Get Engaged in our Budget Process!

A graphic outlining important dates in the annual Multnomah County budget process. Dec 6: Prepare. Feb 14: Request. April 24: Propose. May 8: Approve. June 12: Adopt

This year's budget presents a challenge: we anticipate the need to cut $22 million from our general fund on top of declining revenue from the Supportive Housing Services program, which will have impacts on the services we provide to the community. Our whole community is facing economic headwinds at a time when we know people are struggling and need support more than ever. This will require a nimble budget that connects deeply to the most pressing needs of the community members who will look to our services to fill their gaps the most.

This is also an opportunity for us to make the services we provide more streamlined and effective. We remain confident that good work that has demonstrated progress – including our expansion of shelter beds, moving thousands of people from homelessness to housing, establishing more behavioral health and addiction treatment resources, and investing in adequate staffing for our justice system – will continue to make a positive impact for our community.

Chair Jessica Vega Pederson's Priorities

Multnomah County’s budget is a moral document that speaks to what we value and why. In the development of Chair Vega Pederson’s executive budget, the primary goals are maintaining as many of Multnomah County’s services as possible and prioritizing what is most needed. Prioritizing safety and stability for our most vulnerable must be our baseline – especially those community-members who are most in need of support.

We are considering that with these other priorities in mind:

Maintaining direct services to the community, particularly focused on homelessness, behavioral health, and substance use
Eliminating disparities and emphasizing services for populations adversely affected by racism
Funding a comprehensive, fair, and accountable system of community safety at current levels
Eliminating redundancies from our service offerings and streamlining programs across every department

Get Engaged in our Budget Process

Community members are providing testimony at a public budget hearing.

To create and adopt a budget that truly reflects the values and priorities of the communities we were elected to serve, we need as much input and engagement from as many people as possible. We appreciate your engagement individually and also encourage you to share these resources with your networks, friends, family members and anyone concerned about our next steps as a community.

One easy way to provide input is by taking the Chair’s online budget survey today!

Survey responses will be reviewed by the Chair and her team, posted on our website, and used to inform the Chair’s executive budget, which will be released on April 24, 2025. All survey responses are anonymous, and this survey should take approximately 5-10 minutes.

Please consider sharing this opportunity with friends, family and other communities. We welcome your input enthusiastically. The survey is accessible in many languages.

If you would like a translated version of this survey, please send a request to: mult.chair@multco.us

Upcoming Public Budget Events

Event: Chair Jessica Vega Pederson’s Virtual Budget Town Hall and Listening Session

Date: Saturday, February 15 | 10:30am - 11:30am

Location: Virtual (link to come)

RSVP Online

Event: Multnomah County Public Budget Hearing #1

Date: Wednesday, May 14 | 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Location: Multnomah County Board Room (501 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland)

Event: Multnomah County Public Budget Hearing #2

Date: Wednesday, May 21 | 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Location: East County (location to be determined)

Event: Multnomah County Public Budget Hearing #3

Date: Wednesday, May 28 | 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Location: Virtual (link to come)

Contact your County Elected Officials

We encourage you to directly reach out to the Chair’s Office and your District Representatives to share your input, concerns, and questions related to our annual budget.