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Photo: Councilor Ryan during an April 22, 2026 visit to Fire Station 13 in the Lloyd District.
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What's been on my mind this week
2026-27 public safety ride-alongs, pt. 3: Portland Fire & Rescue
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I connect one-on-one with the City of Portland's public safety bureaus and offices in advance of every budget cycle. These annual ride-alongs provide me with the perspective I need in advance of budget season.
My third ride-along in preparation for 2026-27 budget deliberations was this past Wednesday, April 22 with the firefighters at Portland's Station 13—located at NE Weidler Street and NE 10th Avenue just north of Lloyd Center. My Chief of Staff Kezia Wanner and I were able to join the team to for a ride-along and for the station's crew dinner. I remain inspired by and thankful for these skilled first-responders who are committed to keeping Portlanders safe every day of the year, 24 hours per day. We talked about their collaborative work with the Community Health Assess & Treat (CHAT) team and Portland Street Response (PSR), both of which I've done ride-alongs with in recent weeks. CHAT and PSR are critical to our response system, providing service to Portlanders who call 9-1-1 with non-emergency medical needs and ensuring that ambulance and fire staff, including those at Station 13, are available to meet the needs of folks in crisis around the city. Thank you to Station 13 for hosting us and for the conversation, and thank you to the entire Fire & Rescue team for your service.
Next up, later today, I'll be joining the Bureau of Emergency Communications (BOEC), not for a ride-along, but for a sit-along. Telecommunicators are the link between the community and fire, medical, mental health, and law enforcement agencies. Put simply, they're who picks up when you call 9-1-1. BOEC's role is vital—their team provides life-saving instruction over the phone and make sure first responders get the details they need before arrival on the scene. It's been a few years since a did a sit-along, and I'm really looking forward to learning more from the experience of BOEC's dispatchers and call-takers.
Let's talk about my recent "no" votes
Keep Portland Housed Ordinance
Last week, City Council passed the spring technical adjustment ordinance (TAO) which included a major housing package. The package will deploy $55.9 million to provide rent assistance, eviction rent assistance, housing placement, debt buy-downs, eviction defense support, a revolving loan fund, and direct funding for several development projects. While I support the intent of this ordinance, I voted against it. Here's why:
I believe that the most vulnerable Portlanders, those in imminent risk of losing their housing, should be prioritized with this funding. The ordinance that passed without my amendment—just one vote short—didn't do enough to clearly define that the City will move those Portlanders to the front of the line. Specifically, my amendment would have addressed some common gaps, including Portlanders who receive a notice of eviction for non-payment of rent but that do not have a legally filed eviction within the court system and people who are given a 10-day notice and choose to "self-evict" rather than have a formal eviction on their rental record. People shouldn't have to be entangled in the courts to get rent assistance. My amendment also prioritized setting aside a fund for legally filed evictions and people with active court dates, as well. Again, gaps like these fail to address the needs of some of Portland's most vulnerable, and the ordinance that passed doesn't solve for this.
Also, I was disappointed that my colleague Councilor Loretta Smith's amendment that would've allocated $2.5 million for homeownership didn't pass either. I invested in homeownership work when I was Housing Commissioner in 2021-22, and I was surprised that a program that would've helped Portlanders build generational wealth was excluded by a Council that discusses equity frequently.
Finally, I remain frustrated that this conversation about housing wasn't wrapped into the City's overarching 2026-27 budgeting process. Nevertheless, I will move forward, hoping this ordinance will positively impact the lives of many Portlanders. I will continue to ask for accountability metrics from our housing providers—too many elders feel unsafe in their own homes. I hope that in the short- and long-term future, Portlanders feel like this investment was a meaningful use of tax dollars.
Transportation Utility Fee
Most Portlanders know that the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is facing a financial crisis—the result of stagnant and declining revenue sources while costs overall continue to increase. PBOT's limited pool of unrestricted funding for basic maintenance and operations has experienced reductions to the tune of $42 million since fiscal year 2019-20. So, the necessary services once funded by those dollars—like paving, street sweeping, and safety improvements—simply aren't happening at the rate or scale that they need to be. PBOT has also been greatly affected by reductions in state and federal funding,
Enter the proposed Transportation Utility Fee (TUF), introduced by my colleagues to address this shortfall, which was discussed at last week's Finance and Governance Committee of the Whole and this week's full City Council session.
I'm always hesitant to increase fees that go beyond inflation on Portland's taxpayers, period. That was the case when I chose not to support the Parks Levy last year, despite caring deeply for the role of parks in our lives and in Portland's identity. That was also the case when I voted "no" on the TUF.
For many Portlanders, the TUF reads like just another invoice from the City on top of the stack of invoices they're already paying. It's particularly hard right now, when many people I know and many of the constituents who reach out to my office say they're struggling to keep their heads above water from a financial perspective. It just all feels like too much as we add to affordability challenges for working-class Portlanders.
I would prefer that we send this type of action to the voters to decide, and I worry this will open the door to additional rate increases and fees in the future (sewer and water, for example). I voted no, too, because I don't think we've gone deep enough to understand how we got here—PBOT has known about this fiscal cliff for decades. Before we ask people to pay more for a basic level of service we ought to have already made vital improvements to PBOT as a system. Again, time for bold reforms—not feeding a system that's failing.
Enjoying the Portland Trail Blazers first playoff run in five years
Our beloved Portland Trail Blazers are in the playoffs—boy, as a longtime fan, that feels really good to say. I attended a game recently, and the vibe was electric. Moda Center was alive and the fans, including me, just couldn't get enough. I was also happy to hear recently that the Blazers' postseason run is providing a much needed economic boost to small businesses in Portland—namely this city's beloved sports bars. A real win-win.
As a lifelong Blazers fan, I've been watching conversations about the team, its ownership, and the arena very closely. I'm also the District 2 representative on the bargaining team. There will be much more to come on that of course, but for right now, I'm excited to celebrate the team's first playoff run since 2021.
Two West First Round Playoff games against the San Antonio Spurs, in San Antonio, have already unfolded—and the series is tied at 1-1. So, the stakes are certainly high for this week's home games at the Moda Center. Tipoff for tonight's game is 7:30 p.m. Let's go, Rip City!
In case you missed it: Things to know!
Apply for Prosper Portland's Small Business Grants by May 1
Open to businesses and property owners within the St. Johns area of the Interstate Corridor TIF District, Prosper Portland's St. Johns Small Business Grant will prioritize projects that increase visibility and vibrancy of small businesses, activate areas and increase foot traffic, and/or support retention of small businesses through needed improvements.
Take the Future 50 with Metro survey by May 15
Metro is bringing together communities from across greater Portland to create a 50-year vision for the region. The Future 50 project is asking the fundamental question: What kind of region do we want for future generations? Take this 10-minute survey to make your voice heard, and consider sharing this survey link with the people in your life. (This project was discussed toward the end of the April 16 Portland City Council Session, a video of which can be accessed via YouTube.)