BALLOT TITLE
Caption: Amends Charter: Portland residents decide 2% of city’s annual discretionary budget.
Question: Should Portland create participatory budgeting program for residents to make binding decisions to spend 2% of city’s discretionary budget?
Summary: Currently, Mayor works with City Administrator, bureaus, and community to develop proposed budget; Council then considers, amends as needed and adopts following public hearings. If measure is not approved, this process would not change.
If measure approved, amended Charter would require Council to allocate an amount equivalent to at least 2% of the city’s adopted General Fund discretionary ongoing expenses (Council may identify funding from entire city budget to meet funding obligation) towards a participatory budgeting program that is:
- Developed with input from oversight committee, selected by a process determined by Council, of residents from all Council districts
- Open to any resident’s funding proposals for citywide or district projects:
- Proposals assessed and refined into limited number of feasible projects by city staff and budget delegates from all districts in a transparent process
- Feasible projects advance to binding selection process open, accessible to all residents
- Operational July 2027
- Under recent forecast, preliminary estimate:
- 16.4 million in FY 2027-28
- 17.0 million in FY 2028-29
- Compliant with Oregon Local Budget Law
Other provisions.
Submitted by:
Louise Hansen, City Elections Officer
City of Portland