Risk Reduction Rescue Plan Will Stop Severe Cuts to Public Safety Services

Joint Statement from Councilors Novick, Clark, Pirtle-Guiney, and Smith:

Today we are introducing the Risk Reduction Rescue Plan — a fiscally responsible ordinance that will stop severe cuts to public safety services, protect essential City staff, and keep Portland moving forward without leaving dollars sitting in a bank account. This legislation was built in close partnership with labor leaders and includes priorities broadly supported across Council.

The restorations at the heart of this plan should not be optional. They include restoring peak-hours coverage for the Public Safety Support Specialist (PS3) program, funding that keeps critical police training on schedule, and preserving Portland Fire & Rescue teams that save lives during medical emergencies every single day. These restorations will keep Portland safer. Full stop.

In addition, we worked extensively with labor unions and the City administration to identify and restore the most critical non-public safety positions to ensure continued service delivery for Portlanders. This plan preserves those targeted positions and extends pay for all laid-off employees through September 1 and benefits through September 30, to ensure a smooth transition even as we need to make cuts to balance the budget.

The Risk Reduction Rescue Plan draws on Portland's General Fund contingency, to be repaid through anticipated underspending in the Office of Community Police Accountability (OCPA), accrued interest in the Portland Clean Energy and Community Benefits Fund (PCEF), or other identified resources in the development of the Spring Technical Budget Adjustment. This plan will not delay, defund, or interfere with the OCPA in any way. Portlanders voted for strong police oversight and accountability and we will deliver it.

The plan also restores $1.75 million in funds that have been taken from the Business License Tax reserves, thus improving Portland's financial stability and reducing risks to the City's credit rating.

Our mandate is straightforward: restore the critical services Portlanders depend on. Properly train our police officers to ensure they meet the high standards we expect of them. Preserve the future of the PS3 program. Restore life-saving PF&R Rescue teams. These are not budget line items; they are lifelines for Portlanders when they need them most.

The Risk Reduction Rescue Plan is ready. Portland cannot wait.