Multnomah County Chair Jeff Cogen said Thursday that his proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year maintains essential services despite the ongoing challenges of a struggling economy.
“The tough economy continues to increase the needs for all too many people in this community,” Cogen told his colleagues on the county Board of Commissioners. “But I am happy to report that despite these challenges, this year’s budget maintains critical services for Multnomah County residents.”
“It does so by doing what we’ve done in recent budgets: Use the challenges we face to find opportunities to work better -- and smarter than before,” Cogen said in his budget message to the board. “Basically, we’re making budget decisions the same way families do -- by focusing on the essentials.”
The chair’s budget message for the 2013 fiscal year outlined those county essentials as caring for vulnerable people; nurturing diversity and equity; keeping people safe; reducing costs and spending money wisely; investing in the future; increasing sustainability; and working with the county’s many community partners.
He cited those community partners -- cities, school districts and hundreds of nonprofits -- as keys to ensuring that the county can preserve essential services and build on existing gains.
Cogen also spotlighted the sacrifices and smarts of county employees, many of whom have taken wage and cost-of-living-adjustment freezes that enable the county to continue funding services.
“Without your help, we would not be able to fund the services we funded in this budget.” Cogen said.
The chair encouraged people wanting to learn more highlights about his proposed budget to read his entire budget message FY 2013 Proposed Vol 1- Chair's Message (51.9 KB) or to read the complete budget.
The entire board is scheduled to vote May 31 on adoption of the budget after a series of public presentations by county departments and public hearings.
The complete calendar of public budget events is here.
Three public hearings are scheduled, each beginning at 6 p.m.:
- May 9 in the Sharron Kelley Room of the East County Building, 600 N.E. 8th St. in Gresham
- May 16 in the first-floor board room of the Multnomah Building, 501 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd. in Portland
- May 23 at the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization, 10301 N.E. Glisan St. in Portland
Residents planning on attending these public hearings are encouraged to fill out their public testimony forms Public Testimony Form (470.47 KB) ahead of time.
The county Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 after hearing Cogen’s budget message on May 3 to submit the proposed budget to the Tax Supervising and Conservation Commission, as required by Oregon law.