> A ballot measure promises to transform the dysfunctional local government in Oregon’s largest city. > Next month, as Americans vote, residents of Portland, Oregon, will see a question on the ballot that could transform their city. For the ninth time in more than a century, voters will have a chance to replace their antiquated commission form of local government, in which four commissioners and the mayor serve as both city councilmembers and as heads of the various municipal bureaus. This time, however, with Portland’s government straining under a surge in violent crime and disorder, the stakes are higher than ever.