Federal funds save most of Portland s next budget April 29 2021
Mayor Ted Wheeler is proposing to use $29 million in emergency aid to offset city revenue losses caused by COVID-19.
When COVID-19 first shut down the economy, Mayor Ted Wheeler was facing a $20 million general fund shortfall in the city budget that takes effect on July 1.
But Wheeler unveiled a proposed general fund budget for the next fiscal year that is actually $2.7 million larger than the current one, thanks primarily to federal American Rescue Plan funds proposed by President Biden and approved by Congress. For the Portland City Council, the opportunity of 2021 is to work collaboratively to make investments that will help us continue to recover from the pandemic, Wheeler said when the proposed budget was released on Thursday, April 29. The budget I propose reflects my commitment to change and my optimism about Portland s future.