The City of Portland currently has a charter review commission sitting, and that group has enormous power. It can refer fundamental changes in city government directly to voters, without passing through the City Council, which pretty much opposes any serious alteration of the rules of its cozy little clubhouse.

We're skeptical that anything major is going to come out of the charter review group. They've been expressly instructed by the council to restrict their inquiry to "housekeeping," and now apparently at least two members of the group have recently resigned. But one idea that they're batting around is some sort of commission that would have a say in setting the city's water and sewer rates, which as Portlanders have learned are being frittered away on whatever goofy project the Sam Rand Twins dream up on weekends.

This new utility body is being pushed by "Legend" Saltzman, which gives it a presumption of ineffectiveness, and as we understand it, the council members would still have the final say. They don't listen to what anyone tells them about water and sewer rates now, and they are routinely violating with their mission-creep antics the city charter we already have. So what makes anybody think that they're going to listen to a ratemaking commission?

Anyway, if you're still taking the charter change group seriously, here's its latest pronouncement on the proposed utility board. There's a hearing on the subject at City Hall Monday evening, and apparently the commission is willing to listen at that confab to other ideas for charter changes as well. Good luck with that.