The following measure appeared on the May 17, 1988 Primary Election Ballot

 

REVISING CHARTER LISTING OF SUCCESSORS TO COUNCIL SEATS IN EMERGENCY

 

Question: Shall Charter be amended to revise the list of emergency successors to Council?

 

PURPOSE OF THE MEASURE: This provision applies when a disaster prevents three or more Council members from performing their duties. The current list of successors includes the City Engineer, Treasurer, Police Chief and Fire Chief These officials will be needed to attend to the disaster. This measure will revise the list as follows: Auditor, Attorney, Director of Office of Fiscal Administration, Executive Assistants of disabled Council members in order of seniority. These officials work daily with City business. To serve, individuals must have the qualifications required of elected officials.

 

Charter Amendment Referred to the Voters by the City Council

 

RESOLUTION NO. 34405 ADOPTED MARCH 2,1988

 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Portland, Oregon, that an act entitled:

 

AN ACT

 

An Act to amend an Act of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon entitled: 'An Act to incorporate the City of Portland, Multnomah County, State of Oregon, and to provide a charter therefor, and to repeal all Acts or parts of acts in conflict therewith,' approved by the Governor and filed in the office of the Secretary of State, January 2 3, 1903, as subsequently amended by said Legislative Assembly and by the people of the City of Portland from time to time, by revising the list of successors to Council seats in an emergency.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF PORTLAND, OREGON

 

Section 1. The Act of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon entitled: "An Act to incorporate the City of Portland, Multnomah County, State of Oregon, and to provide a charter therefor, and to repeal all acts or parts of acts in conflict therewith," approved by the Governor and filed in the office of the Secretary of State January 23, 1903, as subsequently amended by said Legislative Assembly and by the people of the City of Portland from time to time hereby is amended by amending Section 2- 206(g) to read as follows:

 

Section 2-206 Vacancies in Office, Filling of Vacancies

 

(g) In the event of the death or crippling disability preventing the performance of Three (3) or more members of the City Council due to natural disaster, calamity, accident or enemy attack, the following City officials in the order named shall succeed to the vacancies on the City Council: City Auditor, City Attorney, [City Engineer, City Treasurer, Chief of the Bureau of Police, Chief of the Bureau of Fire, assistants to members of the City Council in the order of tbeir seniority as assistants.] Director of Office of Fiscal Administration, Executive Assistants of disabled Council members in the order of their seniority as an Executive Assistant. Any individual serving under this section shall have all qualifications required in this charter for an elected official. The City Council thus constituted shall serve as an interim Council for the purpose of transacting necessary City business, and the City officials serving as members of such interim City Council shall serve without bond, notwithstanding the provisions of Section 2-203 of this Charter and the foregoing provisions relating to qualification. The interim Council so constituted shall as soon as practical select from among qualified citizens of the City of Portland, as defined by Section 2-202 of this Charter, persons to serve as members of the City Council. The persons so selected shall qualify and take an oath of office before entering upon their duties, but such persons shall have sixty (60) days within which to provide bond, notwithstanding the provisions of this Charter making filing thereof of a prerequisite to qualifying. The person so selected shall serve until the next regular election. The City Council as thus constituted shall, if the regularly elected Mayor is not a member thereof, elect one of their number as Mayor. Members of the Council as thus constituted shall serve as City Commissioners by this Charter. The Council as constituted under authority of this subsection shall meet in the City Hall, if possible, but may meet at an alternate location which shall be designated in advance by the Council as an alternate site for the transaction of City business. In the event of martial law, the Council shall be organized as by this subsection provided, and it shall function to the extent possible under the order establishing martial law. The provisions of this subsection shall be supreme in the event it shall be employed, notwithstanding any other provisions of this Charter or ordinances of the City in conflict therewith.

 

NOTE: Matter in bold face in an amended section is new; matter [italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.