Milwaukie, Oregon, was the first city in Oregon to ever hold a Citizens Jury. The citizen panel considered the question: “Should Milwaukie City Council members be paid more than their current volunteer stipend? If so, how much should Council members be compensated?”

The Citizens Jury model piloted in Milwaukie was designed to be time- and cost-efficient, with an eye toward easy replicability by other cities with difficult but well-defined policy questions. The process lasted four consecutive days, with 20 citizen panelists chosen by lottery from among all residential addresses in the city.

For more info on the project, see the documents, videos, and media coverage below. For more details about the selection process and the in-room deliberations, see the press releases at the bottom of this page.

Key Dates

  • Panelist Selection Event: September 11, 2019, 6 – 6:30 p.m.
  • Location: Milwaukie City Hall, City Council Chambers
  • This was a brief public event, where we randomly (and transparently) selected citizen panelists from among the responses we have received. A recording of this event is available here.
  • The Citizens Jury: November 9–12, 2019, 9AM–5PM each day
  • Location: Clackamas Community College, Harmony Campus, Harmony West Building, 7738 SE Harmony Rd, Milwaukie, OR, 97222
  • The entirety of the Citizens Jury was open to public observers and live streamed. Days 1 & 2 featured expert testimony. Days 3 & 4 featured deliberation and drafting of recommendations.
Watch recordings of this event

Documents

2019 Milwaukie Citizens Jury Panelist Recruitment Letter (PDF)

Note: Disregard all dates mentioned in this letter. Dates were later adjusted to those listed above. This is the letter we sent to 5,000 randomly selected households in the City of Milwaukie, which explains the program in more detail, answers a number of common questions, and invites recipients aged 16+ to reply.

2019 Milwaukie Citizens Jury Final Recommendations (PDF)

The jury’s final recommendations, presented to Milwaukie City Council 12 Nov. 2019.

Press Releases