What's been on my mind lately

Representing Portland in our sister city of Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Councilor Ryan presents members of the Kaohsiung City Council with an official letter from Mayor Wilson inviting a Kaohsiung delegation to visit Portland's Rose Festival in June 2026. From left to right, Councilor Chen Hsing-Fu, Councilor Dan Ryan, Councilor Tang Yong-Yu, and Councilor Pai Chiao-Yin.

The City of Portland enjoys a robust, long-standing relationship with our sister city of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Every year, we host delegates from Kaohsiung who take part in Rose Festival activities, including as official entrants in the Grand Floral Parade and the Dragon Boat Festival. A few months from now, 20 City Councilors and more than 50 high school students from Kaohsiung will be in Portland to enjoy, participate in, and perform in various Rose Festival traditions. But before all of that, I'm proud to have served as Portland's elected delegate last week on a visit to Kaohsiung and honored to have been asked by Mayor Wilson to represent the City in this capacity. 

Our schedule was packed with site visits, speaking engagements, and more. I met the Kaohsiung City Council and Madam Speaker Kang, as well as visited the Port of Dong Kang and attended a dragon boat design workshop. I also attended the Kaohsiung Lantern Festival at Love River and visited many important economic, cultural, and heritage sites. It was an amazing few days, building relationships and sharing meaningful cultural exchange opportunities. 

As City Commissioner, I was a past delegate to Kaohsiung, and at that time was struck by Kaohsiung's willingness to pull together and get things done for the benefit of their community members. I learned about several bold projects, including waterfront redevelopment, environmental recovery work, and the creation of vibrant public spaces for all. There's a lot we can learn from their efforts. Last week, I was most excited to see how these projects have evolved since then and for the opportunity to discover economic opportunities, gather municipal best practices, and continue building—and strengthening—our cultural bridges to Portland's sister city.

One last note on this topic: My visit to Kaohsiung is where I developed a passion for dragon boating. I watched their City Council face-off in a race against Kaohsiung's Mayor, and I came back insisting that City Hall needed its own dragon boat in Rose Festival races. It was amazing to paddle with my fellow City Councilors and staffers during the 2025 Rose Festival races, and I look forward to doing it again soon. 

Can't wait to share more about the visit. Stay tuned!

Considering how unspent Housing Bureau dollars could help alleviate the City's fiscal crisis

Las Adelitas, a Portland Housing Bond project with 142 affordable units in Cully. Photo courtesy of City of Portland.

My City Council colleagues and I are still evaluating spending options for the recently discovered $106 million dollars within the Housing Investment Fund (HIF). City Administrator Lee has said that $62.1 million of that total has been identified as having restrictions on how it can be used. The remaining balance is undergoing legal review to determine the allowable uses.

At the same time, the City of Portland is experiencing an operational funding crisis—a $169 million budget deficit headed into 2026-27. If it's determined through legal review that it would be allowed, we should utilize the remaining funds to support the Housing Bureau's operational costs for upcoming fiscal years. 

I'm really looking forward to discussing these strategic investments with City Councilors and City Administration at our March 5 work session devoted to this topic. 

Arts & Economy Committee votes on the City's Storefront Support Action Plan

A physical copy of the Supporting Portland’s Storefronts draft report, which is headed for a full council vote.

A few weeks ago, I noted that the City's Storefront Support Action Plan was presented to the Council's Arts & Economy Committee. As a quick recap, Project Manager Victor Sanders, part of the Portland Solutions team, walked the committee through the latest plan draft and the community-informed goals outlined within.

I sponsored the development of the Storefront Support Program in last year's budget process, in response to the needs and concerns I had been hearing for years from storefront business owners and operators. It is one of my top budget priorities to secure the resources necessary for this program's success.

As an update on this work—last week, the Arts & Economy Committee voted to approve the report draft and to send it for a vote with the full City Council on March 4.

I'm committed to keeping you updated on this important work. 

Out and about: Community snapshots

2026 State of UP 💜

City Councilor Dan Ryan, District 2, with University of Portland President Dr. Robert D. Kelly at the State of UP.

I was thrilled to attend the State of the UP recently, where I bumped into many friends. Attendees were treated to performances by the University of Portland Singers and awards were bestowed to a handful of alumni working in academia, civics, healthcare, tech, and more. A quick note of personal pride, my mother, Dona Jean Ryan, graduated from UP in the late 1970s after raising eight children, so my purple passion runs deep.

I was especially moved by UP President Dr. Robert D. Kelly’s remarks, which highlighted the university’s high bar for educational and personal excellence and its commitment to empowering future leaders to make positive change. “The world needs more pilots,” he said. And, with the highest 4-year graduation rate of any higher education institution in our state, President Kelly’s vision is manifesting here and now.

This year marks the university’s 125th anniversary, and there’s certainly a lot to look forward to in 2026 and beyond.

More recent photos from around town

As always, I’m thankful to have had a seat at the table at the most recent Community Peace Collaborative meeting from the City's Office of Violence Prevention, which keep Portlanders informed about ongoing gun violence prevention efforts. These events are free and open to the public, and the next session at the Police Bureau's North Precinct is March 20, 2026. Very nice to see Pastor Robin Wisner, a long-time advocate, plugged in community member, and my friend.

I was out and about in District 2 recently, meeting with constituents, and I ran into another Dan Ryan... I can't say that's ever happened before! This Dan is new to Portland, a D2 resident who's building a life with his wife, toddler, and fur babies in Bridge City. Here's to welcoming and sustaining young families like Dan's across the city!

A few Fridays ago, Roosevelt High School boys' basketball team beat Franklin 93-62. So proud of my alma mater, which at the time of writing, is in third place headed into March Madness. It was wonderful to run into Roosevelt HS Principal Dr. KD Parman while I was there! 🏀

Upcoming meetings and events

• 3/3: City Council Work Session
• 3/4: City Council Work Meeting
• 3/4: District 2, Meet Your City Councilors with City Club of Portland
• 3/5: City Council Work Session

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