Portland faces serious public safety challenges that require sustained attention and resources. Police officers, firefighters, paramedics, Portland Street Response team members and emergency responders work every day to protect lives, respond to emergencies, investigate crimes, and keep Portlanders and our communities safe.
When someone calls 911 because their house is on fire, a loved one has stopped breathing, a friend has overdosed, or an armed person poses an immediate threat — every second matters. Our ability to respond quickly and effectively depends on adequate staffing, equipment, training and resources.
Portland is already experiencing significant public safety staffing and budget challenges. Police staffing shortages affect emergency response times and limit the availability of officers and detectives to investigate serious crimes and help deliver justice for victims and their families. Earlier this year, Portland nearly lost a fire engine at Station 22 in North Portland, and the City had to draw on financial reserves to keep it in service.
Measure 26-267 would permanently dedicate at least 2% of Portland's General Fund — approximately $16 million annually at the outset — to a new, undefined, and untested participatory budgeting program. That same General Fund supports essential public safety services, including police, fire, 911 dispatch, and Portland Street Response.
Encouraging Portlanders to participate in their city government is important, but permanently diverting General Fund dollars away from lifesaving emergency response services is the wrong way to go about it. Measure 26-267 will only make it harder to address public safety staffing shortages, improve emergency response times, investigate crimes, and prevent the loss of life.
Public safety requires dependable funding and the flexibility to respond to changing needs and emergencies. With Portland's General Fund already stretched impossibly thin, keeping Portlanders safe must remain a top priority for all of us.
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Portland Fire Fighters' Association, IAFF Local 43 Isaac McLennan, President |
Portland Police Association Aaron Schmautz, President |
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Multnomah County Deputy Sheriffs Association Josh Zwick, President |
Nathan Vasquez Multnomah County District Attorney |
