Council Passes Risk Reduction Rescue Plan to Stop Severe Cuts to Public Safety Services

Today Portland City Council voted 10-2 for the Risk Reduction Rescue Plan put forward by Councilors Olivia Clark, Steve Novick, Elana Pirtle-Guiney, and Loretta Smith to save critical public safety services.

This ordinance delivers continuity and restores essential city services, including public safety services that Portlanders most rely on. It restores peak-hours coverage for the Public Safety Support Specialist (PS3) program, funding that keeps critical police training on schedule, and preserves Portland Fire & Rescue teams that save lives during medical emergencies every single day.

The plan also restores more than 20 critical non-public safety positions needed to ensure continued service delivery for our community. In addition, it extends pay for all laid-off employees until September 1 and benefits through September 30, ensuring a smoother transition even as we need to make difficult cuts to balance the budget.

Councilor Clark said: "The restorations at the heart of this plan are not optional. This is a commonsense plan to ensure Portlanders get the critical services they depend on. These are not budget line items — they are lifelines for Portlanders."

Councilor Novick said: "In an incredibly tough budget year, I'm proud we were able to find way to work with labor and the city administration to restore critical services. Next year will be difficult as well, but we are now better positioned to deliver for Portlanders today, while being mindful of the future."

Councilor Pirtle-Guiney said: "From the start of the budget to now, I helped craft and was a sponsor on five different proposals to responsibly restore critical services and the jobs of the people who provide them. I worked with every single councilor at some point in this process because the services that Portlanders rely on matter most. I have spent 18 months telling Portlanders I am focused on the long term— on how our decisions set up our city for the future. And as I look at next year's budget and weigh how we sustain and strengthen the services we have today, I think the more focused approach was the better choice. I'm proud that we ultimately found a path forward to do what is right, even within the constraints of a very difficult budget year. This is responsible, progressive governance."

Councilor Smith said: "Our decision today is about the men and women who wake up every single morning to keep Portland moving safe and clean. I am talking specifically about the janitors, our public safety workers, and our street sweepers."