The Portland City Council has made a controversial decision to divert $1.9 million in new police funding, opting instead to bolster parks maintenance in a narrow vote that highlights ongoing tensions over law enforcement in the city.
Councilor Steve Novick, who expressed a willingness to broker a compromise, suggested that both public safety and parks funding could coexist in a revised budget.
The vote came after an intense, late-night debate among council members that revealed deep fractures over the role of the police in the city’s recovery following several challenging years.
Supporters of the amendment, led by Novick and other councilors, argued that the cut represented a minor adjustment to a police budget that suffers from 91 unfilled positions.
Opponents countered that the decision could hinder progress in reducing crime rates and delay emergency response times, sending a poor message to residents about the council’s commitment to public safety.
As tensions escalated during the meeting, councilors began to question each other’s motives, further complicating an already fraught discussion.
After the lengthy session, which concluded a grueling 12 hours of deliberation on the city’s $8.5 billion budget, various stakeholders began voicing their concerns and potential responses.
Jon Isaacs, Vice President of Public Affairs for the Portland Metro Chamber, signaled that the chamber might back an increased Parks Levy, but firmly stipulated that any support would hinge on reversing the recent cut to police funding.
“The chamber is open to a potential Parks Levy increase if it is explicitly to fund parks maintenance, safety, cleanliness, and modernization of parks operations,” Isaacs stated.
He expressed frustration over the late-night vote that resulted in a $2 million cut to police staffing, making clear that any fruitful discussion about a Parks Levy would first require restoring police funding.
Councilor Novick, who ultimately supported the measure, positioned himself as a potential mediator, noting in conversations with the chamber that their support for a Parks Levy might depend on police budget discussions.
“They said they’re not inalterably opposed to an increased Parks Levy, but they suggested that their support for a levy might be conditional on discussions about the police budget,” Novick explained, despite raising the ire of Councilor Angelita Morillo, who chastised him for being influenced by a single conversation.
Novick has expressed readiness to negotiate with the chamber if it means preventing significant cuts to parks maintenance.
“If I think that parks is going to be in better shape if we make a deal with the chamber than if we don’t, then I’m prepared to make it,” he stated.
Mayor Keith Wilson voiced his concerns the morning after the vote, stressing that the $1.9 million amendment could impede recruiting efforts for new law enforcement personnel.
He assured that the Police Bureau would assess the ramifications of the council’s decision on its critical missions.
In an unusual move, Mayor Wilson had reached out to the community just before the budget session, urging residents to reject any funding cuts to the Police Bureau.
“Your City Council will vote on the budget tomorrow that will impact you and your family,” he stated in the release.
Wilson emphasized the importance of public safety, pointing to support from local sports teams and a significant percentage of residents advocating for adequate law enforcement staffing.
The Portland Trail Blazers and the Timbers had previously signed a letter addressing councilors, urging them not to cut public safety funding.
In stark contrast, supporters of the council’s decision celebrated the reallocation of funds, including the Portland chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.
Olivia Katbi, a co-chair of the DSA steering committee, declared that the vote was about reallocating a proposed increase in the police budget to enhance parks maintenance, not a cut per se.
“Framing it as a cut to the police budget is willfully misleading the public,” she asserted.
Katbi commended the efforts of DSA councilors who fought for budget allocations that prioritize parks, community centers, and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure.
Meanwhile, a poll funded by downtown real estate mogul Greg Goodman indicated that a majority of Portland residents would back a ballot measure aimed at mandating a specific number of police officers.
Goodman remarked that while it was premature to speculate on the implications of the recent vote, it signaled a need for action aligning with public sentiment.
“What you’ve had is a group of city councilors take it upon themselves to do something that the populace disagrees with them on,” Goodman stated.
As Powell and other local leaders navigate the future of public safety and urban maintenance, the debates within Portland’s City Council reflect broader discussions around resource allocation and community needs.
image source from：https://www.wweek.com/news/city/2025/05/22/novick-seeks-to-strike-a-deal-with-the-portland-metro-chamber-to-fund-both-parks-and-police/
