Councilors spend millions amid budget crunch
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Portland city councilors spent more than $2 million from their office budgets on travel, events and, in one case, a makeup artist, per the Oregonian.
Why it matters: Portland's expanded council has substantially larger office budgets — roughly $1.3 million per councilor — and large chunks of them are going to pet projects.
- The spending, and the increased budgets, came as the city grappled with a $160 million budget shortfall this past fiscal year.
Driving the news: Councilors used taxpayer dollars for everything from contributions to nonprofits and neighborhood groups to out-of-state travel, community events and consultants, the Oregonian's analysis shows.
- Council President Jamie Dunphy distributed more than $80,000 to nearly 20 organizations during the final days of the fiscal year. The "sponsorships" didn't require the city's standard competitive process for grants or contracts.
- Loretta Smith spent $170,000 on nonprofits and community groups, including rent assistance and youth apprenticeship programs.
- Candace Avalos spent more than $29,000 on work-related travel to Vienna, Chicago and Atlanta.
Dan Ryan spent $600 on makeup artists before two TV appearances — "I don't think it worked, and I won't be doing that again," he told the O.
- Olivia Clark and Eric Zimmerman each chipped in $7,500 for a large disco ball and other decorations for downtown's Darcelle XV Plaza.
Between the lines: Three councilors — Ryan, Steve Novick and Tiffany Koyama Lane — pushed an amendment to have their office budgets reduced, but they couldn't wrangle the votes to pass it.
What they're saying: Councilors defended much of the spending as investments in underserved communities, constituent services and projects that otherwise weren't getting funded.
- "You spend your money on your values," Smith told the O. "We've gotten approval to spend every single dime."
The other side: Former city commissioners said the spending represents a major departure from past practice, when office budgets were largely reserved for staffing and administrative costs and funding for outside groups typically went through the broader city budget process.
Yes, but: Most councilors still ended the fiscal year with surpluses, ultimately returning nearly $1.1 million in unused office funds to the city's general fund.
The bottom line: The council voted to increase their office budgets for this next fiscal year.