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Finance committee adopts FY2026-27 budget calendar, adds March sessions to flag acceptable cuts
Summary
The Finance Committee approved the city's FY2026-27 budget calendar and added March 9—20 work sessions for councilors to identify budget cuts and revenue options they find acceptable or unacceptable, and staff will correct scrivener's errors before referral to full council.
The Portland Finance Committee on Dec. 8 adopted the proposed FY2026-27 budget calendar and approved an amendment adding March 9–20 work sessions during which councilors will discuss, at a high level, budget cuts and revenue options they find acceptable or unacceptable.
Budget Director Ruth Levine presented the draft calendar, describing the timeline of administrative milestones (service-area reduction concepts due in February; proposed budget release April 20; required budget committee hearings and TSCC filing deadlines). Levine noted scrivener's errors in posted dates and said the utility-rate hearing and other exhibit dates would be corrected before referral.
Council discussion addressed public engagement, timing and process. Councilors debated whether budget presentations should be to the full budget committee or to individual policy committees and emphasized the need for early, district-based public outreach and tools for public input. Levine said the budget office is developing a simplified interactive dashboard so Portlanders can "play" with discretionary variables to see the gap impacts and that the office will work on intake methods to capture public priorities.
Councilor Novick moved the amendment adding March work sessions to surface acceptable and unacceptable cuts and revenue options; the amendment passed on a 5-0 roll call. The committee then voted 5-0 to refer the amended calendar to City Council with a recommendation to adopt. Janice Thompson, a longtime observer of the budget process, urged more budget education and committee vetting of budget notes during public comment.
What's next: The calendar (Exhibit A as corrected) will go to City Council for final approval; staff expect to refine public engagement plans and the dashboard prototype ahead of February forecasting and service-area submissions.
Sources: Presentation and Q&A with Budget Director Ruth Levine; public comment by Janice Thompson; roll-call votes recorded by the clerk.
