Portland City Auditor Simone Rede advanced the Charter Commission’s Transparency Advocate Charter amendment to City Council for consideration for the May 16, 2023 special election. It was considered at the February 22nd Council session at 2:00pm where Council voted to table the proposal, citing an interest in more community engagement. Council’s tabling of the agenda item, according to the Mayor, was the first in his six years in office.
The proposal would have created an Office of the Transparency Advocate within the Office of the Auditor and would have provided an impartial office available to the public to safeguard people’s rights to access information about their government. Modeled after similar positions in Atlanta, Toronto and the state of Oregon, these positions are used to promote efficiency, access to information, public trust and good governance.
“I am disappointed that Council chose not to act with the urgency this issue deserves,” said Auditor Rede. “The Transparency Advocate would have reviewed and improved transparency practices as the City goes through a major transition. This delay means our capacity for oversight will certainly lag behind the transition to a new form of government.”
The Transparency Advocate proposal was first proposed by community members in the summer of 2021, who testified about its importance at the Charter Commission’s June 28th meeting. After the Charter Commission voted 12-0 to recommend the proposal to Council at their December 3, 2022 meeting, the proposal was further refined by the Auditor’s Office through stakeholder engagement with Charter Commissioners, community partners and technical experts including transparency and public records advocates from other jurisdictions.
“I wish the Council would have honored the feedback heard throughout the Charter Commission process on the action needed to improve transparency in City government and heeded the calls from well-respected community leaders and organizations to advance this proposal to the May ballot for voters to decide,” said Auditor Rede.
According to City Elections officials, February 22nd was the last Council session possible to refer a charter amendment to the May 16, 2023 special election.
“I am proud of the work my office has done to refine this proposal with partners and get Council’s engagement on this important issue. I was heartened to hear firm support from multiple commissioners about this proposal, and am glad this is on Council’s agenda indefinitely until it is moved otherwise.”
In addition to tabling the resolution, City Council proposed and adopted a second resolution that requested the auditor conduct analysis on policies that promote transparency and public participation and conduct more research on the Transparency Advocate proposal. The resolution was not made available to the public before the Council meeting, as it was introduced under a suspension of Council rules.
“I find it frustrating that Council’s substitute resolution requested the very things the Transparency Advocate proposal was intended to achieve – systemic review of the City’s practices, recommendations for improvement and continued engagement with the public on the issue of transparency. Not sharing the resolution for any public consideration is completely opaque and runs counter to our City’s values. Portlanders deserve better,” said Auditor Rede.
“It is inappropriate for Council to ask the Auditor to perform any duties without her consent,” Auditor Rede said. “It is a threat to my office’s independence.”
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