Multnomah County Chair Jeff Cogen will release his Executive Budget for Fiscal Year 2010/2011 (FY 2011) at the regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners this Thursday, May 13. The meeting can be seen on most metro area cable systems on Channel 30 or via streaming video.
Chair Cogen began work on the Executive Budget in March after former Chair Ted Wheeler was appointed State Treasurer and Cogen was appointed by unanimous vote of the Board to serve as Chair.
Multnomah County has faced reductions to county programs and services for 10 consecutive years. The FY 2009/10 budget, adopted last June, addressed a General Fund gap of more than $40 million through a combination of program reductions, increased revenues and savings from employee wage concessions.
In crafting his FY2011 Executive Budget, Chair Cogen faced a General Fund deficit of $5.4 million. Additional reductions in county funding from the State of Oregon are anticipated for Fiscal Year 2011/12.
The Chair’s Executive Budget is a balanced budget as required by state law, and serves as a policy document and fiscal plan for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2010 and ending June 30, 2011. The Executive Budget is a starting point for the community dialogue that will take place over the coming months.
Members of the Board of County Commissioners will deliberate the contents of the proposed budget in the weeks to come, considering public comment and testimony, and will formally adopt a budget at their regular meeting on June 10, 2010.
Multnomah County commissioners will hold a series of hearings during late May and June to listen to input and testimony from the public on the county’s budget.
Hearing dates, times and locations:
May 25: 6-8 p.m.: Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO), 10301 NE Glisan, Portland
May 27: 6-8 p.m..: Multnomah County East, 600 NE 8th Street, Gresham
June 2: 6-8 p.m.: Multnomah Building, 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland
May 12, 2010