Happy February Sunnyside! February is always, to me, the ickiest month. Cold and rainy and still dark. But, the first blooms of spring are popping up, too, so it’s a reminder that bright, warm days are just over the horizon!
In January, at the last General Meeting, we heard from members about their priorities for the new city government to tackle in the coming year. We used the SE Uplift District 3 Community Priorities survey as a tool to foster conversation about the issues facing our great city and its most amazing neighborhood, Sunnyside. There’s a lot we want to see, none of which will probably surprise you, from traffic calming to an increase in affordable housing to improved parks and recreation opportunities. Of course, all of these wonderful things will cost the government (us) money. As we recently learned, the projected Portland government shortfall is approaching $100 million for the coming year due to a number of factors, including declining tax revenue, the ending of COVID-related programs from the federal government and increased costs for services. The City Administrator, Michael Jordan, released a memo outlining potential cuts needed to balance the budget. Read the memo at www.portland.gov/mayor/keith-wilson/documents/01172025-budget-memo-0/download. It is obvious that our new mayor and city council will have to make some tough choices. But they can’t act in a silo and that’s where we, the people, come in. We must make our voices heard by those who control the levers.
So, my column this month is a call to action for everyone in the neighborhood. The council will start budget hearings in the coming weeks and must pass a new, balanced budget by June. Stay informed about potential cuts to programs you rely on. Call and write to our three new council members. The new district-based council should be responsive to citizen voices and remember, District 3 members are all up for re-election in less than two years. Both Tiffany Koyama Lane, as council vice-chair, and Steve Novick, as finance vice-chair, will have real influence over this process. Visit www.portland.gov/council/districts/3 to submit comments to our councillors.
I promise you that the SNA will be participating in this process too. And make sure you join us for our next General Meeting in March, when we hope to have one or more of our councillors on hand to answer your questions and hear from you directly.