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 (she/they) councilor.morillo@portlandoregon.gov
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Spring has sprung and budget season is HERE! Are you excited? Do you have work sessions highlighted and circled on your calendar? Are you ready to testify at a listening session?
If that’s not you, that’s okay. But I still want to hear from you. I want to hear about your priorities, your favorite programs, and what you can’t live without. But to be frank, I also want to hear about where you want to cut. We are facing a detrimental budget shortfall and some hard decisions will have to be made. This spring will determine what sort of city we want to be, and where our values lie.
What’s in the newsletter this month:
- Constituent Conversation event info
- How to engage with the budget
- DSA Town Hall
- My work in City Hall
- Community Bulletin Board
- PBOT public comment information
- News roundup
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April Constituent Conversation
I’m so excited for our April constituent event – we are headed out to 82nd Ave to play some pickleball!
We will be chatting from 1:00 till about 2:30 about your budget priorities and my work in City Hall, then hit the courts for some open play. We may even throw together a short tournament with a prize for the winning duo, so bring your neighbor and let’s play!
No need to bring your own paddle – the People’s Courts will provide everything we need to play. (But of course no one will stop you from bringing your own gear, if you ball like that.)
When: Sunday, April 19th
Time: 1:00 pm
Address: The People’s Courts, 2700 NE 82nd Ave, Portland OR 97220
Can’t wait to see you there!
Community Budget Events
If you can’t make it to our pickleball extravaganza, it’s all good – there are plenty of other ways you can engage on the budget.
Next week, the City of Portland is hosting a budget open house on Wednesday, April 8th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Marysville Elementary School (7733 SE Raymond St, Portland OR 97206).
 This event will be a bit different from last year’s budget listening session – instead of 2 minute testimony, you’ll have the chance to drop in at your leisure and visit several stations focused on big community topics like housing, arts and culture, environment, vibrant and safe communities, equitable government, and more. At each station, you’ll be a part of an intimate community conversation to identify priorities and key themes. It’s a bit more casual than last year, but hopefully a more interactive experience.
We want to take every opportunity we can for community engagement on the budget. That’s why, in addition to the City’s open house, your District 3 Councilors are partnering with our neighborhood coalition Southeast Uplift to add another two budget listening sessions. Those are happening Sunday, April 26th at 2:00 pm (in person at the Mt. Scott Community Center), and Tuesday, May 5th at 6:00 pm (virtual). Keep an eye on your inbox for more details and a registration link coming next week!
We will send out an additional reminder about these town halls as we get closer to the date. For now, please feel free to email us at councilor.morillo@portlandoregon.gov with any questions you may have.
If you’re unable to attend the budget listening sessions, we still want to hear from you. Thankfully, the City Budget Office created an online feedback tool this year to receive public comments. This information will be shared with Council as we get closer to the release of the Mayor’s proposed budget on April 20th.
DSA Town Hall
I also want to share one additional event where you can engage with your elected leaders. I’m joining my District 3 colleague Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane, along with Councilors Kanal and Green, at a town hall hosted by DSA tomorrow, Friday, April 3rd.
The event will be held at Taborspace from 6:00-7:30. We will be discussing our Council priorities as they relate to topics like housing, immigration justice, labor and more.
Please note that the location for this event has changed and will now be held at Taborspace: 5441 SE Belmont St, Portland, OR 97215.
Please join us!
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Yesterday we had our work season for the Spring TAO – if you don’t know what that means, consider yourself lucky! 😉
The TAO (technical adjustment ordinance) is something Council does twice a year to make adjustments to the budget. It’s important, interesting, difficult work. In this year’s spring TAO, I continued my push for transparency, accountability and robust stewardship with our City budget – just as I did in the Fall TAO and in the 2025-2026 adopted budget. Responsible fiscal management and transparency is a major priority for me in budget negotiations. It may not make for flashy headlines, but this work ensures that Council is able to make informed decisions about how we spend our dollars.
In other news, you may have heard about the unspent housing funds that were recently uncovered by the City. I have been working closely with my colleagues at City Hall to allocate those funds to Portlanders who need it most. Along with Councilors Avalos and Green, I’ve been drafting legislation that spends $56 million for two major priorities: building new housing, and keeping people stable in their homes.
