District 3 Townhall - April 13th
After hearing from so many incredible community members at the Budget Listening Session in March, the other District 3 Councilors and I have decided to add more town halls so Portlanders can have conversations with us, ask questions about the budget process, and make their voices heard. The first townhall is on April 13th so RSVP today! (Also, pizza will be provided for those looking for a free lunch).
Novick's Notes
What's Happening in City Hall
New Tax on Billion-Dollar Companies
As we've been working through this extremely challenging budgeting process it's become clear to me that cuts to public safety, homeless services, or the dozens of parks programs at risk (for example SUN schools, community centers, and youth sports) are unacceptable to many of you. In fact, hundreds of Portlanders have come out to the Budget Listening Sessions to say just that. So, this week, Councilors Dunphy, Morillo, and I released legislation recommending a 0.33% increase in the City's tax on giant retailers to help plug the hole in Portland's General Fund and avoid unacceptable cuts to vital city services. This legislation would be paired with a measure helping small businesses by raising the exemption from the Portland business license tax from $50,000 to $100,000 - helping relieve some of the tax burden on our small business owners.
This measure is already the talk of the town - you can read all about it in Willamette Week and the Oregonian. We believe it's important to put this option on the table instead of slashing funding for public safety, community centers, or the dozens of other programs that make Portland a good place to call home - but I'm sure a lot of folks disagree. There will be opportunities for public comment in the future so stay tuned!
Check out the full Press Release Here.
P.S. Some of my colleagues have suggested using the Portland Clean Energy Fund to backfill General Fund programs. I strongly disagree with that approach and expressed my feeling in a letter to Mayor Wilson. Read my letter here.
"Ted Lasso Vibes"
Back in February the Oregonian did an article on Mayor Wilson which quoted my colleague Angelita Morillo saying the Mayor has “real Ted Lasso vibes.” I thought that was delightful and quite true. So, I ordered a replica of the Ted Lasso “Believe” sign and, this past Sunday, I snuck into City Hall and taped the sign to the Mayor’s door. Apparently, the Mayor and his staff got a kick out of it, so I hope the sign’s up there permanently!
Til next time!