The 2024 was around $7.2 billion, but due to double counting involving beginning fund balances, contingency funds, and inter governmental transfers the real budget is only around $4.5-5 billion.1 I currently have about $1 billion of budget cuts based on the 2024 budget, and possibly $100's of millions more. This is just the beginning as I have only studied the city budget a limited amount. I will work on increasing transparency of budgets. I will also work with the county government to decrease their budgets.
Portland Housing Bureau - The Portland Housing Bureau's budget is currently around $320 million. This money is supposedly used on different ways of making housing affordable, but is not very effective. I will further analyze the budget and make cuts, and introduce more efficient affordable housing, mainly government owned housing which does not require tax payer subsidies as it simply utilizes more efficient business models.
Capital Projects - Capital projects refer to single time investments, generally infrastructure or equipment. Based on 2024 budget I was able to find $556,295,000 budget Cuts, and $365,234,000 more possible budget cuts. Possible budget cuts just refers to budget cuts I would need more information about before making. A detailed list of example capitol projects I would cut from 2024's budget can be found HERE. There also many projects that had inflated costs, so savings could be even further increased once we analyze costs of approved projects. Some costs were up to 20 timers higher then market based prices when lloking at costs per sq ft. The new Farragut park basketball court for example was quoted at $350,000 where basketball courts only cost $15,000-20,000 to build. The new old town skate park that is being planned is quoted at $15 million, where skate parks of the same size only cost 1.5 million based on market rates. The new libraries that were built cost 10 times higher then market rates. Where this money is going is uncertain, whether it is higher pay, higher profits, or unecessary hiring of extra companies, past contracts should be anaylzed and compared to private contracts, in order start creating bettere estimates for future contracts.
In order to get the capitol projects budget under control all projects will have to be checked off individually by the city council. Currently the agencies are just assigned a budget, and they choose to spend the money how they desire. With the new system the different agencies will propose projects to the council, ideally in groups, once a year or so. Or a public disclosed database can be created, where all project proposals can be listed with there estimated costs, and the city council and mayor can go through them every ever so often. Once a project has been iniatally approved, then costs will be fully analyzed. After this the projects will then just pend until final approval, which may happen sooner or later. The city may just have lists of approved projects on lay a way, and then when the city feels it is is appropriate within their budget, they make the finall approval. It is possible construction workers can continued to get paid higher rates if their cut of the increased prices are minimal.
Government Employee Pay - I will investigate employee pay and make sure that average pay per hour is equivalent to what it is in the private. Taxes are not meant to enrich government employees at the expense of private employees. There will be a transition into this if there is a difference in pay.
Government Employee Retirement Pensions - I will investigate employee pensions and make sure that average payout is equivalent to what it is in the private. Public pensions have shown to be almost double compared to private pensions.2 There will be a transition into this if there is a difference in payout.
Community Police Oversight System - I will eliminate the new Community Police Oversight System and keep the old Independent Police Review. The budget of the new system in 2020 was projected to be around $13 million while the old one was $3 million.3 Adjusted for inflation current budgets are probably somewhere around $17 million and $4 million. $4 million is already a significant budget for a city that only averages around 3-4 police involved shootings a year.4 Cutting the new system will save us around $15 million a year. I will keep other aspects of the bill such as transparency of bureau files and the ability to subpoena officers. The new police oversight system also has an undemocratic process of selecting the oversight committee.
New City Council Structure - The new city council structure is estimated to cost $13 million more a year to operate.5 Cutting it will save us that amount. We will transition into the new system I have as described in my other policy section.
County Elections Division - The current elections division budget is $8.5 million.6 I will work with them on decreasing their budget by possibly adopting internet based voting, eliminating special elections in the spring etc.
Multnomah County Libraries - The expenditure only budget of Multnomah County Libraries in 2024 was $110 million7 while total checkouts was 17 million.8 This creates a real cost of $6.5 per item checked out. I will work to increase efficiency of the Libraries in several ways. I will cut several libraries including Kenton, Albina, Gregory Heights, Northwest 23rd, Fairview, Sellwood, Woodstock, and Capitol Hill. This by itself should cut the budget in half. We can start charging a small out of pocket cost of $1 a book, while leaving e-books free. This will encourage the use of e-books which should be more cost efficient. We can cut fiction adult books from library purchases, as adults should only be reading non-fiction. This would save some expenditures. I will work further on increasing efficiency of services and decreasing employees. Overall savings should be at least $50 million a year. All further new library construction that is planned for this coming year will also be halted.
New Levee Bond (Measure 26-243) - The new levee bond was for $150 million and goes to several projects to increase flood safety.9 Some of these projects were required by the federal government while some of them were not. I will cut out unnecessary projects such as flood restoration and raising the levees, as flooding isn't really a concern with the current system. Exact decisions will be made later.
Burnside Bridge Replacement - I will halt the construction of the new Burnside Bridge. This will save us $900 million. The Sellwood bridge and Tilikum Bridge are both earthquake proof.10
Halt Moda Center Rennovations - A waste of money. Will work to remove adam silver from league commissioner.
Halt Ida B. Wells Demolition - A waste of money. The reconstruction is way over priced.