This legislation allocates housing dollars toward quick solutions that slow the inflow of our neighbors into homelessness, like rent assistance and eviction protection. But it also considers longer term solutions that stabilize our housing infrastructure, like funding for social housing and other affordable housing projects. Overall, the plan is to use one-time money for one-time needs, avoid ongoing costs the city can’t sustain, and invest in housing that will last long-term.
A status update that I’m excited to share with you is that my resolution directing the City to prioritize the Inner Eastside for All initiative passed out of committee a few weeks ago and is now on its way to the full Council. The Inner Eastside for All framework would make it legal for any residential lot from roughly 12th to 60th, Fremont to Powell, to contribute to a thriving, mixed-income, mixed-use fabric of urban neighborhoods by allowing street-scale apartment buildings. This is a commonsense development approach that supports economic growth, housing affordability, climate action, and more. Make sure to follow me on Bluesky for more updates as this moves forward.
Here are some of my favorite upcoming community events I want to share with you. It’s a great time of year to get out of the house and into District 3!
- Friday, April 3: It’s First Friday – Portland’s original art walk – and there are SO many spots to check out in District 3! Find sci-fi landscapes at Sidestreet Arts (140 SE 28th Ave), explore flora and fauna at Splendorporium (3421 SE 21st Ave), dive deep into the ocean at Witching Hour Tattoo (1960 SE Hawthorne), or make your own art at Past Lives Makerspace (2808 SE 9th Ave). Learn more at First Friday PDX – Portland’s Original Art Walk
- Saturday, April 4: This year’s Sunnyside Eggstravaganza promises to be its biggest yet, with prizes, vendors, and over 6,000 eggs to hunt. Bring the whole family! Starts at 11:30 am at Sunnyside Elementary School (3421 SE Salmon St).
- Wednesday, April 8: Celebrate Earth Month with local Latino arts and culture center Milagro (525 SE Stark)! At Tertulia with Huecha Omeyocan, artists and community members will share songs, dances, conversation, music and ceremonial practices to honor our sacred relationship with the Earth. Runs 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.
- Saturday, April 11: The infamous Ladd’s 500 is not a race – it’s a parade! Join this iconic celebration of bikes, community, and all things Portland weird at this year’s 500 lap ride around Ladd’s Circle. We’ll see you there from 10:00-5:00.
- Thursday, April 16: Join our city’s favorite team, the Portland Pickles, for a documentary covering their history as the most celebrated and unhinged collegiate wood bat team in America. Come early for your chance to meet and take pics with the iconic Dillon T. Pickle. Happening at the Pam Cut Tomorrow Theater (3530 SE Division) at 7:00 pm.
- April 20th – April 26th: Portland Pizza Week is back! I’m so excited to visit some of my old favorites (like Straight from New York on Hawthorne) and also try new pies (like the Mediterranean Mojo Lamb at Clarklewis). District 3 is rich in pizza! Click here to see the full list of participating restaurants.
- Saturday, April 25: I’m once again marching in the 82nd Ave of Roses parade, happening along 82nd Ave from Cora to Clinton around 9:30 am. Last year I had a blast meeting cowboys, fairies, clowns and marching bands who are all making our city a little bit brighter. Join us – and make sure to head down to the Sunnyside Earth Day celebration after you get some pho on 82nd!
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 The Portland Bureau of Transportation is considering updating the City’s rules for autonomous vehicles (like Waymo), and they just extended the deadline to submit comments. If you, like me, have concerns or ideas about the future of driverless cars in our city, I encourage you to read about the updates and submit your comments to pbotpolicycomments@portlandoregon.gov by April 10th.
It’s hard to follow everything that’s happening in our city, region, state and country right now. Here are some of the most interesting reports that I’ve been noodling on lately:
I’m so proud to be your City Councilor. My constituents have proven time and time again that resilience, heart, and community care are integral to the culture of District 3. It’s an honor to serve you.
As always, please reach out at any time by emailing councilor.morillo@portlandoregon.gov.
In solidarity,
Councilor Angelita Morillo
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