Several county employees and union leaders used public comment time to press the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners to revisit a consent-calendar budget modification and to adopt a countywide span-of-control policy.

Michael Hanna, a 24-year county employee and union steward for AFSCME Local 88, told the board the budget modification (DCA-00426) included a reclassification promoting the current deputy CIO to chief information officer and urged the board to remove that item from the consent calendar and direct Department of County Assets to conduct a nationwide recruitment. Hanna said the IT enterprise architecture team was created this fiscal year, had a management-to-staff span of control “far below” recommended norms, and raised concerns of favoritism and misuse of authority; he cited state benchmark ORS 291.227 in arguing for rightsizing.

Jackie Tate, elected president of AFSCME Local 88, described frontline service cuts that coincided with the creation of new manager positions and asked the board to pursue a phased countywide span-of-control policy aligned with ORS 291.227. Tate proposed that by Jan. 1, 2026 no manager should supervise fewer than four direct reports and that by July 1, 2026 each county division should average a ratio of at least 1 manager to 11 staff. Tate emphasized this is not a proposal to eliminate managers but to “rightsize” structures and preserve services.

Chair Vega Peterson and staff responded that the board would be updated on the consent-agenda question and that a span-of-control report is due from the CEO’s office in January per a budget note. Commissioners and staff acknowledged urgency given potential layoffs and next year’s budget process and invited union leaders to participate in the report and follow-up conversations.

What’s next: Commissioners said staff would provide follow-up information on the consent agenda item. The CEO’s office is scheduled to deliver a span-of-control report in January 2026.