|
At the Budget Listening Session last week, I welcomed the audience with gratitude for showing up in a big way. Portlanders filled the event’s main room and the overflow space down the hall and provided verbal testimonies for more than two hours with the Mayor and several Councilors in the room. Local government works best when the community shows up, speaks out, and holds us accountable. I’ve heard from many of you that you’ve noticed positive changes in this new form of government and more to work on too.
Like many cities across the country, we’re facing an historic budget gap. So why is that? The truth is we’ve had a broken revenue system in this city for a long time. We’ve also relied on one-time funding from the federal government for pandemic relief. And that money’s no longer there.
The pandemic also changed the way our economy is structured. We no longer have as much need for people to commute downtown, which has left a lot of commercial properties vacant, further eroding our tax base.
But our community’s needs haven’t gone away, indeed, they have only grown. Whether it’s ending unsheltered homelessness, making neighborhoods safer, or maintaining our parks and roads—we still have to invest. And here’s the hard truth: There’s no way to balance next year’s budget without affecting services and losing staff. These events, constituent meetings, and public comment periods were designed to ask for your help and to learn what matters to your neighbors too.
You may have seen the preliminary recommendations from City Administrator Michael Jordan. But I want to be clear: Those recommendations are not final. It’s up to City Council to decide what stays, what goes, and what gets reimagined—and your input will shape those choices.
Two actions:
-
Meet me at Sellwood Community House on second Fridays (April 11th, May 9th and June 13th) to have one-on-one conversations about the budget and more
-
Send your input using the City’s budget comment form to capture your priorities in the public record
I’m commemorating our first 100 days in office by ending the week at Sellwood Community House to hear from you if you couldn’t attend one of the Budget Listening Sessions. I’ll be talking about some of the things I’m most proud of and what I'm working on:
Serving on four committees with two leadership roles:
- Appointed as Co-chair to the Arts and Economy Committee and using this role to elevate community experts on anti-displacement and equitable economic development
- Appointed as Vice Chair to the Labor and Workforce Development Committee
- Selected as a member to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and Finance Committee
Leading and co-sponsoring policy work to increase transparency, restore trust, and facilitate momentum for big changes ahead (more details on my website):
- Chief sponsor of the Zenith Energy accountability resolution adopted by City Council
- Chief sponsor of the social housing resolution adopted by City Council
- Co-sponsor of a labor-related resolution adopted by City Council
- Co-sponsor providing expertise on economic impacts for the ordinance led by Councilor Angelita Morillo to ban algorithmic price fixing that has passed out of committee and is scheduled for a vote on April 16th
- Co-sponsor for the resolution to prioritize sidewalks in east and southwest Portland that has passed out of committee and sparked enthusiasm for completing our pedestrian network
- Co-sponsor for the ordinance to add the Fair Wage Policy Code being developed by Councilor Jamie Dunphy
Building an office with a growing capacity to serve constituents, shape the culture of City Hall, and make a lasting impact on the direction of our city:
- Investing in staff development and joy
- Scheduling regular events in District 4 to connect with our neighbors
- Collaborating with community members and councilors to develop good policy
- Strengthening our tools to communicate, tell stories, and provide information in a timely and accessible way
- Lending our expertise and reciprocating efforts with other offices
- Rallying, marching, and gathering with Portlanders for immigrant rights, climate action, renters’ rights, housing justice, and a family-friendly and affordable Portland
There’s a lot more to say, but these are the highlights. We’re just getting started.
In Solidarity,
Mitch Green
If you've received this newsletter from a friend, you can sign up for yourself here.
 Councilor Mitch Green, Erik Dean, Christian Aguinaga, and Maria Sipin (April 2, 2025)
|
