(PORTLAND, OR.) — Portland City Council passes the Ordinance to Borrow from Fire and Police Disability and Retirement Fund in the amount of not more than $95 million amid public criticism of the council’s priorities.
The city council meeting on May 13 was marked by extensive debate, particularly concerning fiscal responsibility, public trust, and the extent of local government authority.
The session began with a pre-gavel recognition of Portland's age-friendly initiatives, highlighting community partnerships and a commitment to residents of all ages.
Video Credit: YouTube / eGov PDX
However, the mood quickly shifted as the council grappled with a packed agenda, including controversial financial items and a contentious ordinance on law enforcement identification,” OpGov.news said.
A motion to reorder the agenda to move the controversial water bond item earlier failed due to concerns about limiting public testimony.
Public commenters voiced deep frustration over rising utility rates, housing costs, and what many saw as unsustainable fiscal policies prioritizing large projects or special interests over the struggles of everyday Portlanders.
Metro G criticized Portland's issues (homelessness, addiction, $171M deficit, 203 job cuts, $27M PCEF transfer, $2.7B trade deficit). Proposed a solution to address many issues: changing pay schedules to increase payment frequency, providing more financial freedom.
Photo Credit: YouTube
“Instead of having a universal basic income, we’re changing the frequency in which people get paid, meaning people would have more financial freedom to do what they need to do in the times that they need to do it. I believe that this could be done by making a POS system that takes better accountability of people’s hours,” Metro G said.
Next, Jesse Aikens expressed annoyance with the city's morals and ethics, citing the budget, MODA Center dealings, and duplicity. Highlighted that fixed-income residents cannot afford rising utility rates, including street utility fees and gas prices.
Photo Credit: YouTube
“Why are we worried about PCEF? Why are we pulling money out of PCEF? That money should already be there. Why are we sacrificing everybody else’s cost of living for a basketball team, which we love? I’ve loved the Blazers since I was a kid. But are they really the heart of Portland, or are the people who live here the heart of Portland?” Atkins said.
James Donley argues there's a 'limit to compassion,' stating that Portland has suffered for six years trying to solve problems like homelessness and high housing costs, which he believes are created at the federal level.
Photo Credit: YouTube
“Portland has been trying to be compassionate and has been suffering for it for six years. It needs to stop. Homelessness, high housing costs, high medical costs, are all worthy problems to solve. But Portland did not create these problems. They were created by governmental problems at the federal level and ultimately can only be solved at the federal level,” Donley said.
Donley Criticizes Portland's lack of residency requirements for governmental services, deeming it unsustainable to offer more social services than other cities while allowing anyone to receive them. He urges the city to fix this.
Following public communications, City Administrator Raymond Lee gave an update on the city’s response to the federal interventions.
“The hearing actually did conclude, and there is something posted online on our website as it relates to the hearing officer releasing her decision on this on June 5th at 3 P.M. So that ruling will be released at that time,” Lee said.
Borrowings of up to $95 million for the Fire and Police Disability and Retirement Fund levy, as covered in last week’s meeting for FY2026-27 were authorized (12 Aye), without further discussion.
If you would like to add to or comment on this report, please email me at rory.h@lead4earth.org or comment below.
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