A businessman with no experience in public office is taking over as mayor of Oregon's biggest city as it embraces an entirely new system of government
one that's so different, the City Council chambers had to be completely renovated.
Portland, Oregon, has inaugurated a new mayor, Mike Schmidt, and a new form of government aimed at addressing the city's challenges, particularly homelessness. Schmidt, who campaigned on a promise to end homelessness, was sworn in alongside a new city council under a revised government structure that shifts from a commission-based system to one with a city administrator and a larger council. This change aims to improve efficiency and focus on critical issues like housing, public safety, and economic development. The new government structure is part of a broader effort to tackle the city's ongoing issues, including a significant homeless population, by fostering better governance and policy implementation.