Get Engaged in our Budget Process!

Infographic description: A timeline graphic titled "Multnomah County Budgeting Timeline" shows the process in five stages with key dates and actions. Stage 1: DEC. 6 - PREPARE (Yellow circle with a pencil icon) Details: General Fund Forecast; Budget Manual; Chair's Policy Guidance; Internal Service Rates Assigned to: ALL DEPARTMENTS Duration: 10 weeks Stage 2: FEB. 14 - REQUEST (Orange circle with a document with lines icon) Details: Departments prioritize reductions, reallocations, and new requests. Assigned to: ALL DEPARTMENTS Duration: 10 weeks Stage 3: APRIL 24 - PROPOSE (Magenta circle with a megaphone icon) Details: Balanced budget released for Board to begin public deliberation. Assigned to: COUNTY CHAIR Duration: 2 weeks Additional notes: Preliminary Work Sessions Stage 4: MAY 8 - APPROVE (Blue circle with a check mark icon) Details: Board review: first opportunity for amendments; 10% rule applies after approval. Assigned to: COMMISSIONERS Duration: 5 weeks Additional notes: Department Work Sessions; Public Hearings Stage 5: JUNE 12 - ADOPT (Teal circle with a handshake icon) Details: Department and Board amendments; budget notes; resolutions; TSCC hearing. Assigned to: COMMISSIONERS

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.

Watch Chair Jessica Vega Pederson’s Virtual Budget Town Hall

Upcoming Public Budget Events

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.