Portland is unlike most large United States cities, in that the Portland City Council performs many duties that are more typically in a mayor's purview.
That is sometimes called the "weak mayor" system, in which the mayor and the four members of the City Council each supervise the various agencies of the city.
When Potter took office, he declared that he was taking centralized control of all city bureaus for a period of six months.
He later redistributed them once the adjustment period was completed.
Potter advocated for a change to that system, advocating for a "strong mayor" initiative in the May 2007 election.
The measure was defeated by a 3-1 margin.

In January 2005, Potter caused a controversy by taking part in the monthly Critical Mass ride, an act that participants consider a celebration of cycling in which bicyclists take over the streets to demonstrate alternatives to the use of the automobile in urban areas.
Critics accused him of endorsing the group's actions, which include violating traffic laws and intentionally blocking other street traffic.
 This act was celebrated by the bike community and seen as an effort to mend torn ties between the city and bicycle activists.

Potter backed Commissioner Erik Sten in an effort to purchase Portland General Electric from Enron.
He also said he was willing to consider using the city's power of condemnation to acquire the utility's assets.
The bid attained the backing of Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski, but was vehemently opposed by Enron and some members of Congress.
He also supported Sten's Voter-Owned Elections initiative, which funneled city money to candidates for city offices in the 2006 Primary elections and was staunchly opposed by the Portland Business Alliance.

On April 22, 2005, Potter withdrew the Portland Police Bureau from the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force.
This action came after a dispute of two years over supervision, involving security clearances for Potter and then-Chief of Police Derrick Foxworth.

In May 2006, Potter accused the FBI of attempting to recruit an informant within the Portland city offices, going so far as to have his City Hall offices searched for listening devices.
The FBI denied the accusations, which served to underscore the tensions between that agency and Potter's office.

Potter is widely credited for emphasizing diversity, and making city hall more accessible to underrepresented communities, such as people of color, immigrants and refugees, and youth.
One of his major progressive projects was working with latinx activists, as an ally, and making 39th avenue Cesar Chavez ave.
In October 2006, Potter introduced a resolution affirming the City's commitment to the inclusion of immigrants and refugees in civic life, and convened the city's first-ever Immigrant and Refugee Task Force to recommend strategies to address barriers to engagement.
Together with wife Karin Hansen and with the help of several hundred young Portlanders, Potter led Portland to become the first major U.S. city to produce a children's bill of rights.
Our Bill of Rights: Children and Youth was created by the children and youth of the Portland area to advise community leaders of what support and access they needed to reach their full potential.
It was adopted as an advisory document by both the Portland City Council and the Multnomah County Commission.

Also during 2006, Potter initiated the development of a new Office of Human Relations, dedicated to combating social issues such as race and sexual identity discrimination, hate crimes and human rights abuses through the establishment of a Human Rights Commission and police Racial Profiling Committee.
The new Office officially commenced in January 2008.

Early in 2007, Potter proposed four changes to Portland's city charter requiring a vote by the electorate.
The changes included language providing for: A regular review of the charter every ten years, increased control of the Portland Development Commission by the City Council, exclusion of some city government job classes from civil service protections, and the most dramat
Portland is unlike most large United States cities, in that the Portland City Council performs many duties that are more typically in a mayor's purview. That is sometimes called the "weak mayor" system, in which the mayor and the four members of the City Council each supervise the various agencies of the city. When Potter took office, he declared that he was taking centralized control of all city bureaus for a period of six months. He later redistributed them once the adjustment period was completed. Potter advocated for a change to that system, advocating for a "strong mayor" initiative in the May 2007 election. The measure was defeated by a 3-1 margin.
In January 2005, Potter caused a controversy by taking part in the monthly Critical Mass ride, an act that participants consider a celebration of cycling in which bicyclists take over the streets to demonstrate alternatives to the use of the automobile in urban areas. Critics accused him of endorsing the group's actions, which include violating traffic laws and intentionally blocking other street traffic.  This act was celebrated by the bike community and seen as an effort to mend torn ties between the city and bicycle activists.
Potter backed Commissioner Erik Sten in an effort to purchase Portland General Electric from Enron. He also said he was willing to consider using the city's power of condemnation to acquire the utility's assets. The bid attained the backing of Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski, but was vehemently opposed by Enron and some members of Congress. He also supported Sten's Voter-Owned Elections initiative, which funneled city money to candidates for city offices in the 2006 Primary elections and was staunchly opposed by the Portland Business Alliance.
On April 22, 2005, Potter withdrew the Portland Police Bureau from the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. This action came after a dispute of two years over supervision, involving security clearances for Potter and then-Chief of Police Derrick Foxworth.
In May 2006, Potter accused the FBI of attempting to recruit an informant within the Portland city offices, going so far as to have his City Hall offices searched for listening devices. The FBI denied the accusations, which served to underscore the tensions between that agency and Potter's office.
Potter is widely credited for emphasizing diversity, and making city hall more accessible to underrepresented communities, such as people of color, immigrants and refugees, and youth. One of his major progressive projects was working with latinx activists, as an ally, and making 39th avenue Cesar Chavez ave. In October 2006, Potter introduced a resolution affirming the City's commitment to the inclusion of immigrants and refugees in civic life, and convened the city's first-ever Immigrant and Refugee Task Force to recommend strategies to address barriers to engagement. Together with wife Karin Hansen and with the help of several hundred young Portlanders, Potter led Portland to become the first major U.S. city to produce a children's bill of rights. Our Bill of Rights: Children and Youth was created by the children and youth of the Portland area to advise community leaders of what support and access they needed to reach their full potential. It was adopted as an advisory document by both the Portland City Council and the Multnomah County Commission.
Also during 2006, Potter initiated the development of a new Office of Human Relations, dedicated to combating social issues such as race and sexual identity discrimination, hate crimes and human rights abuses through the establishment of a Human Rights Commission and police Racial Profiling Committee. The new Office officially commenced in January 2008.
Early in 2007, Potter proposed four changes to Portland's city charter requiring a vote by the electorate. The changes included language providing for: A regular review of the charter every ten years, increased control of the Portland Development Commission by the City Council, exclusion of some city government job classes from civil service protections, and the most dramat
Tom Potter