Portland City Council Convenes for Strategic Priority Setting Session

City Leaders Gather to Chart Portland’s Future

Today, Saturday, March 7, 2026, the Portland City Council is holding a comprehensive Strategic Priority Setting Session. This day-long meeting, scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., is taking place at The Portland Building in Room 108, named in honor of Leah Hing. The session marks a critical juncture for the city's leadership as they seek to define the legislative and operational roadmap for the remainder of the year and beyond.

The session is being facilitated by Dr. Mike Mowery and Hilary Shine of Strategic Government Resources. As a work session, the meeting is designed as a forum for deep-dive discussions and information sharing among council members and city staff. While the council will not be taking official votes or making final policy decisions today, the priorities established during these hours will likely dictate the agenda for upcoming regular sessions where formal ordinances and budget allocations are decided.

Focus Areas and Strategic Goals

While the specific agenda is broad, several pressing issues are expected to dominate the conversation. Recent council activity has been heavily focused on housing and homelessness, particularly regarding the management of unspent funds within the Portland Housing Bureau. Councilors have recently debated the most effective ways to utilize approximately $106 million in unbudgeted housing resources, and today’s session provides an opportunity to align these fiscal realities with long-term strategic goals.

Key themes for today’s session include:

• Public safety and emergency response efficiency.
• Expanding affordable housing and streamlining residential construction permits.
• Economic recovery and supporting local business infrastructure.
• Climate resilience and sustainable urban planning.

Context of the Meeting

This meeting follows the conclusion of the Oregon State Legislature’s 2026 short session, which adjourned in Salem just yesterday. With state-level decisions now finalized regarding transportation funding and reproductive care protections, city leaders can now pivot to how local government will interface with state mandates and available state-level resources. Mayor Keith Wilson and the council are also navigating a complex federal landscape, particularly concerning the presence of federal agencies in the city and ongoing debates over immigration and civil rights protections.

The Strategic Priority Setting Session is open to the public for observation, though no public testimony is being accepted today. Residents interested in the proceedings can watch a live broadcast via the city’s YouTube channel or through local cable access on Open Signal. For those attending in person at 1120 SW Fifth Avenue, doors to the chamber opened 15 minutes prior to the start of the session. Detailed records of the priorities identified today will be made available through the Council Clerk’s office in the coming week.