5.7.26 Budget Work Session #9

This Multnomah County budget work session held on May 8, 2026, focused extensively on the Health Department's behavioral health and public health divisions. The meeting detailed significant budget reductions impacting behavioral health services due to changes in the county financial assistance agreement with the state and reductions in Coordinated Care Organization (CCO) funding. Key procurement-related discussions included reallocations of county general funds to sustain core behavioral health services, elimination or reduction of contracts for outreach, addiction treatment, and culturally specific programs, and the impact of these cuts on service capacity and equity efforts. The session also covered public health budget adjustments, including reductions in federal grants affecting communicable disease programs, harm reduction outreach, and environmental health services, alongside fee increases for health licensing programs. The Health Officer division highlighted the need for continued funding to support medical examiner services and emergency medical services planning, including a $362,000 one-time request for ambulance service plan procurement. Commissioners raised questions about specific program funding, contract impacts, and service delivery changes, with commitments to provide follow-up details. A budget amendment was introduced to restore funding for employment programs supporting people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, funded through state economic development passthroughs. Overall, the meeting underscored challenging fiscal constraints necessitating difficult funding decisions affecting multiple health-related contracts and services.