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Multnomah County commissioners refine 2026 work plan, ask for clearer timelines and board actions
Summary
The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners used a public work session to refine a draft 2026 work plan, asking staff to add explicit board actions and timelines for priorities including behavioral health, housing and homelessness, public safety and sustainability.
The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners used a public work session to refine a draft 2026 work plan, focusing on clearer board actions, timelines and how the plan will be implemented. Commissioner Singleton, who led the work-session segment, asked colleagues to add specific “board action” items and preferred timing for each priority so the document can be used to schedule future briefings and votes.
Singleton said the goal was moving from high-level topics to implementation: “I would love to be the last work session, for this work plan and us actually move towards implementation.” Commissioners and staff discussed multiple thematic areas, including behavioral health (Medicaid billing and partnerships), housing and homelessness (sheltering strategy and flow-through rates), public safety and deflection, workforce and economic development, youth violence prevention, audits and governance follow-ups, and sustainability/resilience hubs.
On behavioral health, commissioners discussed a proposed partnership with federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) to expand behavioral-health services and billing options. Commissioner Moyer said she had discussed a resolution with an FQHC board and aims to bring a resolution asking the county to begin developing a joint partnership by October; the board asked staff to coordinate the proposed timeline and any needed briefings.
On housing and homelessness, commissioners emphasized the need to connect shelter expansion to housing-placement resources and to measure “flow through” so people do not remain in shelter. The board debated models that pair site-based housing placement with mobile teams for in-reach and case management; members said they want clear metrics showing how new shelter capacity will translate into permanent housing placements.
Public safety topics included expansion of deflection programs and alternatives to jail and EDs, treatment-court and diversion strategies, and partnerships with community-based violence-interruption programs. Commissioners asked staff to capture intended board actions (advocacy, budget proposals, or formal resolutions) in the work plan so the public and department staff understand expected outcomes.
Commissioners also asked for a clearer calendaring of work-plan items, including briefings prior to any board action, and directed staff to compile budget notes where the FY26 budget or other appropriations already relate to a priority. The board requested that the final work plan show whether an item is intended as a briefing, a budget request, an advocacy action, or a resolution and to include proposed timing where available.
No formal board votes took place during the work session. Commissioners asked staff to circulate an edited draft with added “board action” fields, timelines or date ranges, and budget-note cross-references. They also requested that departments identify related audits and implementation-status checks so the board can monitor whether prior audit recommendations were implemented.
The exchange closed with an ask to preserve public meeting practice: revision suggestions should be submitted individually to staff rather than through a quorum of commissioners outside a public meeting. Chair and staff committed to compile edits and circulate a revised work plan for follow-up and scheduling of briefings and possible board actions.
