Metro
Sand dunes at Agate Beach. (Photo courtesy Thomas Chamberlin)
Contact
David Bragdon, President
Address: 600 NE Grand Ave., Portland 97232-2736
Phone: 503-797-1700
Fax: 503-797-1799
Web: www.metro-region.org/
District officials
President of Council, David Bragdon (2010); Councilors: Rod Park (1) 2010; Carlotta Collette (2) 2012; Carl Hosticka (3) 2012; Kathryn Harrington (4) 2010; Rex Burkholder (5) 2012; Robert Liberty (6) 2012; Auditor Suzanne Flynn, 2010.
About
Metro covers approximately 460 square miles of the urban portions of Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties in northwestern Oregon. There are 25 cities in the Metro service area, including Beaverton, Gresham, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, Oregon City and Portland.
Metro has primary responsibility for regional land-use and transportation planning, and is required to address any other issue of “metropolitan concern.” This grant of authority clearly underscores the Portland metropolitan region’s commitment to maintain and enhance the livability of the region.
In May of 1995, 62 percent of the citizens of the region voted to authorize $135.6 million in general obligation bonds to acquire and protect a system of regional open spaces, parks and streams.
History
Metro was formed in 1979, when voters approved the merger of a council of governments (Columbia Region Association of Governments—CRAG) that had land-use and transportation planning responsibilities with the Metropolitan Service District, which had been created to provide regional services that included the solid waste management plan and operation of a metropolitan zoo. The new Metropolitan Service District (MSD) was governed by an elected council and an elected executive officer. It had the combined authority of the two predecessor agencies.
In 1980, Metro became responsible for regional solid waste disposal when it took over operation of the one existing publicly owned regional landfill and began construction of a transfer station. In November 1986, voters approved general obligation bond funding for the Oregon Convention Center, built and operated by Metro. In January 1990, Metro assumed management responsibility for the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, Portland Civic Stadium and Portland Memorial Coliseum (though management of the coliseum was later returned to the city, which turned it over to the new Oregon Arena Corporation). Finally, in 1994, Metro assumed management responsibility for the Multnomah County parks system and Expo Center. Ownership of these facilities was transferred to Metro on July 1, 1996. In 2000, Portland Civic Stadium was turned over to Portland Family Entertainment for ownership and management.
Regional Planning Functions
Metro is responsible for the allocation of federal transportation funds to projects in the region. The region’s success in attracting federal funding for highway and transit projects is due, in large part, to Metro’s role in building and maintaining regional consensus on projects to be funded and ensuring that funding is allocated to high-priority projects.
Metro has developed a regional data center to forecast transportation and land-use needs. All local jurisdictions now rely on and contribute to this data center, eliminating duplication between governments.
Local governments are required to prepare comprehensive land-use plans. Metro is the agency responsible for establishing and maintaining an urban growth boundary (UGB) for the Portland region. Through the enforcement of the UGB pursuant to Oregon’s land-use laws, the region has maintained its unique character and is now a national model for urban growth management planning.
Metro’s current role in regional land-use planning and growth management is an outgrowth of its role in establishing the urban growth boundary, transportation planning and data management. Local jurisdictions and the region’s voters have recognized the value of a coordinated approach to land-use and livability issues, and have assigned that responsibility to Metro.
Charter Approval
A 1992 charter gave Metro the distinction of not only being the nation’s only elected regional government (as it had been since 1979), but also the only one organized under a home-rule charter approved by voters.