Investing in Democracy: 2028 Multnomah County Charter Reform

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2028 Multnomah County Charter Reform

Multnomah County plays a vital role in creating a thriving metropolitan region. It is responsible for critical social services including homeless services; parts of the public safety system; behavioral health care; libraries; and Preschool for All, among other things. These services are high priorities for Portland residents.

At the same time, the County’s role and structure have not been well understood by the public, and historically there has been far less civic engagement with the County than with the City of Portland. This lack of knowledge, understanding, and engagement have contributed to confusion, frustration, and lack of trust.

Charter review processes are an example of democracy at work. They allow residents to shape their government to meet their needs. They also offer an invaluable opportunity for civic education and engagement. The value of these processes lies both in the substantive changes recommended and in the civic participation that leads to those changes.

We believe that charter review processes should always be a high priority; but Multnomah County’s upcoming charter review arrives at a particularly pivotal point. While the county benefits from hard working, dedicated employees and leaders, as well as generous and engaged residents, we also face many challenges. A well-run and expanded process, supported by county leadership, will help to rebuild trust in local government and generate the governance changes that will equip our region to meet this moment and the future.

FAQ

  • Multnomah County is responsible for critical services including homeless services, behavioral health care, libraries, and Preschool for All — yet the County's role and structure have not been well understood by the public, and historically there has been far less civic engagement with the County than with the City of Portland. The charter is the foundational document governing how the county operates, and charter review is one of the few direct opportunities residents have to shape it.

  • Every six years, Multnomah County convenes a Charter Review Committee to study the charter and, if it chooses, submit proposed amendments to voters. The next MCCRC is scheduled to convene from March 2027 to August 2028, with expected ballot measures on the November 2028 ballot.

  • The 2021–22 MCCRC met for 10 months and was staffed by a single 0.8 FTE. Community engagement started six months into the process — just three months before the committee issued its final recommendations — and received only 46 written and 26 verbal public comments, often from the same handful of people. The committee itself identified these as critical shortcomings and amended the charter to require better engagement going forward.

  • Seven of the MCCRC's eight recommendations were adopted by voters, including changes to lengthen the committee's term to 18 months, shift member selection to an application and appointment process, and require — and budget for — meaningful public education, outreach, and engagement aligned with the county's equity and inclusion values.

  • The evidence is clear: when the Honolulu Charter Commission significantly expanded public outreach between 2005–06 and 2015–16, its amendment passage rate doubled from 40 to 80 percent. Research also shows that civic education around ballot measures increases both the volume and diversity of voter turnout. Engagement isn't just good process — it produces better, more durable outcomes.

  • The report recommends a total budget of $900,000 to $1,500,000, divided roughly equally between staffing and community engagement/voter education. This is in line with King County ($987,506 for 18 months), Honolulu ($972,068 budgeted), and Los Angeles (~$1,000,000 for 9 months) — and lower than Portland's $2,000,000 two-year process. The previous Multnomah County charter review spent just over $250,000.

  • This report was produced by the Bull Run Center's County Charter Reform work group — a member-led civic inquiry initiative of North Star Civic Foundation — drawing on the 2021–22 MCCRC record, interviews with former committee members and county staff, and research into comparable processes in Portland, King County, Honolulu, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles.

    Members of the Bull Run Skunkworks group include: Susheela Jayapal, Chair · Becky Graham · James Eccles · Jenny Lee · Julia Meier · Mary Li · Melanie Billings-Yun · Sarah Radcliffe

  • This is phase one of a two-part effort. The work group anticipates issuing a second report in fall 2026 with recommendations on specific charter changes. Decisions about the process itself will be made by the County Chair and Board of Commissioners, informed by the FY 2026–27 budget adopted in June 2026.

  • Our report includes a recommended budget that we believe reflects best practices gleaned from other comparable jurisdictions.  While it represents a significant increase over the amount invested in past county charter review processes, we aimed for a middle-ground budget — one that includes essential elements, particularly with respect to community engagement, but doesn’t include all of the bells and whistles we saw in the budgets of some other jurisdictions. 

    We recognize the difficult budget scenario the county faces, and that there are many trade-offs the county will need to make. Accordingly, we are not mounting an affirmative  advocacy effort. At the same time, we believe it would be a significant missed opportunity — and contrary to what the charter itself requires — for the county to not substantially ramp up its community engagement, and thereby build understanding and buy-in among residents. We also note that charter review funds are one-time expenses, which should create some additional flexibility.

Bull Run Center members endorsed these recommendations in November, 2026.
79.5% approve | 19% neutral | 1.5% oppose

Phase One Recommendations:

We have separated our work into two phases. This first phase reflects changes to the Charter Reform process itself. The second phase (anticipated in fall 2026) will reflect specific charter changes.

Administrative Support

Adequate staff and contracted support to manage the project, facilitate the committee’s work, and conduct robust community education and engagement throughout the process.

Recruitment and Member Supports

A thorough recruitment process to educate residents about charter review and lead to a strong and diverse committee, with particular emphasis on East County and East Portland; and supports necessary for members to succeed in their roles.

Community Engagement

Broad public outreach throughout the process in order to develop impactful recommendations and support informed decisionmaking regarding changes submitted to the ballot.

Voter Education

Robust voter education on any referred ballot measures that come from the MCCRC as well as the impacts of election results.

Budget

To accomplish the objectives above, we recommend an overall budget of $900,000 to $1,500,000. Our recommendations occupy a middle ground between the previous process employed by the county, and the more costly, more robust process implemented by the city.

