See something we could improve on this page? Give website feedback.
Label:
Information
It's been a busy year so far here at Team Morillo. In my second year as your District 3 City Councilor, I've been hard at work defending Portlanders from data mining and federal overreach, holding bad actors accountable, pushing back on the surveillance state, building a housing system that's effective long term, and making sure that working people have what they need to take care of their families.
I put together this snapshot of my work in 2026 so far because being a Councilor is a full-time job – but keeping up with politics shouldn't be. I want to make my work accessible and transparent for all, so that no one has to guess what I've been up to lately. If something sparks your interest or piques your curiosity, please never hesitate to drop me a line at councilor.morillo@portlandoregon.gov. Thanks for reading!
As the youngest City Councilor, I know that I have a personal stake in our climate future. I have fought hard to make that safe climate future not just possible, but inevitable.
- Supported climate advocate work on CEI Hub issues.
-
Planned our response to the Zenith Energy report and began researching Zenith's business practices.
- Helped lead conversations about how Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) money should be invested in transportation and housing.
- Worked with the County Health Authority to install air quality monitors near the ICE detention facility to track tear gas use and help enforce the City's Detention Facility Nuisance Code.
- Organized the Climate Committee's first community policy working group to discuss how Portland should prepare for a major Cascadia earthquake.
- Advocated for stronger environmental protections at the CEI Hub, helping shape the City's policy recommendations
- Met with community members about climate-friendly tiny homes and other sustainable housing options.
- Conducted continued oversight of Zenith Energy's presence in Portland and its acquisition by a private equity firm.
- Attended CEI hub press conference, worked with Councilor Green on our commitments and response to the City recommendations.
Every Portlander has a right to safe, stable housing. As someone who has experienced homelessness, I take pride in my resolve to make our city a place EVERY Portlander can call home.
- Filed the Inner Eastside for All Resolution to expand housing options and create mixed-income, walkable neighborhoods by re-legalizing street-scale apartment buildings in the city's Inner Eastside.
- Worked with the Fire Bureau to support single-stair building reform, making it possible to build more homes safely and affordably.
- Followed up on reporting requirements for System Development Charge (SDC) waivers after Council adopted our amendment to improve transparency.
Worked with Senator Khanh Pham to support changes to Inclusionary Zoning that will make it easier to build more affordable housing in Portland.
- Worked with other local governments on developing and implementing our price-fixing ordinance.
- Continued researching and building support for single-stair reform to help increase housing production.
- Worked with Councilors Green, Avalos, and Dunphy to break a deadlock over new housing funding, helping secure investments in rental assistance, eviction defense, affordable housing purchases, and a revolving loan fund.
- Partnered with Metro to explore ways to strengthen risk mitigation funds that help affordable housing providers cover unexpected costs.
- Helped ensure that $21 million in unspent housing funds included a loan for the Broadway Corridor project instead of a grant, protecting public dollars.
- Co-sponsored a $56 million housing package with Councilor Avalos to help lower rents and expand housing opportunities.
- Helped create Portland's first social housing and revolving loan fund to support permanently affordable housing.
- Passed the Inner Eastside for All Resolution to encourage more housing in District 3 and create a model that can be used across Portland.
- Oversaw implementation of the design review reform resolution with Councilor Zimmerman to speed up housing development.
- Protected Portland's new social housing fund during budget negotiations, preventing it from being redirected to projects outside the competitive funding process while preserving funding for both social housing and Black homeownership initiatives.
As the only transit-dependent Councilor in Portland, I know firsthand that the federal impact on our infrastructure cuts is going to be felt hardest by everyday Portlanders. I've gotten to work on big projects and it's full steam ahead in 2026.
- Brought together the City, Metro, and OMSI to reach an agreement that will expand public access to the Willamette River in the growing OMSI district and help unlock millions of dollars in parks funding.
- Attended the launch of Climate Jobs Oregon to explore how Portland can create more union-backed clean energy jobs.
Added a requirement for the City to track Waymo's impact on Portland's streets and infrastructure before expanding self-driving car operations.
- Worked with other Councilors to develop legislation that protects Uber and Lyft drivers from unfair treatment and helps ensure they are paid fairly.
- Attended PBOT's transportation funding listening sessions to hear directly from constituents about their best ideas for street repair solutions.
- Opposed giving public subsidies to billionaire Tom Dundon, arguing that any public investment should benefit Portlanders.
- Wrote and passed a resolution officially designating the Holgate overpass as the Brooklyn Bridge, as requested by neighbors who have organized for the name change for years.
- Improved the proposed transportation utility fee by requiring the City to study fairer, more effective options and put affordability protections in place before it takes effect.
