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2000

CITY AUDITOR

The Office of the City Auditor performs the functions of city auditor and of city clerk. The City Auditor is an elected position, created by the Charter of 1864 and ratified by Ordinance 168 passed in 1865.

Auditors prior to 1900 were H.R. Meeker, 1865–1866; R. W. Wilcox, 1866–1867; William S. Caldwell, 1867–1868; Richard L. Durham, 1878– 1882; M. F. Spencer, 1882–1883; R. B. Curry, 1883–1885; B. L. Nordin, 1885– 1887; W. H. Wood, 1887–1890; W. F. Matthews, 1890–1891; William T. Branch, 1891–1893; and Albert N. Gambell, 1893–1900.

Auditors since 1900 include Thomas Clarke Devlin, 1900–1907; Asbury Lincoln Barbur, 1907–1917; George R. Funk, 1917–1938; Edward W. Jones, 1938; Will E. Gibson, 1938–1943, 1946–1958; John O. Bredemeier, 1943– 1946; Ray Smith, 1959–1970; James

Hamill, 1970; and George Yerkovich, 1970 – present.

2000–01    Auditor William S. Caldwell Personal Business Files

1864 – 1876
1.0 c.f.

Personal business files of William S. Caldwell, consisting of records of the Portland Macadamized Road Company. Records include stock certificates, stockholder information, proxy statements, receipts, expenditures, and accounting records.

Legislative records of City Council decisions are maintained by the Office of the City Auditor. These include the city charter, council calendar, council proceedings and index, council resolutions and ordinances, ordinance record, council documents, and the city code.

2001–01    City Charter and Charter Amendments

1851 – 1966
5.0 c.f.

The charter of the City of Portland documents the legal existence and powers of the city, identifies the responsibilities of city officers, and records legal requirements for city government functions such as accounting, civil service, local improvements, assessments and collections, public utilities and franchises, and public works.

This series includes copies of the original charter and subsequent editions of the charter including amendments. Early editions of the charter often included the text of ordinances of the city. The charters and charter amendments are filed separately, in chronological order. Some of the charters are photographic reproductions. Also included are charters of the City of East Portland, 1870–1887; and a charter of the consolidated cities of Portland, East Portland, and Albina, 1891.

A microfilmed set of Charters of the City of Portland for 1854–1967 is arranged chronologically. Included are a printed copy of the 1854 Charter, the manuscript 1858 Charter, the manuscript 1864 Charter, the 1864 Charter as amended to 1872, the 1864 Charter as amended to 1877, the 1864 Charter as amended to 1879, and the 1864 Charter as amended to 1881.

Also included are the 1882 Charter as amended to 1885, the 1882 Charter as amended to 1889, the 1893 Charter, the 1898 Charter, the 1903 Charter, the 1903 Special Laws, the 1913 Charter, the 1913 Charter as amended to 1926, the 1913 Charter as amended to 1940, the 1942 Charter, the 1942 Charter as amended to 1964, the 1942 Charter recodif ied, annotated, and revised through 1966, with amendments effective through 1967.

2001–02    Council Calendar

1912 –
1.1 c.f.

The official calendar of the City Council is a summary of legislative and administrative matters considered by the Council in regular session. Contents include calendar number, inclusive numbers for the year, and suspension of rules number if appropriate. Date and time of session is noted, and pages two and three list officers of the city government.

Actual agenda begin on page four, and list items laid before Council, including petitions, communications, and remonstrances presented prior to council meetings, with their supporting documents. These items are followed by resolutions, matters continued, hearings, reports from commissioners and city officials, ordinances, appointments, resignations, oaths administered, and miscellaneous business. Entries in columns indicate what action was taken. Ar ranged chronologically and indexed.

2001–03    Council Proceedings

1851 –
117.9 c.f.

The official record of the City Council. Bound volumes include date and time of meeting, members present, results of votes taken, and the text of early ordinances. Arranged chronologically. Duplicated on microfilm.

2001–05    Index to Council Minutes

1891 –
4.7 c.f.

An index to the minutes of council sessions. City business items are grouped in approximately one hundred major subject classifications, including annexations, audits, bonds, etc. Within each major classification, subject matter is listed alphabetically, followed by a brief summary of action taken by council, volume number, calendar number, and ordinance or resolution number.

2001–06    Council Resolutions

1909 –
5.0 c.f.

Administrative and policy decisions of the City Council. The record consists of resolution number, text, and date of adoption. Supplemental materials such as plans, memoranda, maps, or reports may be added. Arranged by resolution number and bound after microfilming.