Timeline

Charter requires that the next MCCRC begin its work by March 2027 and deliver its recommendations by August 2028. We have laid out a timeline that begins with hiring staff in July 2026 and includes voter education on recommended changes leading up to the election in November 2028.

What comes next?

The Multnomah County Charter Review Committee (MCCRC) is scheduled to convene March 2027 and deliver its recommendations by August 2028.

The County timeline includes:

  • April - June 2026 — Charter Review Process Launch & Public Education

  • July - September 2026 — CRC applications accepted

  • February 2027 — CRC meet and greet

  • Before March 2027 — CRC members selected and appointed

  • March 2027- August 2028 — CRC meets, engages public, and deliberates

  • 2028 — CRC submits proposed amendments to Board of County Commissioners and voters for the May primary and/or November general election. Amendments that win over 50% of the vote are approved.

The Bull Run Center recommends:

  • July 2026 — Project manager hired; contracting process begins

  • October 2026 — RFPs released for community engagement and facilitation

  • December 2026 — MCCRC membership finalized

  • January–February 2027 — Committee onboarding

  • March 2027 — MCCRC convenes (charter-required)

  • August 2028 — MCCRC delivers recommendations to the Board (charter-required)

  • August–November 2028 — Voter education campaign ahead of election

  • November 2028 — Charter recommendations approved by the Board will be on the ballot for public decision (charter-required)

It’s important to note that implementation depends entirely on the County Chair and Board of Commissioners, and is contingent on budget allocations in the FY 2026–27 budget adopted in June 2026.

Executive Summary

Every six years, Multnomah County convenes a Charter Review Committee “for the purpose of making a comprehensive study of the charter and, if it chooses, submitting charter amendments to the voters of Multnomah County.” The next Multnomah County Charter Review Committee (MCCRC) is scheduled to convene from March 2027 to August 2028, with expected ballot measures to be placed on the November 2028 ballot.

The Bull Run Center’s County Charter Reform work group has been tasked with making recommendations regarding the upcoming charter review. We have separated our work into two phases: the first, recommendations regarding the charter review process itself; and the second, recommendations regarding specific charter changes.

This report presents our first phase recommendations, on the process itself. We anticipate issuing the second report in fall 2026. These process recommendations are based on the work group’s examination of the 2021-22 charter review process; the 2021-22 MCCRC’s recommendations for future improvements; interviews with former MCCRC members, county staff, and other individuals with experience in charter review processes; research regarding processes used by comparable municipalities; and committee members’ own knowledge and experience.

What This Report Contains

  • Executive Summary — A one-page point of view on why this charter review matters and what we recommend

  • Introduction — The County's role, the 2021–22 process, and the context for these recommendations

  • Six Recommendations — Administrative support, recruitment, community engagement, voter education, budget, and timeline, with specific action items under each

  • Appendix — Summaries of charter review processes in Portland, Honolulu, King County, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles

Six Recommendations

1. Administrative Support The 2021–22 process was managed by a single 0.8 FTE staffer. Project management and community engagement are distinct roles requiring dedicated time and specific skill sets. We recommend staffing equivalent to one FTE for each role, plus a retained third-party facilitator.

2. Recruitment and Member Supports A thorough recruitment process should begin with broad community engagement — not wait until the committee is seated. Particular emphasis should be placed on reaching East County and East Portland, given their history of being underrepresented and underserved. Members should be supported with stipends, childcare and transportation reimbursement, language access, and technology assistance.

3. Community Engagement Community outreach should run throughout every stage of the process. The committee and staff should develop a community engagement plan as an early component of their work, partnering with community-based organizations to reach Multnomah's diverse communities — especially those historically left out of county decision-making.

4. Voter Education The County should invest in balanced, impartial voter education on any ballot measures referred by the MCCRC. Research strongly indicates that civic education around ballot measures increases both the volume and diversity of voter turnout. Education should begin early enough to receive Oregon Secretary of State review for impartiality.

5. Budget The 2021–22 process cost just over $250,000. Changes already made to the charter — including a longer timeline and engagement requirements — plus inflation, would push that to an estimated $600,000 even without additional improvements. Our recommendations lead to a recommended budget of $900,000 to $1,500,000, in line with comparable jurisdictions.

6. Timeline The charter requires the MCCRC to begin by March 2027 and deliver recommendations by August 2028. We recommend the county's preparatory work begin earlier — with a project manager in place by July 2026 — and that voter education continue through the November 2028 election.

The Scale of the Opportunity

Relatively few counties have charters, and only a very small number have robust review processes at all. Multnomah County is in a position to model what a well-run, community-centered charter review looks like. The stakes are significant:

  • The 2021–22 process received just 46 written and 26 verbal public comments — often from the same handful of people

  • When Honolulu dramatically expanded public outreach, its amendment passage rate doubled from 40% to 80%

  • King County, Honolulu, and Los Angeles all budgeted their most recent charter reviews at roughly four times what Multnomah County spent in 2021–22

  • The recommended budget of $900,000–$1,500,000 remains lower than Portland's $2,000,000 two-year process

  • Decisions on funding must be made in the FY 2026–27 budget cycle, adopted June 2026 — making early advocacy essential

A Process That Reflects Our Region

These recommendations are designed to produce a process that is thorough, transparent, and inclusive — and that allows a genuine platform for change. That means going beyond Gresham to reach all of East County. It means stipends and childcare support so that participation isn't limited to those who can afford it. It means partnering with community-based organizations rather than conducting outreach as an afterthought.

Charter review is one of the few direct opportunities residents have to shape their county government. Done well, the 2028 process can rebuild trust, generate durable governance changes, and demonstrate what civic participation looks like at its best.