Mayor Wheeler Proposes $8.2 Billion Budget for Fiscal Year 2024-25

On Friday, May 2nd2024, Mayor Wheeler releases his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2024-25 for the City of Portland. For the 2024-25 fiscal year, the City's budget totals $8.2 billion, which is collected through a variety of revenue sources. The budget funds services delivered by 6 Service Areas and over 7,000 employees. This budget is the culmination of months of dialogue and work from Council offices, City budget staff, bureau leadership and Portlanders.

Approximately 90% of the total budget is already dedicated to critical city work like construction of new parks, treating drinking water, paving streets, operating the sanitary sewer system, and building affordable housing. Though the remaining 10% of the budget is a more discretionary resource within the General Fund, the vast majority, if not all, of those funds are already committed to existing, ongoing work like police, fire, 911 emergency response services as well as daily operations of parks and recreation services.

On Tuesday, May 7th, Council will convene as the Budget Committee for a work session on the proposed budget. On Thursday, May 9th, Council will convene again as the Budget Committee for a public hearing on the proposed budget, at which time we will hold public testimony.

The full proposed budget will be released on the City Budget Office website in the afternoon on May 3^rd2024: https://www.portland.gov/cbo/2024-2025-budget/development/proposed

The list of items below identifies highlights from Mayor Wheeler's FY2024-25 proposed budget.

Public Safety

This budget fully funds public safety programs to ensure we build on our progress in becoming a safer, more livable community.

• Portland Police Bureau (PPB) is fully funded.

• PPB received an additional $5Million one-time to address overtime needs and incentive programs.
• $350,000 for auto and retail theft task force with the District Attorney's office.

• Portland Fire and Rescue (PF&R) is fully funded.

• PF&R received an additional $6Million ongoing and $4Million one-time to fund current service levels, overtime needs, and an additional 10 entry-level firefighter positions to combat future overtime issues.

• Community Health Assess and Treat (CHAT) is funded for another fiscal year by General Fund and Opioid settlement funding.
• Portland Street Response (PSR) has historically been funded with one-time dollars. This budget funds PSR with on-going dollars at their current service level to provide them with a stable foundation upon which they can grow.  
• The various initiatives housed within the Community Safety Division received an additional $4Million one-time dollars to remain fully funded within the next fiscal year. The Focused Intervention Team (FIT) and the Community Oversight Group (FITCOG), the Enhanced Community Safety Team (ECST), the Office of Violence Prevention (OVP), Rose City Defense, Safe Blocks, and Summer Ceasefire will continue leading the way to a safer, more livable community.  
• The Bureau of Emergency Communications (BOEC) is fully funded.
• The Portland Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM) received approximately $300k to fund one ongoing position to oversee severe weather response and a disaster logistics contract.

Homelessness/Livability

This budget formally establishes "Portland Solutions" as a new citywide program within the City Administrators office to address livability issues. It brings several existing program, noted below, under one umbrella to improve coordination and service delivery.

• The Temporary Alternative Shelter Sites (TASS) will receive an additional $500k one-time to pilot a program providing flexible, low-barrier workforce opportunities for individuals currently in shelter who are ready to move into housing.
• The Safe Rest Villages (SRV) will receive an additional $3Million one-time to fund operations across the 7 sites.
• The Impact Reduction Program (IRP) will receive an additional $2.6Million ongoing and $5.6Million one-time to maintain existing service levels and relieve financial impact on bureaus.
• The Street Services Coordination Center (SSCC) will receive an additional $300k one-time to maintain existing service levels.
• The Public Environment Management Office (PEMO) will receive an additional $2.5Million ongoing and $2.5Million one-time to expand services to reach each of the 4 newly established Portland districts.
• The Joint Office of Homeless Services will receive over $25Million in General Fund.
• The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability will receive an additional $1Million for graffiti removal.
• The Bureau of Transportation will receive an additional $2.2Million for green space management, graffiti removal, public plazas, Old Town entertainment district, and safety improvements.

Economic Recovery

This budget continues funding for events, expands support for small businesses, and addresses challenges within our permitting system. 

• This budget allocates funding for the Permit Improvement Team, Technology Upgrades and the establishment of the Portland Permitting & Development bureau, unifying permitting teams across the Cityto streamline and simplify permitting systems.
• The Film & Events Office received $1Million in additional one-time general funds to subsidize event funding, offer permitting support, and collaborate with diverse public events across the city.
• This budget establishes the Office of Small Business to bring programs with Prosper Portland under one umbrella to act as a centralized resource, providing the tools and support to foster and sustain the growth of small business throughout Portland. This office will have $1Million to disperse through Small Business Repair Grants.
• This budget dedicates $100Million of the Portland Clean Energy Fund over the next 5 years to the Portland Housing Bureau supporting clean emergency investments and the preservation and rehabilitation of low-income multifamily housing.

Charter Transition

• Approximately $3.3Million ongoing and $2.8Million one-time dollars were allocated within this budget to fund the new management structure, the physical infrastructure changes, and the onboarding required to ensure the City and its incoming elected officialsare ready for business January 1, 2025.
• Approximately $400k additional dollars to the base grant funds for the Diversity in Civic Leadership program to maintain the funding level they received in the previous fiscal year and allocates an additional $100k to the District Coalition Offices that support Portland's neighborhood associations as they align with the new district structure. 
• The Bureau of Human Services will receive $300,000 for the SummerWorks program.

Portland Clean Energy Fund

City Bureaus worked in close partnership with the PCEF Committee to review and approve over $600Million of City projects over the next five years that align with PCEF goals.

• Over the next five years, the following service areas will receive PCEF dollars:

• City Operations: $29Million

• Highlight: Increases the electric vehicles and support EV charging infrastructure within City Fleet.

• Community & Economic Development: $176Million

• Highlight: Funds decarbonization work and community based renewable energy as well as climate infrastructure for 82^ndAvenue and a community resilience grant program.

• Public Works: $235Million

• Highlight: Funds watershed and natural system restoration, LED streetlighting, and 82^ndAve. streettree expansion.

• Vibrant Communities: $167Million

• Highlight: Funds street tree protection and care, equitable tree canopy, efficiency upgrades for community centers.