City of Portland - Measure 26-127

BALLOT TITLE

AMENDS CITY CHARTER PROVISIONS REGARDING MAYOR’S FUND

QUESTION: Shall Charter language allowing use of Mayor’s limited fund without documentation be deleted and name of fund be changed?

SUMMARY: Portland City Charter Section 2-105(a)(14) currently provides that the Council may appropriate up to $2,000 per year to the Mayor for a secret service fund and that no supporting documentation of expenditures from that fund must be provided. This measure would delete the Charter language allowing the fund to be used without providing supporting evidence of expenditures. As a result, expenditures from this fund would be accounted for in the same manner as other City expenditures. The measure would also change the name of the fund from “secret service Fund” to “discretionary Fund.”

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

This measure amends the Portland City Charter. Currently, the Portland City Charter Section 2-105(a)(14) allows the Council to appropriate up to $2,000 per year to the Mayor for use as a secret service fund for which no vouchers need to be provided, meaning that no supporting evidence of expenditures from the fund is required. This measure would delete the Charter language allowing the fund to be used without vouchers. As a result, expenditures from this fund would be accounted for as other City expenditures are by submitting supporting documentation. The measure would also change the name of the fund from “secret service Fund” to “discretionary Fund” to clarify the purpose of the fund.

The City Charter Commission referred this measure to the voters. The amendment will not change government structure.

Submitted by

James H. Van Dyke
City Attorney
City of Portland

No arguments FOR or AGAINST this measure were filed.