- Passed the "Community Health and Safety Package," the largest investment in community safety during the FY 2026-27 budget in order to create permanent funding for:
- Portland Parks Summer Free Lunch Program
- Portland Street Response
- Community Health Assess and Treat (CHAT)
- Office of Violence Prevention & Ceasefire
- Co-sponsored an ordinance to establish a resource center to aid rideshare drivers (i.e., drivers for Uber and Lyft) in navigating claims related to pay and working conditions.
- Voted against more City spending on a costly Water Bureau project that promises to substantially increase water bills for Portlanders, nearly 10 percent each year for the next several years.
- Co-sponsored the ordinance to ban foie gras in the City of Portland.
- Conducted oversight of potential City investment in Moda Center repairs in light of new Portland Trailblazer ownership, ensuring that any deal involving public dollars involves public transparency and accountability.
I believe that public safety doesn't start and end with reactive policing – it starts with safe routes to school, stable homes, and good paying jobs that help us put food on the table.
- Wrote a data privacy resolution to better protect Portlanders' personal information by limiting how much data the City collects, strengthening protections for sensitive information, and studying ways to regulate data brokers.
Worked with the Portland Police Bureau to help implement my evidence-based policing budget directive, making sure policing strategies are guided by research.
- Worked with the City's government relations team to protect Portland's authority to regulate automated license plate readers and other surveillance technology, instead of having the state override local rules.
- Oversaw implementation of a budget directive requiring the Portland Police Bureau to spend asset forfeiture funds on independent research to evaluate which policing strategies actually work.
- Monitored the Portland Police Bureau's relationships with Axon and Flock Safety to make sure Portlanders' data is not improperly shared with federal law enforcement or other outside agencies.
- Developed and co-sponsored legislation to ensure that enforcement of individual use and cultivation of psychedelics is a "lowest law enforcement priority" in Portland.
- Worked with Councilor Kanal to pass the Right to Know Who's Policing You ordinance, which requires officers to show their faces and identification while policing.
- Protected funding for the Office of Community-Based Police Accountability during the budget process so it could continue independently overseeing the Police Bureau.
- Wrote and passed a budget amendment that restored $2.5 million for Portland Street Response, Project Ceasefire, Community Health Assess and Treat (CHAT), and the Summer Free for All program by reducing funding for councilors' personal security.
Sometimes, progressive policy looks more wonky than flashy. These aren't the types of things that draw attention-grabbing headlines, but they are critical to building trust and improving transparency. I'm committed to breaking the barriers to the old boys' club that we once knew at City Hall, and delivering a fresh, new perspective that reflects real Portlanders' needs.
- Led an investigation after the City discovered more than $100 million in unspent housing funds, reviewing thousands of records to find out why money meant to house people wasn't being used.
Strengthened Portland's Small Donor Elections program to reduce the influence of wealthy donors and help keep elections focused on everyday people instead of big money.
- Tracked how City money was being spent, helping secure funding to repair every District 3 park restroom and restore about $7 million in parks maintenance, including trash collection and field upkeep.
- Worked with other councilors and City staff to improve communication between the City's executive and legislative branches so decisions are more transparent, informed, and accountable.
- Oversaw how the City implemented the detention facility impact fee, making sure the rules reflected what Council passed and could be enforced fairly.
- Reviewed whether waiving certain development fees was actually leading to more housing being built, rather than simply giving away public resources without results.
- Created a public FAQ about Portland's permit revocation process, including how it applies to the ICE detention facility, so residents could better understand their rights and the City's authority.
- Consistently opposed backroom earmarks and special deals that steer public money to politically connected projects instead of using fair, transparent funding processes.
- Shared Portland's work on the detention facility impact fee with organizations across the country looking for ways to hold private detention facilities accountable.
Co-sponsored legislation to speed up housing permits, making it easier to build the homes Portland needs while improving how City government works.
- Worked with local governments and data experts to improve eviction and homelessness data, helping ensure housing decisions are based on accurate information instead of flawed numbers.
- Helped evaluate proposals to create independent legal counsel for City Council, strengthening Council's ability to provide oversight and make informed decisions.
- Pushed the City to consult workers and unions before proposing layoffs and major reorganizations, and helped write budget amendments that protected essential public services.
- Strengthened oversight of the Moderate-Income Revolving Loan Fund so public agencies spending City money are accountable to the public.
- Developed proposals to make the City budget more transparent and democratic, giving the public a stronger voice and making it clearer how spending decisions are made.
- Prepared legislation to strengthen Councilor Green's oversight work of Urban Alchemy, helping ensure homelessness services are safe, humane, and accountable while supporting a shift away from costly homeless camp sweeps and toward proven investments like public bathrooms, sanitation, and low-barrier jobs.
As we go head-to-head with fascism, it's critical that local leaders go to bat for our people. This year I focused on protecting Portlanders' rights, strengthening community safety, and holding powerful interests accountable.
- Co-Sponsored the LGBTQ+ package to codify protections for all Portlanders no matter how they were born or how they identify.
