Portland committee authorizes lobbying to remove residency requirement so city can run police academy; vote 2–1 after concerns over fiscal note
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Summary
The committee authorized the lobbying team to pursue a change to Title 25 that would remove a residency requirement and allow the Portland Police Department to run its own academy. The measure advanced on a 2–1 vote after a councilor said she would oppose the authorization without more fiscal detail.
Portland’s Legislative and Nomination Committee voted to authorize the city’s lobbying team to seek a modification to Title 25 that would remove a residency requirement and permit the Portland Police Department to operate a local training academy. The authorization passed 2–1.
Staff said the change would allow the city to run a local academy to address a statewide backlog in training slots at the State Academy. Members noted the State Academy currently runs 18‑week classes and that demand is high — staff cited approximately 350 pending applications statewide — while a typical class size is about 40 recruits. The committee discussed a regional, day‑academy model and said Portland already supplies many instructors to the State Academy and has experience providing training in the past.
Councilor Sykes opposed moving the proposal forward without a clearer fiscal note and operational plan. She told the committee she would vote against authorization because she was not prepared to support additional police funding without a fuller analysis. Mayor Mark Dion and Councilor Grant supported authorizing the lobbying effort; the motion carried 2–1.
Members asked staff for more detailed fiscal estimates and information about facility space and recurring costs. Staff said the expected marginal cost would likely be small but that they did not have a firm fiscal note at the time of the vote; the city manager committed to getting a specific cost estimate from the police chief and returning that information to the committee.
Votes at a glance - Motion to authorize lobbying staff to pursue Title 25 modification to permit a Portland-run police academy: moved and seconded; outcome: approved 2–1 (Mayor Mark Dion and Councilor Grant voted yes; Councilor Sykes voted no).
The committee directed the city manager and police chief to provide a follow-up report with a fiscal analysis, proposed space plan and an estimate of class capacity before further legislative or budget decisions.