The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners hosted its second public hearing on the County’s Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget Wednesday, May 21.
The event drew a packed room at the Multnomah County East building in Gresham, with many attendees watching from an overflow area as they waited to testify and advocate for various services amid a significant budget deficit.
Eighty people testified in person and an additional 154 submitted written testimony.
Next year’s budget includes substantial constraints driven by the County’s largest funding gap in more than a decade. The reasons for the gap include lower-than-anticipated revenue from both Metro’s Supportive Housing Services Measure and property taxes — compounded by the unpredictability of federal funding cuts.
Chair Jessica Vega Pederson’s $4 billion proposed total budget makes difficult tradeoffs to prioritize direct services to those who rely on the County most. This includes a focus on services for children, families and people who need shelter, rent assistance, and services for substance use disorder and mental health.
“Thanks to everyone for taking time out of your life to be here and join us. We are looking forward to hearing your thoughts,” said Vega Pederson as she opened Wednesday’s hearing.
Community members advocated for a wide range of investments, including legal services, eviction prevention, employment services for people experiencing homelessness, animal services and support for youth.
They also testified in support of repairing past harm done by the County to the Chinese community. In the 1920s, Multnomah County ordered members of the Chinese community to remove buried loved ones from Block 14 of Lone Fir Cemetery, then-owned by the County, to make room for a maintenance building. At the budget hearing, community members again called upon the County to provide further funding for a memorial at the site honoring the community members affected by that decision.
Youth and family services
Representing Somali American Council of Oregon (SACOO), Khalid Ali and their colleagues requested funding for the organization’s programs, which provide supports for the Somali community ranging from assistance for victims of domestic violence to tutoring and suicide prevention.
Ali shared that SACOO works with “youth that struggle to stay on track,” recounting SACOO’s mentorship of a 16-year-old likely hanging around gangs, eventually helping him return to school.
“Today, at 19, he is a young responsible man, finishing his first year at Portland State University studying business,” Ali said. “These are not just programs. They are lifelines.”
Many speakers also supported the Successful Families program, which is facing a reduction. Elina Bedoya, a youth engagement specialist at Latino Network, spoke about the program’s community-based services and culturally rooted support for children of color ages 12 to 17 and their families. “These are life changing services that shape the futures of our children.”
Yoselyn Avalos Diaz, a participant of the Successful Families program, testified to its impact: “Middle school was really hard for me. I got bullied a lot. But when I joined Latino Network, they helped me grow mentally, emotionally and socially. I finally feel like I am not alone.”
Staff members from Self Enhancement, Inc. (SEI) advocated for eviction prevention funding. Philip Berlin, an SEI homeless housing supervisor, spoke about the urgent need: “At SEI we receive about 600 calls from families at the brink of eviction. Last year, we were only able to help 60 families. If eviction prevention is cut, we will only be able to help about 20 families.”
Berlin urged, “Please protect and expand eviction prevention funding.”
Over a dozen community members requested the County to fund Parent and Child Development Services (PCDS), which provides in-home visits, parent support, family socialization and access to social services. Claudia Lopez spoke about her almost 2-year-old daughter, who has been in the program since birth.
“I thrive off the one-on-one support I receive,” Lopez said. “My husband and I have gained more confidence by the support they have provided. I please urge you to continue funding programs like PCDS.”
Animal Services
Other community members testified about proposed reductions to Multnomah County Animal Services, which include the elimination of after-hours call centers and emergency responses. Roxanne Nygard, a long-time foster parent volunteer who has fostered 135 puppies for Animal Services, spoke about the impact: “Please maintain the after hours, including for Dove Lewis.”
Recalling an incident when Nygard used the emergency line for a puppy with labored breathing, they shared, “It breaks my heart that without this vital service, that puppy would have suffered. I urge you to maintain after hours and emergency support.”
Nygard also expressed concern that “many fosters will have to consider whether to continue fostering due to the possibility of having to pay for emergency medical services out-of-pocket for animals.”
