On Wednesday, the Portland City Council officially approved an expansive budget exceeding $8 billion for the upcoming year. The budget will provide increased funding for alternative shelter solutions and expand the Portland Street Response program, while simultaneously enforcing cuts to the Office of Civic Life and reducing the funding for the Portland Police Bureau compared to what the mayor had initially requested.
During an appearance on OPB’s “Think Out Loud,” Mayor Keith Wilson discussed the newly adopted budget and outlined his priorities for its execution.
**Examining the Budgeting Process**
Mayor Wilson noted the challenges faced during this budgeting process, emphasizing the need for an earlier start.
“By charter, I’m mandated to present it to council by May 5. I believe we delivered it to them just a day or two prior to that,” Wilson explained.
He indicated that the tight timeline left insufficient opportunity for council members to review the extensive documentation related to an $8.6 billion budget and make informed amendments.
“We’re going to do better next year,” he promised.
**Funding for Parks Department**
Addressing the parks department, Wilson highlighted the financial challenges, beginning with a substantial $23 million deficit.
He stated, “We were pretty darn close” to balancing this with a final budget that shows a $7 million deficit for a total $170 million bureau.
The city council was keen to emphasize maintenance programs and community centers in their budget revisions, areas Wilson also prioritized.
He remarked, “They made some changes to tree enforcement in other areas, which I thought were wise. It’s their prerogative, the area they really want to focus on, and I applaud them for that.”
**Public Safety Investments**
Turning to public safety, Wilson had initially allocated $2 million for police services in his budget proposal.
However, this funding was adjusted, as the city opted to augment resources for the already established Portland Street Response program, hiring an additional 14 individuals to cover two complete shifts.
In line with enhancing public safety measures, the Fire Department also gained increased funding for 10 more officers.
“While it’s not all for police, it’s for all the different departments. I’m happy with it,” Wilson stated.
He acknowledged the further recruiting efforts that will be necessary moving forward: “We still have to go back and ask for allotments now, which is gonna be a challenge as we move forward to continue that recruiting for police.”
**Addressing Shelter Needs**
In a bid to tackle homelessness, the new budget significantly addresses the recent commitment to fund a plan for 1,500 new shelter beds by December.
“We’ve essentially fully funded the plan,” Wilson affirmed.
He expressed optimism about the number of shelter options becoming available, stating, “We have multiple shelters getting ready to be opened now, and our target is 1,500 beds by Dec. 1. We have 164 days left.”
The mayor underscored the urgency of having this infrastructure ready before the onset of winter, emphasizing the need for immediate shelter for those in need.
“We need to make sure that we’re not going into winter with people suffering on the street. If a person wants a bed, we need to have a door ready for them,” he remarked.
As part of this strategy, there will be an enforcement of no-camping codes, but he clarified that it will be approached in a flexible manner.
“The goal is not to arrest our way out of this, because that’s a false narrative,” Wilson explained, highlighting the role of outreach workers and police to ensure individuals receive help rather than punishment.
He expressed his dissatisfaction with past actions taken by Multnomah County that involved handing out tents during critical moments: “Up until just a few weeks ago, Multnomah County was handing out tents. In a person’s worst time of need, we were fostering the behavior that we’re trying to end. I’m happy to report that they’re no longer doing that.”
***Portland Police’s Role in Protests***
Wilson addressed the police’s approach during protests at the ICE facility, noting that they intervened when there was probable cause for criminal activities, but emphasized the need to respect peaceful demonstrations.
“If we saw probable cause with criminal activity, you saw our Portland police officers go in and make targeted arrests. But then we pulled back,” he stated.
He acknowledged a change since recent years, emphasizing the need to balance maintaining public order while respecting the right to protest.
“We’ve stepped back from that, and frankly I’ve been impressed with how we’ve been able to get through these very difficult days,” he said.
**Concerns Over National Guard Deployment**
Regarding the potential deployment of National Guard troops in Portland, he labeled such actions as overreactions.
“It would be an overreaction. It would, without a doubt, be overreach,” he emphasized.
He expressed doubt about the necessity of deploying troops to manage local situations, asserting, “We have everything under control.”
**Federal Immigration Enforcement Concerns**
Concluding his discussion, Wilson expressed concern over reports of apprehensions occurring in Portland.
Alarming reports indicated federal agents had been detaining individuals at courthouses and on city streets.
“We’re a sanctuary city in a sanctuary state. What I can commit to you is we’re prohibited from assisting federal immigration enforcement, and we’re going to not assist them,” he asserted.
Wilson reassured that the city would not step back from defending its laws in face of federal overreach: “When there’s overreach, when they go too far, we’re going to fight them in the federal courts.”
image source from：opb
