Chair Jessica Vega Pederson has unveiled a $3.96 billion Executive Budget for Multnomah County for the fiscal year 2024-2025, marking her first budget fully crafted under her guidance. Addressing what she calls “interwoven crises,” the budget includes a substantial 24% increase in funding to tackle homelessness, alongside a $29 million package aimed at substance use and recovery.
The spending plan put forth by Vega Pederson also strengthens community safety and accountability, pouring resources into the county's specialty courts, jails, and adult parole and probation programs. "My budget addresses some of our greatest community and workforce challenges, but it also draws on our greatest strengths: our employees, our partnerships and our shared efforts to meet these challenges,’’ Vega Pederson said in a statement. The proposal was approved in a tight 3-2 vote by the Board and will be submitted to the Tax Supervising and Conservation Commission as per Oregon law.
With nearly $4 billion in total funds, the budget outlined by Vega Pederson directs substantial efforts toward various key public services. The general fund, which sits at $886 million, will predominantly target areas such as homelessness response, behavioral health, and public safety. Despite grappling with a starting deficit due to inflationary pressures and other financial uncertainties, Vega Pederson's budget reflects targeted cutbacks in departmental budgets to address key priorities.
One of the highlighted efforts is the notable upsurge in resources dedicated to combating homelessness, with a total allocation of $285 million set for housing assistance and support services. This aligns with Vega Pederson and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler's Homeless Response Action Plan, which envisions a joint effort between governments and organizations to shelter or house an additional 2,700 people by the end of 2025. Additionally, the budget includes initiatives to respond to the fentanyl crisis and provides funding to safeguard elections including voter education for Portland's move to ranked-choice voting. The executive budget also features a consideration for public campaign finance with $1 million allocated to potentially establish a small donor matching program.
The public will have opportunities to weigh in on the budget through work sessions and public hearings scheduled over six weeks, including three hearings in May that offer virtual and in-person participation. Multnomah County's Board will convene on the budget 23 times in the upcoming weeks, with a vote to adopt the final budget slated for June 6.
