As volunteer president of the Portland Community Chamber of Commerce, I’m closely following the debates about Portland’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
The chamber’s board and our 600-plus employer members have a great interest in the city’s finances and services. Everyone who works in Portland is affected by so many things in the city, from good roads to affordable workforce housing to safe and welcoming streets.
The entire region is also affected by Portland’s infrastructure, economy and culture. In short, we care about Portland because the city is integral to our future as individuals, family members and community members.
For those reasons Portland must have a strong, workable, affordable financial plan. We support the budget that City Manager Jon Jennings submitted and the City Council’s Finance Committee unanimously endorsed because we believe the budget currently before the City Council meets those tests. Here’s why we urge the full City Council to pass the budget at its next meeting May 16.
• First, this budget meets Portland’s needs. No city can be successful without getting the basics right, and Portland needs to make sure that essential city services are being delivered at the highest level. By focusing on the fundamentals, the city manager has set the tone for doing the basics of city government correctly. Roads, public safety and waste aren’t glamorous, but getting them right is not optional.
This budget meets Portland’s basic infrastructure needs, and in doing so supports the economy and the community. These are the kinds of decisions that aren’t exciting, but they make the city a more livable, hospitable place for us all. In that way, they are critical.
• Second, this budget is efficient and smart. Jennings brings a fresh set of eyes to a big, complicated government operation. Where the city is doing “what we’ve always done,” Jennings has asked: “Why not do this better?”
Spending scarce dollars carefully and effectively is a hallmark of a good municipal administration, and this budget puts Portland ahead of the curve. There’s always more to do, but we see this budget as an excellent beginning, and a prelude to continuing financial responsibility. And we think smart and efficient is something that we all deserve, inside City Hall and outside.
• Third, this budget is innovative. Maybe the most prominent budget innovation is Jennings’ proposal to restructure city staff to create a Permitting and Inspections Department. How long have we heard from homeowners and small-business people that getting a permit in Portland can be frustratingly difficult?
The new department, crafted from existing resources and augmented by additional fees on development, will provide faster, more effective licensing and permitting for us all. Jennings’ new solution to this old problem is an example of how this budget brings innovation to the table. It’s also an example of how additional business costs can leverage better outcomes by reinvesting in efficient, effective innovation. That approach is one we will continue to support in all parts of city government.
Of course, this budget is not perfect. It proposes changes that have caused concerns and raised legitimate questions that will certainly be answered. And it raises taxes – something that is never welcome. But the tax increase would have been twice what it is if the city manager and Finance Committee had not been innovative, efficient and focused on fundamentals.
It’s been said that a city budget should reflect Portland’s values as a community. We agree. Health care for our most vulnerable residents has been a focus in the public debate on this budget, and we are confident that the full City Council will reflect Portland’s continued commitment to that value in the final budget document.
We also expect the final budget to reflect the values of innovation, intelligence, efficiency and commitment to excellence in everything Portland does for all its residents, workers, visitors and friends. Difficult choices abound in this budget, just as they do in every budget. But we are confident that the city manager and the full council will do everything needed to make sure our community’s values are served by this budget in every way possible.
For all these reasons, the Portland Community Chamber of Commerce supports the proposed city budget, and we urge everyone who agrees that Portland deserves a thoughtful, balanced and intelligent budget to contact city councilors and voice their own support as well.
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