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The Metro Charter

About Metro  ›  Mission, charter and code  ›  The Metro Charter

Learn about the Metro Charter, which was approved by voters in 1992 and amended in November 2000.

Preamble

We, the people of the Portland area metropolitan service district, in order to establish an elected, visible and accountable regional government that is responsive to the citizens of the region and works cooperatively with our local governments; that undertakes, as its most important service, planning and policy making to preserve and enhance the quality of life and the environment for ourselves and future generations; and that provides regional services needed and desired by the citizens in an efficient and effective manner, do ordain this charter for the Portland area metropolitan service district, to be known as Metro. – November 1992

Read the full text of the Metro Charter

Metro responsibilities

The charter states that Metro’s primary responsibility is regional land-use planning. To that end, Metro has completed a number of tasks required by charter, including passage of:

• Regional Urban Growth Goals and Objectives (1991)
• 2040 Growth Concept (1994)
• The Future Vision (1995)
• Regional Framework Plan (1997).
• Regional Transportation Plan (2000).

Although the charter makes regional land-use planning Metro’s primary responsibility, it also recognizes the significant role Metro has played and will continue to play in other regional issues. Those other issues include:

• operation of a solid waste disposal system
• operation of regional facilities such as Metro’s Oregon Zoo, the
• Oregon Convention Center, and other trade and spectator buildings
• acquisition and management of a system of parks and open spaces
• planning and response coordination for natural disasters
• development and marketing of data.

The charter also recognizes that regional government and regional issues evolve over time. The charter grants Metro authority to assume responsibility for issues of "metropolitan concern." This authority allows Metro to work with cities and counties, as needed, to develop common solutions to problems that are difficult to address at the local level because they exceed local boundaries.

Metro funding

The charter gives Metro authority to ask for voter approval for broad-based revenue sources such as a property tax, sales tax or income tax. Metro’s only property tax levy for operations is dedicated to the Oregon Zoo. Voters also have approved specific, limited-duration capital levies for natural area acquisitions, construction of the Oregon Convention Center (phase 1) and construction of the Great Northwest exhibit at Metro’s Oregon Zoo.

The charter also grants the council authority to adopt taxes of limited applicability without a vote of the people, but only after review by a citizen tax study committee. Expenditures of these "niche taxes" are limited by the charter to $15,472,000 in FY 2000-01. The only niche tax currently levied by Metro is an excise tax on Metro’s goods and services. Resulting tax revenues help fund planning, parks and open spaces operations and general governing duties.

Metro structure

The Metro Council consists of a president who is elected regionwide and six councilors who are elected by district every four years in nonpartisan races. The president presides over the council, sets its policy agenda, and appoints all members of Metro committees, commissions, and boards.

The Metro Auditor, elected regionwide, operates independently from the Metro Council and is responsible for oversight of Metro's annual financial statements and conducting performance audits.

The Council appoints a chief operating officer to carry out Council policies and manage Metro operations. The chief operating officer oversees a diverse workforce of more than 1,600 employees. These include specialists such as park rangers, economists, teachers, scientists, designers, planners, zoo keepers, stage hands and cartographers.

The Metro Charter links the salaries of Metro's elected officials to the salary of Oregon circuit court judges (about $111,000 per year), which is set by the Oregon Legislature. The Council President earns the same pay as an Oregon circuit court judge. The other six Metro Councilors earn one-third and the Metro Auditor earns four-fifths the salary of an Oregon circuit court judge.

Related Documents

• Metro Charter 137K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published January 6, 2003