After nearly 12 hours of deliberation, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners adopted a $4 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year in a 4-1 vote early Friday. The decision ended a months-long process as the county weighed painful reductions amid budget shortfalls.
The monetary roadmap for the 2027 fiscal year, which runs from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, includes reductions to homeless shelters, the District Attorney’s Office, health and human services programs, among other areas. The board and dozens of county officials hunkered down from 1 p.m. Thursday until after midnight Friday to finalize the budget.
“It has been a very long day,” Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said as commissioners wrapped up work in the wee hours Friday. “I’m proud we have prevailed in safeguarding some of our most impactful services. I am concerned about some of the cuts we made today. We have hundreds of shelter beds closing between the county and the city, and we have greatly reduced our housing placement dollars to move people to more stable housing.”…