Happy Autumn! Thanks for taking some time to see what we’ve been up to here at Multnomah County. I want to acknowledge the hard work done by our Elections Division. They worked hard the weeks leading up to Election Night and beyond to make sure we had timely, accurate results on the races we were all watching.
Last Thursday, I introduced and the Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the Community Advantage Banking (CAB) Program. The objective of this program is to move some county investments to independent Oregon community banks and credit unions. In return, these institutions will focus their lending primarily to the local community and the county will earn a better interest rate on its accounts. Read more about this program.
It’s getting cold outside and our thoughts are turning to those who are struggling. Commissioners Deborah Kafoury and Barbara Willer are working with local non-profits to ensure warming centers are ready for families who need help. If you want to volunteer this holiday season, Hands On Greater Portland also has many options for community volunteering.
The county has also successfully converted from Microsoft Outlook to Google Apps for email, calendar and application services. Google Apps will save county taxpayers about $600,000 each year in licensing and other costs.
I’ve appointed Chip Lazenby as the new county attorney. Chip comes to us with long career of public service in Oregon. Chip most recently worked at the Portland State University, where he was general counsel. Read more about Chip.
Thanks again for taking time to see what’s happening at Multnomah County. Enjoy your Thanksgiving!