A report of public input gathered at a charter review forum held September 20 was released by Bend 2030, the Bend Chamber of Commerce and City Club of Central Oregon. The report captures the key questions community members who attended the forum have about core charter review issues.
A new City Edition video is now available and can be found on the City of Bend’s website, bendoregon.gov. The video features community leaders sharing why charter review is so important to Bend at this time, and encouraging residents to attend the second forum coming up on November 1.
At the September forum participants heard educational presentations from several speakers and then broke into small groups to define the greatest questions facing Bend with regard to charter review.
Speakers at the event included Mayor Jim Clinton, City Councilor Victor Chudowsky, League of Oregon Cities General Counsel Sean O’Day and former Bend mayor Oran Teater. Chudowsky and O’Day’s presentations included slideshows, which are also included in the report.
Among the most important pieces of information shared with the group were the following:
- Bend is the largest city in Oregon without an elected mayor
- City council and city committees are consistently overwhelmingly dominated by Westside residents even as there are more registered voters living east of Third Street
- Bend’s pay to city councilors, which is $200 per month, is roughly average to pay in other cities
Some of the most important questions raised by participants were the following:
- What powers would an elected mayor hold that Bend mayors currently do not?
- Would a ward system lead to better representation for residents across the city, or cause less qualified people to be elected to council?
- What level of compensation is appropriate to attract strong council candidates but not to encourage people to run for council as a financial boon?
Bend residents are invited to join us for the second charter review forum where they’ll hear from Central Oregon regional government expert Rick Allen then offer their own opinions on these important questions for the future of Bend. Food and beverages will be served at no cost.
Go to bend2030.org to read the report and register to attend the Nov. 1 forum.
EVENT DETAILS:
Charter Review Forum Two
5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1
Central Oregon Collective
62070 27th Street, in Bend
