This column is written with a unique perspective on the city of Portland, and how it has evolved over the past five decades. This perspective may be helpful to the voters of Portland as they decide on what form of local government they will have after the November elections.

I have been in city government for nearly five decades. I worked as city manager in two cities: Portland in the 1970s and 1980s, and Boulder, Colorado, in the 1990s. I have also worked for the National League of Cities in Washington, D.C., and have spent a decade of my life working internationally, mostly in Africa and Eastern Europe with local government officials.

I firmly believe that governance plays a key role in the life of a city. The form of city government makes a real difference in the quality of life of the community, and the ability of the city to solve complicated and critical issues.

As the voters of Portland go to the polls this November, I would ask all of you to think about how you are feeling about Portland today. Are you happy to live here? Are you proud of what your city has become over the decades? Do you believe your city government has been a key player in the successes you have identified?

If so, why would you want to change the form of your local government from the current City Council-city manager form to a strong mayor form of government?

When I first came to Portland in the late 1970s, the city unemployment rate stood at 11.7 percent. There was no Old Port, the waterfront was a dangerous part of town and there were few civic amenities. Portland, like all cities in the 1970s, was suffering from urban decay.

What has happened to this decay? Just look around. Portland has a thriving economy, a vibrant downtown and Old Port, a working waterfront with some wonderful urban amenities, renewed neighborhoods that are linked together by an incredible network of trails and bike paths. And the cultural life of the city is thriving with a first-class library, art museum and civic center and performance venues such as Merrill Auditorium, the State Theatre and Longfellow Square. Portland has become a welcoming and opportunity city for immigrants. The city is filled with diversity, energy and creativity.

Governance matters. Portland city government has been a key player in most of these remarkable changes. The city government has operated in a nonpartisan fashion. Success has not been driven by partisan political parties. Success has been achieved by the community working together – rowing in the same direction to achieve a common vision.

Today, Portland is a unique city that is recognized as one of the most livable small cities in New England and nationwide.

As you vote in November, please consider how you feel about Portland and the changes of the past five decades. If you are feeling generally positive, why change the form of government that has had a major role in the development of the city?

The governance changes proposed by the Portland Charter Commission will replace the non-partisan council/manager form of government with a strong mayor (Question 2). This very significant change will inevitably usher in political partisanship and with it a culture of conflict and division.

Is this the direction you want Portland to go in the years ahead?

Governance matters in creating a successful city.