- Pressured the Mayor to enforce the City's detention facility nuisance law, using every tool available to hold the ICE facility accountable and push back against federal overreach.
- Spoke at the rally against war with Venezuela, and pushed the City to investigate our financial commitments to weapons manufacturing.
Followed up on reporting about ICE contracts to increase transparency and help protect immigrant communities.
- Helped bring air quality monitors to the area around the ICE detention facility so the community can track pollution and document the impacts of tear gas and other chemical agents.
- Spoke at the peace vigil for Rene Good, standing in solidarity with immigrant communities and everyone fighting for dignity, safety, and justice.
- Worked with Multnomah County to strengthen sanctuary protections, sharing Portland's experience defending immigrant communities and protecting residents' personal data from federal immigration enforcement.
- Met with the Oregon Coalition of African Leaders to strengthen partnerships and support community-led solutions.
- Demanded answers from Flock Safety about how its surveillance technology is being used in Portland and what safeguards exist to protect people's privacy.
- Pushed for greater transparency about the City's use of Cellebrite, seeking answers about how digital forensic technology is being used and what protections are in place for civil liberties.
- Directed a City investigation into potential privacy violations involving surveillance drones, working to ensure new technology cannot be used to quietly expand surveillance of Portlanders without public oversight or accountability.
"In the dark times, will there also be singing? Yes, there will be singing. About the dark times." – Bertolt Brecht
Every single month this year, I hosted a constituent coffee to connect with District 3 residents and hear their concerns, take feedback, and answer questions about my work in City Hall. We branched out to all corners of the district -- from the ASL coffee shop The Woodstock Cafe to a World Cup watch party at Mad Greek Deli, meeting youth organizers at the Filipino Bayanihan Center or playing pickleball at The People's Courts, I had a blast meeting you all and can't wait to continue our conversations.
- Participated in community conversations hosted by McDaniel High School, interfaith Portland clergy, Brown Hope, Kernside Business Association, Albina Vision Trust, Cultivate Initiatives, Central Eastside Industrial Council, Portland Businesses for All, and Strong Towns PDX.
- Celebrated strength in diversity and racial justice at events like the Urban League MLK brunch, AYCO's Black History Month town hall, Multnomah County's Black First Responders proclamation, Pike Project's coffee hour, Oregon Jewish Museum's Holocaust Remembrance reading, Oregon Rises Above Hate, IRCO engage office hours, Paraguayan Independence Day, and the downtown Darcelle Plaza opening,
- Attended community fundraisers for critical organizations doing important work in our city such as PDX Saints Love, Quest Center, and Brown Hope.
- Organized a Community Resource Fair at Mt. Scott Community Center featuring over 20 organizations from our city bringing vital resources to our neighbors.
- Walked in the 82nd Ave of Roses parade, the Portland pride parade, and Juneteenth parade.
- Hosted groups at City Hall like students from the Cottonwood School, and PSU international students.
- Contributed to national conversations around housing, economics and progressive policy with a conference paper on social housing.
- Stood on the picket line with workers at PCC, PSU, Disability Rights Oregon and more.
- Spoke at community events hosted by City Club, DSA, Bike Loud, East Portland Chamber of Commerce, Portland Neighbors Welcome, the Street Trust, Oregon Rises Above Hate, Lakeridge High School, NAYA, and Portland for All.
Visited small businesses for my Hawthorne / Foster small business tour.
- Toured community spaces like NAYA's Youth and Family Center, Arleta's SUN school, Quest Integrative Health center, Free Geek, Meals on Wheels, CLEAR Clinic, Past Lives Makerspace, Outside the Frame, Oasis of Praise, We Shine, and Benson High School, as well as City spaces like PBOT and One Water projects.
- Played in the Imagine Black Alley Oop the Vote community basketball game!
- Visited a host of neighborhood associations, including Creston-Kenilworth, Roseway, Richmond, Buckman, Brentwood Darlington, and Foster Powell.
- Cut the ribbon on the brand new naming of the Brooklyn Bridge and celebrated the groundbreaking of the new Cleveland High School as well as the Strong Empowerment Village.
- Hosted budget listening sessions including ones hosted by the City of Portland, City Club, and Southeast Uplift.
- Competed on City Council's dragon boat team for the second year in a row.
- Heard from constituents at two different Moda listening sessions.
- Met with young Portlanders at PSU's student leader lobby training and IRCO young leaders.
- Found joy at some really incredible community events like the Winterlights Bike Ride, 503 Day, Push Movement block party, Community Warehouse anniversary party, Foster Summer Soiree, and the Waterfront Blues festival kickoff.
- Funded and volunteered for 2 nights of dinner service at Rahab Sister's Friday night gatherings.
- Traveled to Baltimore to participate in the national Local Progress Convening, where I learned about new tools to make me a better legislator and a better organizer.