2001–07    Council Ordinances

1854 –
95.0 c.f.

Council legislation consisting of ordinance number, title, text, date passed, and signatures of the City Auditor and the Mayor, or the President of the Council in the absence of the Mayor. Ar ranged by ordinance number and bound after microfilming.

2001–08    Ordinance Register

1913 – 1957
2.2 c.f.

A register of ordinances passed, repealed or amended. Entries are arranged numerically by ordinance number.

2001–10    City Code

1941 –
5.5 c.f.

Current city laws updated by Council action. The series includes the city code repealed in 1970, and code changes since 1970. Arranged by title number.

Microfilm set includes City Codes as amended to June 15, 1970. These codes are repealed and replaced by Ordinance No. 130672.

2001–11    Council Documents Series I

1851 – 1916
70.0 c.f.

Correspondence, petitions, applications, reports, claims, and contracts concerning all city functions. Arranged by year and, within each year, alphabetically by subject heading. Subject headings are those used by files custodians in the auditor*s office; some of the earlier files were re-filed by archives staff in 1978 and 1979 for consistency with the overall subject system.

2001–12    Council Documents Series II

1916 – 1930
49 reels

Continuation of the Council Documents series begun in 1851. In 1916 the arrangement of the series changed, establishing a sub-series of documents dated 1916 to 1930. The records are arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically within each subject group.

2001–13    Council Documents Series III

1931 – 1939

Continuation of Council Documents series, microfilmed, with selected files preserved at PARC. Arranged by subject, thereunder chronologically.

2001–14    Council Documents Series IV

1940 –

Continuation of Council Documents series, microfilmed. Arranged by Council Calendar number; for subject access see Council Calendar index (2001–02).

2002–01    Zoning Maps

1959 –
7.5 c.f.

Quarter section maps of the Portland area, used as official city zoning maps. Data indicates legal descriptions and zoning, date of entry, and date of verification. The reduction ratio of maps for years other than 1959 is 100:1. For 1959 it is 200:1. Arranged by quarter section number.

2002–02    Quarterly Reports of Utilities

1906 – 1962
5.5 c.f.

Quarterly reports of utilities, arranged alphabetically by company name and thereunder chronologically.

2002–03    Portland Development Commission (PDC) Resolutions

1958 –
1.0 c.f.

Copies of resolutions with supporting documentation, date of adoption, signatures of the Portland Development Commission chairman and secretary, and certificate of the recording officer. Arranged in volumes by resolution number.

2002–07    General and Special Audits

1918 – 1969
2.5 c.f.

External audits performed and reported by certified public accountants.

2002–08    Estimates of Expenses

1859 –1911
1.5 c.f.

Early estimates of expenses prepared for City Council by various city bureaus. Arranged chronologically.

1854 – 1886
1.0 c.f.

Early bids and proposals for equipment and services, including hook and ladder specifications, printing bids, street lamp lighting, and boarding of prisoners. Arranged chronologically.

2002–10    Franchise Records

1869 – 1947
6.5 c.f.

Records of franchises granted by the City of Portland for water, gas, and electric utilities; telephone and telegraph; and for horse-drawn, steam, cable, electric, and gasoline powered street transportation companies. The records are arranged in three sub-series; franchise ordinances, franchise instruments, and franchise papers.

Franchise ordinances are arranged by ordinance number and date principally from 1869 through 1917. Franchise instruments include deeds and mortgages between companies; between companies and individuals; and between companies and banks or trust companies.

Franchise papers include petitions for and against the development of urban transportation systems, ordinance proposals, reports of the Committee on Streets, and City Attorney* s opinions concerning specific franchise proposals. Also included is an 1889 summary of street railways consisting of ordinance numbers, grantees, route descriptions, and licensing specifications. The franchise instruments and franchise papers are both filed alphabetically by franchise holder.

2002–12    Annual Reports of Officers

1855 – 1919
14.0 c.f.

Selected annual, semi-annual, quarterly and occasional reports of officers and boards of the city government, collected by the Office of the City Auditor and covering the period 1855 to 1919. Beginning about 1880, annual reports of some city offices were included in the Mayor*s annual report and are not separately listed in this series.

This series contains Mayor*s annual reports for the years 1855–56, 1862–63, 1865, 1867–68, 1870, 1874–75, 1877, 1879–83, 1886, 1895, and 1905–12. Other series which include annual reports of the Mayor are Council Documents (2001–11 through 2001–14) and Collected Reports and Studies (2012–35). The Multnomah County Library has Mayor* s annual reports beginning in 1882, with some gaps.