Small Donors Elections Program - The small donors elections programs is currently costing up to $4 million an election. The programs uses tax money to fund campaigns for candidates, and only rewards people if they are able to receive donations from over 750 individuals. Essentially rewarding well connected established candidates. Cutting this will save us up to $4 million an election.11
Environmental Services - My plan is to drill holes in curbs in order to siphon water into the grassy area between the sidewalk and curb known as the furnishing zone. Private property owners can then design their furnishing zones in a way that can trap water such as listed HERE.12 This should decrease operation costs of bureau of environmental services as there will be less storm water to be treated. I will work with the Bureau of Environmental Services to further analyze this plan and the costs. The current budget of the Bureau of Environmental Services is around $500 million not including contingency, debt services and transfers.13
Ankle Monitors and Red Light Cameras - Ankle monitors and red light cameras I believe are often monitored by the private, and is done inefficiently. I will ensure the police runs these operations directly and it is done efficiently.
Mental Health Services, Drug Rehab, and Homeless Out Reach - Both of these services currently have budgets in the tens of millions as far as I am aware. Both of these services are not very efficient or effective. Mental health clinics are often extremely expensive costing $2,000 per day per resident on average nationally, and over $4,000 in Oregon, and also force people on drugs.14 An easy way to quickly decreases costs of mental health clinics is to have the county asseors work on weekends. Often times patients are in clinics over the weekend simply due to assesors not working, this costs tax payers an extra 8,000 per patient. The new homeless shelters will have counselors and therapists there to work with the homeless. If there are actual emergencies people can go to the hospital where professionals will take care of them temporarily. Homeless outreach is also generally pretty ineffective, the city generally just has people go out and talk to the homeless if there is a report called in. With the new RV parks we will have some outreach go out there to serve them. As far as reports of homeless, I will work with the police and once new shelters are built they will generally just be moved in there, for now we will just have the homeless return to their camp or a shelter depending on what they prefer. I will work on decreasing both these budgets overtime. Drug rehab is also run inefficiently costing around $600 a day per patient.15
Eliminate Clean Air Fund - The clean air fund currently brings in around $100 million.6 The issue with this fund is that the 1% tax is inequitable as it is a tax on revenue instead of profit. Profit margins greatly differ depending on the company so when you tax revenue your essentially taxing companies at different rates. For example a company with a 3% profit margin getting taxed 1% of their revenue is paying 33% of their profits. A company with a 30% profit margin getting taxed 1% of their revenue is paying 3.33% of their profits. The money is also being spent in an inefficient way as Portland does not have the greatest clean energy potential, renewable energy is better rolled out at the state level.
Portland Parks and Rec - There are also a lot of jobs within Portland parks and rec that are fake such as park rangers, event coordinators, sometimes extra staffing at community centers. I will go through the Portland parks and rec staff and make cuts as appropriate.
Portland Deisgn Commission - The agency has a budget of $8.5 million and doesn't seem to serve any actual purpose, it just adds unecessary steps. Will cut the design commission, any necessary duties will be assinged to other agencies
Other budget cuts - Will analyze every agency thoroughly, interview employees as well as people in the private who use the agency.
1 Adopted Budget City of Portland, Oregon Fiscal Year 2023-24 Volume One Citywide Summaries and Bureau Budgets (Page 43) Retrieved from https://www.portland.gov/cbo/2023-2024-budget/documents/fy-2023-24-adopted-budget-volume-1-citywide-summaries-and-bureau/download
2 Ann C. Foster. Public and Private Sector Defined Benefit Pensions: A Comparison. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Page 5) Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/mlr/cwc/public-and-private-sector-defined-benefit-pensions-a-comparison.pdf
3 OPB. Portland Moves Toward Adopting New Police Oversight System While City Council is Lukewarm About Changes. Retrieved from https://www.opb.org/article/2023/08/17/portland-oregon-police-oversightsystem/#:~:text=The%20measure%20guarantees%20a%20budget, of%20the%20future%20department's%20budget.
4 Officer Involved Shootings Summaries. Retrieved from https://www.portland.gov/police/open-data/ois-summaries
5 Sophie Peel. Leading the New Form of Government Will Cost City $13 Million More Annually, New Estimates Show. Willamette Week. Retrieved from https://www.wweek.com/news/city/2023/10/23/organization-of-new-form-of-government-will-cost-25-million-annually-new-estimates-show/
6 Multnomah County FY 2025 Volume 2 Adopted Budget Complete Document.pdf. (Page 173) Retrieved from https://multco-web7-psh-files-usw2.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/FY%202025%20Volume%202%20Adopted%20Budget%20%20Complete%20Document.pdf
7 Retrieved from https://www.tsccmultco.com/wp-content/uploads/MultCo-Library-FY-24-Budget-Review.pdf
8 Retrieved from https://multcolib.org/news-facts#:~:text=In%20Fiscal%20Year%202023%2D2024,more%20than%201.1%20million%20holds.
9 Retrieved from https://www.multco.us/elections/measure-26-243-bonds-upgrade-levees-floodwalls-water-pumps-natural-floodplain-restoration
10 Retrieved from https://www.constructiondive.com/news/burnside-bridge-portland-earthquake-ready/697552/#:~:text=Multnomah%20County%2C%20Oregon%20chose%20its,the%20heart%20of%20the%20city.
11 Retrieved from https://www.portland.gov/smalldonorelections/match-cap-changes
12 Retrieved from https://www.portland.gov/ppd/publicworks/managing-rain-your-property
13 Retrieved from https://www.portland.gov/cbo/2023-2024-budget/documents/bureau-environmental-services-fy2023-24-0/download#:~:text=Focusing%20on%20FY%202023%2D24,plans%20to%20spend%20%24184.9%20million.
14 Retrieved from https://amfmtreatment.com/cost/residential/#:~:text=If%20you%20don't%20have, a%20typical%2030%2Dday%20program
15 Retrieved from https://www.addicted.org/paying-for-treatment/cost/oregon/