Council restores $12 million for police, fire, and transportation

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Portland City Council voted 10-2 yesterday to use $10 million from the City's contingency fund and $2 million from other sources to restore cuts to police, firefighters, transportation, water, parks, and other services in the 2026-27 budget.

The supplemental budget maintains 30 positions that were set to be discontinued, including public safety support specialists, desk clerks, and 311 call takers. It also restores money for emergency rescue teams and police training.

The vote followed some complicated legislative maneuvers, including several competing proposals and amendments that deadlocked on 6-6 tie votes.

The supplemental budget allocates $4.5 million to the Portland Police Bureau, $1.7 million to Portland Fire & Rescue, $1 million to the Portland Bureau of Transportation, and smaller sums to support city operations, water, environmental services, parks, equity, and other services.

It also returns $1.75 million to the business license tax reserve fund and extends benefits to employees who are being laid off through September.

These are one-time funds that will expire at the end of the fiscal year.

Read the text of the supplemental budget

Last month, facing a record shortfall of $170 million in the general fund, the Council adopted a budget of $8.5 billion that maintained critical services while making painful cuts. The budget kept open all Portland's 31 fire stations, 157 parks, 11 community centers, and 11 swimming pools. It also kept all Portland police officers and investigators on the job.

The budget also made sharp reductions to many city programs, including homeless shelters, parks, and police support staff, cutting about 100 City employees from the payroll. Yesterday's supplemental budget restores 30 positions, meaning that about 70 employees will be laid off.

Read a press release about the supplemental budget.