PORTLAND, Ore. — The Your Two Cents campaign texted Portland voters over the weekend mocking warnings about cuts to city services, including Portland Fire & Rescue, by saying critics of Measure 26-267 “want you to believe that your house could burn down” if the measure passes. The text claims that such warnings about cuts to city services are made up, and “would almost be funny.”
“There’s nothing funny about a house fire,” said Isaac McLennan, President of Portland Fire Fighters’ Association, IAFF Local 43. “Firefighters respond to them. We carry people out of them. Some of us have lost fellow firefighters to them. The Your Two Cents campaign should be ashamed of this. You don’t have to agree with firefighters about Measure 26-267 to know that house fires aren’t a punchline.’
Portland firefighters have opposed Measure 26-267 since the campaign began. The measure would amend the city charter to require at least 2% of General Fund discretionary ongoing expenses, an estimated $16.4 million in FY 2027–28 and growing, for a new participatory budgeting program. It identifies no dedicated funding source.
“Earlier this year, Portland nearly lost the fire engine at Station 22 in St. Johns,” McLennan said. “We fought to keep it, and the City had to pull from tax reserves to save it. That’s the reality of Portland’s budget crisis. Measure 26-267 adds a permanent $16 million spending mandate on top of it, with no plan to pay for it. That means fewer firefighters, slower response times, and more fire stations at risk. That’s not a scare tactic. It’s math.”
Proponents have identified no new funding for the measure’s mandatory budget set-aside, yet insist it won’t cause cuts to existing services. All three Portland editorial boards disagreed, citing the city’s constrained budget in recommending a no vote:
The measure “would likely force cuts in a city that just slashed jobs and services to make up a $170 million shortfall” and would “inevitably translate into fewer police officers, less parks maintenance and more crumbling streets,” the Oregonian wrote on September 27.
The measure “carves out precious discretionary dollars for pilot projects at a time when the city can barely fund basic services like parks, trash pickup and firefighters,” wrote Willamette Week on October 14, calling the risk of adding $16 million to a deficit of more than $100 million “a foolhardy idea.”
“Our biggest concern is about funding the program on a budget with little room to spare,” wrote the Portland Mercury on October 14.
“Portland firefighters aren’t making anything up,” McLennan said. “We’ve been saying this since day one, and now every editorial board in town agrees: Vote no on 26-267.”
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Measure 26-267 would permanently dedicate at least 2% of Portland's General Fund to a new participatory budgeting program, diverting millions of dollars annually from the fund that supports essential city services, including police, fire, 911 dispatch, Portland Street Response, parks, and other services Portland residents depend on.
Protect Our City Services is a labor-led coalition of unions, public safety organizations, community leaders, and elected officials urging Portland voters to reject Measure 26-267. The coalition includes SEIU Local 49; Northwest Oregon Labor Council, AFL-CIO; Portland Fire Fighters' Association; Portland Police Association; Columbia Pacific Building and Construction Trades Council; IBEW Local 48; UA Local 290; Ironworkers Local 29; and the Portland Metropolitan Association of REALTORS®. Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and six members of Portland City Council have also joined workers in opposing Measure 26-267.
For more information about the campaign, visit www.ProtectOurCityServices.org.
