the council to 12 members in large part to better reflect Portland’s diversity and afford more effective representation. But it’s much gloomier than figures from 2025. Last year, in the first year of post-charter reform, 40% of Portlanders surveyed in May and June felt someone on the council represented them. Just 27% felt no one did…