Employment programs funded by the Homeless Services Department
Several attendees advocated for community-based employment programs funded by the Homeless Services Department. Among them was Johanna Banquero, who shared their personal journey.
“I had just lost my first job.… It was during that challenging time that I met a friend who connected me with Latino Network. Together, we created a plan that included building my resume, interview preparation and housing facilitation,” Banquero said.
“For the first time in a while I was able to breathe again.”
Nicholas Boehm with Ground Score Association, an organization providing work opportunities for those facing employment and housing insecurity, advocated for investments in programs like G.L.I.T.T.E.R (Ground Score Leading Inclusively Together Through Environmental Recovery).
“We have 47 amazing workers,” Boehm said, noting that “more than 80% of our workers begin as homeless. We’re different from traditional employers because we offer immediate employment.”
Boehm warned against the proposed cuts, saying, “We are facing a complete cut to our funding.… Fourteen people or more will suddenly lose their job and may become houseless again.… Cutting it now is not the right decision in my opinion.”
Legal services
Nearly a dozen public defense representatives urged the County to continue funding legal services, including case management, peer support and eviction defense. Those services can either help prevent more people from falling into homelessness or assist those experiencing homelessness return to housing.
Cierra Carlson, a full-time case manager at Metro Public Defender, read a client’s personal testimony: “‘My first experience with Cierra came when I was incarcerated.… I specifically remember that a lot of this decision regarding my release was based on the release plan presented.”
Reflecting on an extensive release plan they worked on together, the client wrote, “Cierra and I have created a genuine bond and I am currently in treatment. This is the first time in years that I have been off the streets and have my own place to live. I hope you will see the significant impact this program has had on my life.”
Alejandro Reyes also advocated for protecting funding for legal services, sharing their personal experience assisting families with asylum and work permit applications.
“One family had been in the country for a year, and we were able to file their application under their one-year deadline,” Reyes said. “And months later they were able to apply for their work permit and finally they were able to work. Without the funding, they would have missed their filing date and been sent back to their country.
“Please protect and expand this vital program.”
Lone Fir Cemetery
Community member Jenell Theobald requested approval of a formal apology resolution and sufficient funding for a memorial at Lone Fir Cemetery. The historic burial site was the final resting place for many Chinese immigrant workers who arrived in the United States near the turn of the 20th century. After Multnomah County purchased the cemetery in the 1920s, it ordered the Chinese community to remove the remains of their family members from a portion of the cemetery called Block 14 to make way for a County maintenance building.
Decades later, in 2007, extensive research and advocacy by the Chinese community led to the discovery of additional remains who were never disinterred at the site.
Theobald urged the County to “honor, understand and to work with Metro to amend these past harms and make sure that we do not repeat our past mistakes.”
East County Homelessness Resource Center
Local officials from Gresham voiced concerns regarding the proposed East County Homelessness Resource Center, intended to provide a village-style shelter and day services including housing support. Gresham City Councilor Cathy Keathley testified, “Gresham has a smaller population of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness than nearly anywhere in the county… Greater needs exist elsewhere.”
Other city councilors expressed concern about the proposed Rockwood neighborhood location and what they perceived as a lack of consultation and coordination from the County throughout the planning process.
Two Gresham City Council members previously offered support for the facility in September when the Board of Commissioners approved funding to continue with construction.
Next steps
Chair Vega Pederson reminded community members the form to submit written testimony or sign up to speak at a budget hearing, available in multiple languages, remains open throughout the budget process. It can be found at multco.us/budget-feedback. Alternatively, community members can email their comments to the Board Clerk at boardclerk@multco.us.
A virtual-only hearing on Wednesday, May 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. will be the final community hearing before the Board votes on the budget Thursday, June 12. The Board will also continue to hold detailed public work sessions with County departments and offices.
Learn more about the budget process at: multco.us/budget-feedback
Watch the full budget hearing here.
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