Steve Novick: City budget hearing — possible proposals to be aware of

Greetings!

I hope this message finds you well. As you know, City Council is currently reviewing and proposing amendments to the Mayor’s proposed 2026-27 budget. On Friday, May 15, Councilors’ proposed amendments to the budget will become public. On May 18, from 9:30 to 5, the public will be able to provide testimony on the Mayor’s budget and proposed amendments. We don’t have the link to sign up for public testimony yet; Jeff (cc’d) will send it out on Friday.

I am proposing to restore some positions and services, primarily in public safety, by cutting the City Council’s office budgets and proposed additions to the City Administrator’s office. We have reason to believe that some Councilors are likely to propose dramatic cuts to the City’s Public Environment Management Office (PEMO) and Impact Reduction Program (IRP). So if you have any particular interest in those programs, you might want to sign up to testify. We will have a better sense of what proposals are coming after Friday, and will update you.

Many of you may have worked with PEMO and IRP. But for those of you who haven’t, PEMO is a City office tasked with working to make our streets and public spaces are safe and clean. PEMO’s Problem Solvers Network partners with groups across the city to identify areas/locations of concern (such as public camping, graffiti, abandoned vehicles, etc.) and then staff coordinates across the bureaus on responses. PEMO also helps activate public spaces with murals to reduce and deter graffiti, and installs tree lighting along business corridors.

Some councilors seem to think that PEMO is a kind of insider’s club that only helps certain well-connected people and groups, so they think it should be cut.

IRP, meanwhile, does trash pickup at campsites and removes the campsites that pose the highest risk to health, safety and livability. It also provides referrals to those in need of resources and job opportunities. Some councilors believe camp removals are generally a bad idea—and want to cut funding.

Again, if you’d like to provide testimony on these programs (or any other budget item), you can submit a written comment (submit here) anytime between now and next Monday’s City Budget Committee Meeting (May 18 at 9:30am). To provide oral testimony, you can register once the agenda for next week’s meeting is released this Friday, May 15 (staff from my office will follow up with a link).

Best,

Steve Novick

Lynott, Jeff Jeff.Lynott@portlandoregon.gov

1:41 PM (3 hours ago)

to Councilor, Spencer, Jeff, Katie

Hello,

Thanks for your interest in the 2026-27 budget. In following up on the previous email from Councilor Novick (see below), I want to share the link for signing up to provide public testimony at Monday’s (May 18th) City Council / Budget Committee meeting. If you’re interested in providing testimony on programs like PEMO or IRP (or any other budget items) you can sign up to do so here: Register for testimony or submit written testimony to Council | Portland.gov.

Many thanks,

Jeff Lynott (he/him)

Community Relations

Councilor Steve Novick

District 3, City of Portland

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Steve Novick: City budget hearing — possible proposals to be aware of

Lynott, Jeff <Jeff.Lynott@portlandoregon.gov>

Lynott, Jeff Jeff.Lynott@portlandoregon.gov