City Administrator Michael Jordan shared updates on Portland’s organizational structure, building on changes introduced in November 2023 during the transition to a mayor-council form of government.
The streamlined structure consolidates six service areas into four, with core functions like communications, engagement, and equity undergoing realignment to unify approaches and optimize service delivery.
Since the soft launch of the new form of government in July 2024 and the official rollout in January 2025, Mayor Keith Wilson and City Administrator Jordan have worked closely with city leaders and the City Council to refine operations for better alignment between the executive and legislative branches.
“The City of Portland is transitioning to a ‘learning organization’ model designed to streamline collaboration and decision-making, align mission with bureaus and programs, and centralize core internal services for better delivery across the enterprise,” said Portland Mayor Keith Wilson. “I'm grateful to the City Council and everyone who contributed to taking this critical reorganization from a whiteboard design to a fully implementable plan. Successfully reorganizing our city workforce could not be more important to efficiently, effectively, and collaboratively delivering better services and outcomes to Portlanders.”
Key changes include:
- Parks & Recreation joining the Public Works Service Area.
- The Portland Children's Levy and Office of Arts & Culture moving to Community & Economic Development.
- Consolidation of Budget & Finance functions into the City Operations Service Area.
- Communications shifting to City Operations for centralized service delivery.
This phased transition will roll out through the 2025-2026 fiscal year, with a focus on thoughtful execution to support long-term organizational health and improved outcomes for the community.
Source: City of Portland