From Councilor Ryan’s desk: June 8, 2026

What's been on my mind this week

Dragon Boat Races recap: 2026 Elected Official Cup

View full size image of Portland-Kaohsiung Sister City Association President Chi-Chao Chen and City Councilors Ryan, Kanal, Morillo, and Green at the 2026 Elected Official Cup.

Today, I'm really basking in the joy that was this past weekend's Dragon Boat Races, and particularly, the Elected Official Cup. The Portland Rose Festival is one of my favorite times of year and being able to participate in the Dragon Boat Races alongside my colleagues, City leadership, and Councilors from our Sister City of Kaohsiung, Taiwan made it extra special. Portland City Councilors Green, Kanal, Morillo, and I were all-in for the Elected Official Cup as members of team Paddle Portland Forward, competing in the spirit of camaraderie and a shared focus of, well… not coming in last place. 

The competition was fierce, indeed. Mayor Wilson's heavyweight team ended up taking first place, while team Paddle Portland Forward took second. City Councilors from Kaohsiung came in third—but truth be told, I think they may have taken it a little easy on us. A special shoutout to my Council Aide, Will Mespelt! Coordinating across 12 offices to make sure we got practice sessions in, during budget season no less, was a bit lift. THANK YOU, WILL!

Relatedly, it's more important than ever that we nurture our relationships with the City of Portland's Sister Cities. The Portland-Kaohsiung Sister City Association (PKSCA) was founded 39 years ago in 1987 to promote friendship and understanding between the people of Portland and Kaohsiung. It's hosted the annual Portland Rose Festival Dragon Boat Races since 1989. It's been my honor to participate in and represent Portland at events and festivities hosted by or in partnership with the City of Kaohsiung over the years. Our Kaohsiung dignitaries, including Madam Speaker Kang of the Kaohsiung City Council and Deputy Director-General Chang of the Kaohsiung City Government, are incredible—I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to get to know them. 

Including Kaohsiung, did you know that Portland has ten Sister Cities? In fact, I recently introduced an ordinance with Councilors Dunphy and Kanal in May to codify Lviv, Ukraine as Portland's newest Sister City. It was approved at its second reading on June 4, just after the City of Portland Sister City Reception at City Hall. During this period of polarized isolationism, these connections strengthen Portland's global diplomatic, economic, cultural, and educational ties through partnerships with governmental, nonprofit, and business institutions across the map.

Who's driving Portland's overarching economic development strategy? 

View full size image of Councilor Ryan and Hound & Hare Vintage Owner Stephanie Calvert facing each other, mid-conversation, with clothing racks on the wall behind them.

Improving Portland's economic picture has long been one of my top priorities—it's why I sponsored the development of the Storefront Support Program as part of the 2024-25 budget cycle. Thankfully, funding for this work was included in Mayor Wilson's 2026-27 proposed budget, and it appears as though it will remain funded in the final budget. 

The City's essential services are paid for through local tax revenue streams, with major sources including business license taxes (BLT) and property taxes. When both of those funding sources are flat or declining—as they currently are—and fixed costs continue to rise, the City of Portland struggles to deliver the basics—from parks programming and public safety to street maintenance and beyond. It's a big part of why the City has been in a deficit for the last few years and why the Mayor and City Council have had to make significant cuts during recent City budget cycles. When those basic City functions go unfunded, Portland becomes a less attractive city to current and future residents, business owners, investors, and more. 

View full size image of Councilor Ryan (center) at Party on Portland and National Night Out at Director's Park in 2025.

If we work together toward the common goal of getting Portland's local economy on the right track, we can chart a new, more prosperous future for ourselves—one that sees basic needs addressed and one where we're not choosing which essential services are on the chopping block every year. If businesses of all types can thrive in Portland, they'll set up shop, stick around and grow, and generate business license tax revenue for the City over the long-term. These businesses will provide jobs that empower people to put roots down in Portland, creating more homeowners who pay property taxes and enroll in our public schools. 

Importantly, we need to get out of our own way and stop creating an environment that actively makes economic recovery harder. A recent example is the conversation about banning foie gras in Portland. When we pass legislation that layers another intrusive regulation on local businesses, we're saying, "Welcome to Portland, where we're unfriendly to anyone who dares to invest and where your small business will face more (and new!) regulations and fees than anywhere else in the country." 

Identifying shared priorities and an overarching strategy that we can all work toward is difficult because many folks from across Portland own a piece of the economic development puzzle. Who is setting our course? Additionally, from my seat on the dais, economic development doesn't seem like a focus for the majority of our current City Councilors. Created earlier this year, one of the City Life Committee's primary charges is economic development—and I'm in communication with Chair Pirtle-Guiney to make sure it becomes a priority of our agenda. This Council must pivot to economic development as its number one priority. If we don't, we'll keep losing our tax base, and we'll stay in the cycle of needing to make more and deeper cuts to essential services. 

As an action item, I've asked Council President Dunphy to support in co-planning an economic development summit for Portland City Councilors, and I'll collaborate with him and the Chair of City Life Councilor Pirtle-Guiney to make sure it happens. We need to get together as a governing body and create a plan that gives today's Portlanders a reason to continue to invest in our beautiful city.

2026-27 City of Portland budget update: Where we are and what's next

View full size image of Councilors Kanal, Ryan, Dunphy, and Clark on the dais with a large Portland City Council logo made of wood on the wall behind them.

With so many moving parts, following the City's budget process hasn't been easy. Here's an update on where we are right now:

• After a few weeks spent introducing, ironing out, debating, and voting on amendments to the Mayors proposed budget, City Council submitted an approved budget to the Tax Supervising & Conservation Commission (TSCC) on Thursday, May 21. 
• Last week, City Councilors convened for a budget work session where we discussed a handful of budget notes. We'll vote on them later this week. Budget notes are companion pieces to budget amendments, outlining policy direction for whether the administration will carry something forward and sometimes attaching a dollar amount. Essentially, budget notes provide more in-depth information about the intent of the amendments they're attached to. 
• Tomorrow, June 9, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at City Hall, TSCC will host a public hearing focused on the adopted budget. Members of the public are encouraged to submit written comments any time before the hearing by emailing TSCC staff directly. 
• On Wednesday, June 10, we'll move on to the first reading of the Adopted Budget, which will include all budget notes and budget amendments passed to date. 🗞️This just in: I am sorting through several newly submitted amendments. I'm focusing on reading past the headlines and getting into the details of each amendment. I will lean in with intention to restore public safety that includes police. 🗞️
• The second, and final, reading will take place on Wednesday, June 17. Through this second reading, my focus will remain on the full restoration of public safety and ensuring support for the Storefront Support Program. Right now, I have hope that we can keep moving toward a final budget that reflects these priorities.

Thank you, Portland, for your involvement, and your voice, in this process. 

Upcoming meetings and events

• 6/9: Tax Supervising & Conservation Commission (TSCC) Public Hearing
• 6/9: City Life Committee Meeting
• 6/10: City Council Meeting
• 6/11: Special City Council Meeting
• 6/11: City Council Executive Sessions (Session 1, Session 2)
• 6/16: Community and Public Safety Committee Meeting
• 6/16: Housing and Permitting Committee Meeting
• 6/17: Finance and governance Committee of the Whole Meeting
• 6/17: City Council Meeting
• 6/18: City Council Meeting (tentative)
• 6/18: Darcelle XV Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony