Short Description:
Metro works with communities, businesses and residents in the Portland metropolitan area to chart a wise course for the future while protecting the things we love about this place.
Description:
Where is Metro?
Metro serves more than 1.5 million people in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties. The agency's boundary encompasses Portland, Oregon and 23 other cities – from the Columbia River in the north to the bend of the Willamette River near Wilsonville, and from the foothills of the Coast Range near Forest Grove to the banks of the Sandy River at Troutdale.
Who is Metro?
The Metro Council consists of a president, elected regionwide, and six councilors who are elected by district every four years in nonpartisan races. The Metro Auditor, elected regionwide, is responsible for oversight of Metro's annual financial statements and for conducting performance audits. The council appoints a chief operating officer to carry out council policies and manage Metro operations. The chief operating officer oversees a diverse workforce of more than 1,600 employees including park rangers, economists, teachers, scientists, designers, planners, animal keepers, stagehands and cartographers. Hundreds of volunteers lend a hand at Metro's parks, cemeteries, natural areas, offices and visitor venues.
Why regional governance?
As far back as the 1950s, Portland area leaders saw an unfilled need to provide regionwide planning and coordination to manage growth, infrastructure and development issues that cross jurisdictional boundaries. They also saw a need to protect farms and forests from urbanization and to provide services that are regional in nature. More than 30 years ago, Metro was created to fill that void, becoming the nation's first directly elected regional government.
