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Dear Neighbor,
Portlanders deserve a budget that prioritizes services and protects the people who deliver them.
The mayor’s proposed FY 2026-27 budget would cut over 100 city jobs and reduce essential services in parks, public safety, victim support, maintenance, and customer service. That’s not a choice I can support.
That’s why I have joined Councilors Candace Avalos and Mitch Green to introduce the Services First Amendment (Green-Avalos-Morillo 1) – to restore critical services and protect frontline workers.
The amendment uses $16 million in earned PCEF interest and other available funds to:
- Help save 96 city jobs from being lost.
- Bring back frontline public safety, support for victims, well-kept parks, and responsive 311 services.
- Maintain essential programs and community services across the city.
- Restore critical fire & rescue staffing and emergency response capacity.
- Create an office of Immigration Affairs position to support immigrant and refugee communities.
Why it matters:
We should not be cutting essential services and experienced staff when available resources can keep them in place. This amendment restores core services, adds accountability through reporting and oversight, and gives the council time to evaluate long-term impacts.
The funding comes from legally available PCEF interest income that is not tied to existing programs and does not reduce approved climate investments.
Portlanders deserve a government that maintains parks, responds to emergencies, supports survivors, answers calls for help, and respects the workers who keep this city running.
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