Portland Tomorrow believes the following criteria help to define an excellent Mayor for Portland: 

A vision for Portland.  We seek a Mayor who appreciates Portland’s strengths, challenges, and new opportunities for success.  Portland’s first directly elected Mayor in more than eighty years should be able to articulate and implement a plan for helping Portland grow and prosper.

Broad support throughout the City.  Our Mayor should work closely with the many diverse interests in Portland, including but not limited to residents, businesses, government officials, nonprofits, neighborhood associations, and immigrant groups.  We seek a Mayor who can build consensus and be responsive.

Commitment.  The Mayor of Portland will hold a full-time job.  We seek a Mayor with energy, intelligence, passion, and a desire to devote fully his or her abilities to the betterment of our City.

Ability to govern and lead.  Our Mayor should not be bound to any divisive ideology but should develop balanced solutions.  He or she should understand how government and budgets are structured, and should appreciate the nuances of urban progress.  We seek an individual with proven leadership qualities.

We also recommend reading the Final Report of the Portland Charter Commission (July 16, 2010), which details the rationale behind, and the values of, an elected mayor.