City Hall Politicians don’t usually gain support by making budget cuts.But the startling thing about Mayor Charlie Hales’ first budget, released April 30, is how the mayor’s cutting of $21.5 million has b   More

News UPDATE: May 7, 7:33 pmDespite taking mostly criticism from Old Town residents, restaurants and businesses Tuesday night at a community meeting at the Bud Clark Commons, Mayor Charlie Hales remains committed to continuing weekend street closures in the six-block Entertainment District for another six months.Hales said that managing the Entertainment District will ultimately have to be done by someone ...   More

News The star-crossed, $35-per-head arts tax Portlanders approved last November continues to sow confusion in the populace. For the second time, the city is having to issue guidance about who should and should not have to pay the tax—and this time, it's offering a refund.Mayor Charlie Hales, whose exasperation with the flawed measure is obvious, announced this morning that the city will offer refunds ...   More

News Good news for late-night al fresco tipplers, bad news for sleepless neighbors: The Oregon Liquor Control Commission won't be restricting bar-patio hours this summer.For weeks, Portland officials all the way up to Mayor Charlie Hales have complained that the OLCC's proposed rule change—which would have closed patios at 11 pm on weeknights and 1 am Fridays and Saturdays—didn't go far enough. The ...   More

News Mayor Charlie Hales met Tuesday evening for an invite-only meeting with neighbors and businesses in Old Town to talk about the city's Entertainment District, a trial closure of six blocks on weekend nights around the area's high-density collection of clubs and bars. The unshocking consensus? The folks who live and work in the area aren't fans.But Portland's police seem smitten with the closure ...   More

News  Turns out plenty of people would like a shot at running the Portland Bureau of Transportation.The city has received 44 applications for the open transportation director job, officials say. It's been a hot seat to occupy: Mayor Charlie Hales fired former PBOT Director Tom Miller before taking office in January after catching criticism for a backlog of street maintenance. Interim director Toby ...   More

News As Portland City Hall continues looking for $21.5 million in budget cuts, one of the expenses under the microscope is 23 police officers in Portland Public Schools. The school resource officers, a $2.4 million annual expense, have been offered up by the Portland Police Bureau as a possible cut—the cops say patrolling schools isn't part of their core mission.But as WW has previously reported, that ...   More

News The city's contract negotiations with the Portland Police Association will begin April 18 at the union's headquarters.One of the issues likely to be on the table is the 48-hour rule that allows officers involved in shootings two days to consult with lawyers and union representatives before they give an official statement.Last fall, Mayor Charlie Hales told WW that he thinks that rule–which is subject ...   More