This series contains reports for the following city officials: Building Inspector, City Attorney, City Assessor, City Collector, City Engineer, City Marshal, City Physician, City Recorder, City Sealer, City Surveyor, City Treasurer, Dairy Inspector, Fire Chief Engineer, Harbor Master, Health Officer, Humane Officer, License Officer, Market Inspector, Milk Chemist, Municipal Judge, Park Superintendent, Plumbing Inspector, Police Chief, Pound-master, Public Defender, and Steam Boiler Inspector.

Also included are reports from the Superintendent of the Bureau for Protection of Women, Superintendent of the Fire Alarm Telegraph System, Superintendent of the Garbage Crematory, Superintendent of Linnton Rock Quarry, Superintendent of Street Cleaning and Sprinkling, and Superintendent of Streets.

Also included are reports f ran the following boards and commissions:

Board of Fire Commissioners Bridge Commission, Building Code Board of Appeal, City Planning Commission Civil Service Commission, Free Employment Bureau, Board of Motion Picture Censors, Police Commission, Public Docks Commission, Public Auditorium Commission, Vice Commission, Water Committee, the Library Association of Portland, and the Red Cross Ambulance Company.

2003–01    A, B, and C Files

1871 –
280.0 c.f.

Numerical file consisting of the official record on street improvements, vacations, and sewers. Files include proof of publication, affidavits, local improvement warrant receipts, authorization notices, correspondence between city officials and property owners, copies of pertinent ordinances, resolutions, certificates of completion, proposed assessments, assessment rolls and work estimates. Arranged by file number and indexed by street name or number and date of improvement.

2003–02    Local Improvement Index

1871 –
1.0 c.f.

Card index to local improvements, arranged alphabetically or numerically by street name or number.

2003–20    Local Improvements Abstracts

1887 – 1911
1.0 c.f.

Abstracts of proceedings concerning local improvement projects. Each abstract consists of a chronological listing of petitions, ordinances, resolutions, public notices, bid advertisements, committee reports, and other processes conducted as part of the improvement project. The records relating to each stage in the process are found in the local improvement file (A, B, or C File) devoted to a particular project (see series 2003–01). Each volume of abstracts is indexed individually. Includes an index and abstracts for St. Johns improvements from 1905–1911, listings for sidewalk repair from 1906–1935, and for arc lights granted or not granted, 1906–1907.

2003–21    Local Improvement Index Volumes

1869 – 1915
0.4 c.f.

Cumulated street index to improvements, including date, nature of proceedings (grading, sidewalk, etc.), name of street and cross streets, and A or B File in which the records of proceedings are found.

2004–01    Donation Land Claim Cards

1977 –
0.6 c.f.

Copies of records from Multnomah County used as reference to verify property ownership. Arranged alphabetically by holder of Donation Land Claim.

2004–02    Quarter Section Maps

1930

0.5 c.f.

Includes a one–volume, photostat copy of Water Bureau quarter-section boards, with hand-written additions, showing the Portland water supply system: plants, mains, services and appurtenances. Drafted on a 1928 City Engineer*s base map.

2004–07    Deeds to City Property

1857 –
8.9 c.f.

Legal documentation providing evidence of City property ownership. Arranged numerically by deed number.

2004–08    Annexations

1974 –
5.5 c.f.

Annexation hearings, postings, removals from water district, naps from Multnomah County, information from Metropolitan Boundary Commission. Arranged numerically by annexation number.

2005–03    Index to City Liens

1915 –
8.3 c.f.

Block number register in which are entered lien, docket and page number on which lien confirmation can be found. Alphabetical by legal description.

2006–02    Local Improvement Bond Lien Applications

1895 – 1974
86 reels

Applications signed by property owners requesting bonding for installment payment of assessments for street, sewer, lighting, and sidewalk improvements, or requesting rebonding of segregated assessments. Arranged by Lien Docket volume and page number.

2006–07    Re-Bond Lien Docket Book

1923 – 1941
0.3 c.f.

Includes legal description, owner, amount of lien, and record of installment payments. Re-bonding of local improvement assessments was authorized by a charter amendment submitted to the voters in October, 1922.

2007–03    Improvement Sales Records

1863 – 1888
0.1 c.f.

Includes date of sale of assessment, block and lot number, to whom the property was assessed, year of sale, to whom sold, ordinance number, amount of sale and, when redeemed, by whom, date, and amount.

2008–01    Election Expense Reports

1956

Affidavits of campaign receipts and expenditures together with their supporting documentation, such as: checks, bills, receipts, and lists of contributors, for the municipal primary election of May 13, 1956 and the general election of November 6, 1956. The arrangement is in three sub–series: affidavits of candidates; affidavits of organizations supporting candidates; and affidavits of organizations supporting measures.

