Portland City Auditor

The Portland city auditor is one of the six citywide elected positions in Portland, Oregon. The auditor is the only elected official functionally independent of City Council and accountable only to the public. The auditor exists "to promote open and accountable government by providing independent and impartial reviews, access to public information, and services for City government and the public."^[1] The current auditor, since January 2023, is Simone Rede.^[2][3]

Auditor of the City of Portland, Oregon
Flag of Portland, Oregon
Incumbent Simone Rede since 2023
Term length	Four years
Formation	1868
Website	www.portlandoregon.gov/auditor/

Duties

Portland has had a city auditor since 1868, and the position has been elected by voters since 1891.^[4]

History

From 2015 until leaving office in 2022, Auditor Hull Caballero and the City Commission had disagreements as to the budget of the Auditor's office. Hull Caballero sought more autonomy for her office.^[5][6]

In 2020, Mayor Ted Wheeler was fined for making the list of his top contributors in a font "too small for the average reader" on campaign literature. City law requires the names of top donors on websites and literature of city candidates.^[7]

See also

• Government of Portland, Oregon
• Jewel Lansing, city auditor from 1983 to 1986
• LaVonne Griffin-Valade, city auditor from 2009 to 2014

References

1. "About the Auditor's Office". Portland.gov. Retrieved June 20, 2006.
2. Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon; Ramakrishnan, Jayati (May 17, 2022). "Simone Rede becomes next Portland auditor, winning first contested race for city watchdog in decades". The Oregonian/OregonLive. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
3. "Auditor Simone Rede". City of Portland, Oregon. 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
4. "Office of the City Auditor, City of Portland, Oregon". Idealist. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
5. Jaquiss, Nigel (May 8, 2022). "The City Auditor and City Council Are at a Standoff on the City Hearings Office". Willamette Week. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
6. Templeton, Amelia (November 30, 2016). "Portland City Auditor Seeks More Autonomy For Her Office". OPB. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
7. Bailey Jr., Everton (May 18, 2020). "Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler fined $500 for listing campaign donors in tiny print". The Oregonian/OregonLive. Retrieved June 21, 2020.