Past Referendum Petition Efforts
The last time a referendum petition appeared on a City of Portland Ballot was in 1982. Since 1905, there have been 10 referendum petitions submitted to the voters of the City of Portland:
Election Date Subject
June 1915 Purchasing Water Meters
June 1915 Prohibiting Operation of Stores on Sunday
November 1920 Zoning Ordinance
November 1932 $6 Licensing Fee on Every Store
January 1936 Portland Traction Franchise
May 1938 Gambling Machines
May 1950 License Fees on Income and Business Profits
November 1950 Anti-Discrimination Ordinance
May 1956 Prohibiting Pinballs, Certain Other Mechanical Games
November 1982 Establish Police Internal Investigation Auditing Committee
May 2013 Fluoridation of Public Drinking Water Supply
(Note: In August 2001 a referendum petition qualified for the ballot to refer Ordinance No. 175752. This Ordinance would have provided funding for Street Maintenance and Improvement. City Council repealed the Ordinance.)