2008–02    Election File

1918 – 1958

Certificates of appointment, nomination, and election issued by the City Auditor. The arrangement is chronological.

2008–03    Oaths of Office

1852 – 1959
13 reels

Oaths of office in both manuscript and printed form signed by the office holder, with notaries* affidavits. The arrangement is in six sub–series: elected officials, 1852–1919 (reel 3403); officials other than fire or police, 1920–1959 (reel 3261); firemen, 1920–1959 (reels 3261–62); policemen, 1925– 1959 (reels 3262–64); special police, 1925–1959 (reels 3264, 3266– 67, 3270, 3272–74, 3276); and auxiliary police, 1940–1959 (reels 3276–77).

2009–01    Bond Issue Authorization File

1934 –
0.5 c.f.

Records of the authorization of bond issues, supporting financial data, contracts or sales agreements, and specimen or sample copy of bond. May include abstract of proceedings authorizing the bond issue, plans, and other supporting material.

This series is required by the City Charter.

2009-03    Bonds and Coupons Redeemed

1947 – 1974
1.0 c.f.

Accounting record of redemptions from various bond issues, including water, poor relief, sewage disposal, street widening, assessment collection, dock, harbor facilities, parking facilities, urban renewal, and others.

1956 – 1978

Surety bonds of the mayor, city commissioners, city auditor, city treasurer, and other elected and appointed city employees, together with supporting documents. Arranged alphabetically by name of employee.

2010–03    Construction Contracts

1857 – 1900
55 reels

Miscellaneous manuscript and printed contracts with their supporting documents, including: proposals and bids, performance bonds, plat maps, construction notices and specifications, enabling ordinances, and other relevant materials; arranged chronologically.

2012–07    Index to Microfilm Records

1851 –
1.8 c.f.

A data sheet recording the following information on each series of records filmed: bureau name and division, function, arrangement, reel number, document dates and numbers, film size, reduction ratio, number of images, and date fined. Arranged alphabetically by bureau.

2012–09    City Officials Index

1851 –
0.2 c.f.

Alphabetical index of mayors, councilmen, and commissioners, with other officials arranged chronologically under occupational headings. Included on cards are dates of office and any special circumstances regarding attainment or termination. Some photos and clippings are attached. Includes information on the following positions: Mayor, Commissioner, Assessor, City Auditor, City Attorney, City Engineer, City Treasurer, Collector, Council Clerk, Fire Chief, Health Officer and City Physician, Marshal, Municipal Judge, Parks Superintendent, Police Chief, Purchasing Agent, Recorder, Street Commissioner and Superintendent, Surveyor, and Water Engineer and Superintendent.

2012–10    Historical Index

1851 – 1970
0.5 c.f.

Index cards noting locations of ordinances, reports, and subject files on topics of research and general interest, compiled by employees of the Auditor*s Office. Some of the entries seem to be a result of research done to answer frequent reference questions. Other entries appear to be based on a perusal of ordinances and of records filed with the Auditor*s Office, or weeded from records subsequently destroyed. Ordinances and records indexed date from 1851 through the early 1970s, although the index was probably not begun until the 1940s. Index cards are arranged alphabetically by subject.

1850 – 1969
10.0 c.f.

This series was created by former custodians of city records as a ready reference file. Included are correspondence, reports, project studies, publications, photographs, maps, and blueprints covering various aspects of city government and filed according to 140 numbered subject categories. Extant records created by the Mayor*s Office from the turn of the century through the administration of Mayor Terry D. Schrunk are also included.

The Auditor*s Office maintained a separate card index referencing the original subject categories, and these category numbers appear in parentheses in this index.

2012–35    Collected Reports and Studies

1887 – 1977
26.0 c.f.

Reports generated by studies, surveys, and reviews relating to the City of Portland. Includes work done by consultants, city departments, and other government agencies. The reports were collected by staff of the Auditor*s Office.

2013–01    Fire and Police Disability Retirement Fund Board of Trustees Minutes

1949 –
9.0 c.f.

Hard bound volumes containing minutes of regular meetings of the Board. Lists names of those present, and the proceedings. Arranged chronologically.

2013–04    Fire and Police Disability Retirement Fund Pension Payment Files

1920 –
34.5 c.f.

Each file contains date of appointment, personal data, medical reports, and information on dependents. Arranged by member identification number into active, retired, resigned, terminated, deceased, and dependents categories.

2016–01    Disbursements Journal