Beaverton voters approved a new city charter during the May 19 election. The Beaverton Charter of 2021 went into effect on June 18 and becomes operational on Friday, Jan. 1, 2021. The new charter changes the city’s form of government, implements term limits, and updates language references. The new city charter features several modifications, including:

• The mayor will no longer be the city’s administrative head. Instead, the city council will appoint a full-time city manager to oversee the city’s day-to-day operations.
• The mayor will continue to be a fulltime position at the city and serve as the city’s chief elected official for “political, ceremonial, emergency management, and military purposes.
• The council will expand from five members to seven members: six part-time city councilors and one full-time mayor with voting privileges. The council will continue to serve as the city’s governing body and be responsible for the city’s legislative functions. All council positions will remain nonpartisan and elected at-large by Beaverton voters. The councilors and the mayor will be limited to three consecutive four-year terms in office for their respective positions.
• The new charter will not use gender-exclusive references as were found in the city’s previous charter. For the latest information including answers to frequently asked questions, visit www.BeavertonOregon.gov/charter.