Mayor Wheeler announced that Jessica Kinard, Director of the City Budget Office, will depart the office effective December 27, 2022.
Director Kinard has served the City of Portland since June 2015, first as a principal analyst, and for the last four years as the Director of the City Budget Office. In her position, Director Kinard has led the City Budget Office through multiple budget processes throughout the year including the Fall and Spring Budget Monitoring Processes and Fiscal Year developments. She has shown great leadership through all of these processes and has worked to ensure council offices, bureaus, and staff are provided thorough and timely information and that the process itself is collaborative and inclusive. She has strongly supported her team, especially through the pandemic, adopting a culture of innovation, support and inclusivity.
Mayor Wheeler said, “Director Kinard exemplifies City of Portland values in her work, especially her dedication to providing not only a legally compliant annual budget, but one that is financially resilient and strives to serve the community in a more equitable manner.” He continued, “she truly adheres to established processes and embodies intention for the community to be better off at each juncture of her involvement in the delivery of services. I wish her well in her next life adventure and thank her for her service to the city.”
During Director Kinard’s four-year tenure as Director, major accomplishments include:
- The implementation of program offer budgeting and the transition to a new Citywide budget software system.
- Increased budget transparency through the posting of budget dashboards and open budget data online.
- Shepherding the City through the financial uncertainty of the pandemic, leading the Mayor and Council in adjusting to a sudden $75 million reduction in anticipated General Fund discretionary with minimal service level impacts.
- Overseeing the launch of the Portland Insights Survey, a new citywide survey that aims to ensure that all Portlanders, including communities who have been historically underserved, are represented and heard in government.
- Leading the provision of timely, objective and independent analysis on critical key issues such as police staffing and homeless services to eight Council offices, the Mayor’s Office, the media and the public.
- Securing Council support for a new performance and innovation team, which launches this year and greatly enhance the ability of the City to track and meet performance goals.
The city will announce the new director for the City Budget Office in the coming weeks.