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Finance committee discusses council president's plan for a 'president's amendment to streamline May 21 budget votes
Summary
Portland's Finance Committee spent May 19 reviewing more than 60 budget amendment proposals and advising the council president on a potential consolidated 'president's amendment intended to package items that may attract broad support ahead of the May 21 council vote.
Chair Zimmerman opened the Finance Committee meeting on May 19 and framed the session as an opportunity to advise the council president while emphasizing that the committee would not be making final decisions that day.
"I think on this sheet that we're seeing shared now... we've got, of course, it looks like 60 amendments that have been made thus far in this process," Chair Zimmerman said, noting many proposals are duplicative or competing. Council President Novick described his intent: "My hope is that I can bring forward a president's amendment, which is a package of proposals that fit together in a balanced way that could have broad support."
Novick said the president's amendment would be introduced as the first amendment on Wednesday and stressed it was meant as a conversation starter, not an attempt to preempt council debate. "I'm not asking you all to cosign on it," he said. "I don't think that would be fair to ask of the 4 of you, but just to give me some discussion and guidance for putting it together."
Committee members debated how to define "broad support," whether by geographic spread, philosophical cross-section or other measures. Several councilors said many colleagues had only just seen the amendment list and therefore could not yet form firm positions. "Most of these amendments, they have no current opinion on them at all because they've only just seen them," one member said. Another proposal from Councilor Novick's docket suggested prioritizing amendments that raise or save revenue so the council could see a range of available funds before allocating new spending.
Committee members also discussed process mechanics for the May 21 meeting and the later adoption dates (first reading and final adoption in June). Ruth from the budget office outlined contingency and policy reserve categories and the limits on changing funds after approval. Committee members asked that the president and staff coordinate to surface items that can be packaged with minimal friction, while leaving more controversial items for fuller debate.
The meeting ended with the council president encouraging members and staff to bring forward any late agreements so they could be included in the president's package prior to Wednesday's session.
