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Council debates tie-breaking rule; adopts narrow provision to reschedule tied items for mayor'only vote
Summary
Council debated and amended a proposed ordinance July 17 that would clarify when the mayor may cast a tie-breaking vote; council adopted an amendment (7-3) to reschedule tied items so the mayor can cast a deciding vote at the next meeting for that sole purpose.
Portland City Council held a lengthy discussion July 17 about proposed code clarifications on when the mayor may cast a tie-breaking vote. The item is a first reading; council did not take final passage and the ordinance will return for a second reading. Councilors debated multiple amendments and procedural approaches for resolving 6-6 ties under a 12-member council.
Councilor Jo Ann Avalos (sponsor of the amendment) said she wanted to preserve legislative responsibility within council and give members "the opportunity as a council to debate our differences" before resorting to a mayoral tiebreak. She proposed an amendment to require multiple subsequent rounds of voting before the mayor could intervene; that amendment was discussed and ultimately failed on a 6-4 recorded vote.
City Attorney Robert Taylor explained the procedural background: under Robert's Rules, a member can change a vote before the result is announced, and a motion to reconsider has legal…
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