The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners approved a budget modification to increase the workplace security appropriation by $552,684 to cover higher contracted security rates with Intercon after a tentative agreement between Intercon and SEIU Local 49.

Dorothy Elmore, director of workplace security, told the board that Intercon provided a union cost‑impact statement showing the increases would be used exclusively for wages, benefits and paid time off for employees working on the county contract and that the union settlement was intended to bring the county contract up to SEIU standards for comparable programs in the region. Elmore said Intercon requested the funds be retroactive to July 1, 2025.

Elmore said the central business office reviewed the cost impact and determined the increase required $552,684 beyond a $500,000 contingency previously allocated in the budget process. She asked the board to appropriate $552,684 from general fund contingency to the facilities management fund to cover the increase. Elmore reported the current revised workplace security budget for fiscal year 2026 was $11,000,579.08 and that the modification would increase that figure to about $12,000,132.04.

Union leaders and Intercon employees spoke in support. Yasmin Ibarra, political director for SEIU Local 49, thanked the board for the investment and said the change would provide living wages, affordable benefits and paid time off. Nora Gorby, a security officer who said she previously worked at the Central Library, described a premium reduction under the contract that would reduce her monthly health premium from nearly $400 to about $80 and said paid time off would help her care for family members.

Commissioners expressed support. Commissioner Grama Edwards and others thanked SEIU and staff for negotiating and bringing the item forward. A roll‑call vote adopted the budget modification (transcript records show affirmative votes and the clerk recorded the modification as approved).