Multnomah County Home

The continuing need to provide food for struggling families prompted Multnomah County’s Board of Commissioners on Thursday to allocate $100,000 to help those residents still reeling from the Great Recession.

The board’s unanimous vote expands the food purchasing capacity of the Oregon Food Bank’s Multnomah County food distribution system in zip codes with a high percentage of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation. [Read more]

Multnomah County Chair Marissa Madrigal announced on Friday a proposal with the city of Portland and several school districts to work together on expanded funding for the Schools Uniting Neighborhoods system.

In addition to announcing the collaborative proposal on SUN schools with Portland Mayor Charlie Hales during her State of the County address, Madrigal also told a City Club of Portland audience that the county and city will jointly fund services for victims of sexual exploitation and share the cost of short-term rent assistance to prevent people from becoming homeless.

[Read more]

Multnomah County and the City of Portland released a two-part document detailing the City/County strategy for dealing with the region’s expected significant climate changes, including warmer, wetter winters and hotter, drier summers. The agencies seek public comment on the documents now through Friday, April 11.

The Climate Change Preparation Strategy: Risk and Vulnerabilities Assessment provides an overview of the science and a more detailed review of the potential impacts to human and natural systems, including infrastructure, public health, and plants and animals. [Read more]

Nearly 7,000 miles from his current job in Multnomah County, Michael Grimmett learned a lesson nearly three decades ago in Sierra Leone that guides his career and life to this day.

Grimmett, the Multnomah County Department of Community Services’ new ombudsman, was a Peace Corps volunteer in the west African nation in the mid-1980s trying to persuade an older farmer to try a new growing method for rice.

The subsistence farmer politely told Grimmett that he appreciated the help but that if the new method didn’t work, he had no way to feed his children for the next year. [Read more]

News and Announcements

Public health officials investigate severe infection that claimed Central Catholic student

3/6/14 - 9:49 am

Public health officials in Multnomah and Clackamas counties are investigating the sudden illness that claimed a 17-year-old high school student in the Portland area on March 4, 20014.

Tell Multnomah County Board of Commissioners how to spend tax dollars

3/4/14 - 3:44 pm

For more than a decade Multnomah County has made reductions to the general fund it uses to pay for services. While some reductions will continue to take place this year, some limited funding is available to minimally expand some services or improve critical infrastructure.

Multnomah Youth Commission hosts 3rd Annual Rob Ingram Youth Summit Against Violence on April 5

2/25/14 - 3:45 pm

The Multnomah Youth Commission will focus on gang/police, school, and sexual/dating violence during its 3rd Annual Rob Ingram Youth Summit Against Violence from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 5 at the Ambridge Event Center, 1333 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland.

Board of Commissioners marks Black History Month

2/20/14 - 4:21 pm

With a special emphasis on the importance of voting rights, Multnomah County’s Board of Commissioners adopted a proclamation Thursday to mark February as Black History Month in the county.

Department of Community Justice first in Oregon to tap into federal money for juvenile programs

2/20/14 - 4:00 pm

Multnomah County will become the first county in Oregon to tap into federal money that will allow its Department of Community Justice to support its philosophy of keeping and treating more juvenile offenders in their community.

More news

About Multnomah County

Population: Approximately 748,000 residents (the most populous of Oregon's 36 counties)

Geography: 465 square miles (the smallest of Oregon's counties)

Cities: Fairview, Gresham, Maywood Park, Portland, Troutdale, Wood Village

County Employees: About 4,400 people.

Functions: Services for seniors and disabled people, animal services, assessment and taxation, bridges, community justice, courts, elections, health, jails, libraries, marriage licenses and passports, school and community partnerships.

Elected officials: Four commissioners elected to the board by district. Elected countywide are a board chair, sheriff, district attorney and auditor.

Weekly board meetings: At 9:30 a.m. Thursdays, first-floor board room, 501 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd.

County History: Created on Dec. 22, 1854 and named after native people in the region.