5.28.26 Budget Work Session #19

This was a budget work session held by the Multnomah County Board on May 28, 2026, focusing extensively on amendments related to homeless services, housing placement, eviction prevention, public safety, and health department programs. Key procurement and budget discussions included designating $1 million from a $10 million housing placement fund to support shelters closing at the start of the fiscal year, restoring outreach funding to the City of Gresham with offsets from other program offers, and reallocating funds within homeless services to maintain day center operations and hygiene services. The session also addressed funding shifts for recovery housing, eviction prevention legal services, and the restoration of Sun School programs with a $1.2 million allocation. Public safety amendments included restoring three senior legal assistant positions in the district attorney's office to improve case processing efficiency, funded by offsets from administrative reductions. The board discussed a $160,000 allocation for a re-entry transition hub for individuals released from jail, funded by housing placement offsets. Pre-trial services were a significant topic, with a proposed $1 million one-time investment to transition from existing programs to a court-led framework involving new FTEs and support specialists, though concerns about funding adequacy and implementation timelines were raised. Several budget notes were proposed, including improving enterprise contract management systems for better oversight of county contracts, developing an affordability index, and exploring data infrastructure enhancements. The meeting featured multiple motions to amend budget allocations, with offsets primarily drawn from the additional placement out of shelter program and revenue amendments, reflecting a complex balancing of priorities amid constrained resources.