June Newsletter: Q2 in Review

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Hi Portland,

Summer is finally here, and I am ready for it.

Budget season has wrapped up and my calendar has been packed with neighborhood events across District 4. We've had a lot going on, so let's get into it.

Portland is Back, Baby

One thing is for certain: downtown and the Central City feel alive.

Portland Rose Festival & Fleet Week

The Portland Rose Festival and Fleet Week brought tens of thousands of people downtown, with events taking place all over Portland.

I had the privilege of speaking at a colors ceremony celebrating the restoration of the flag beside the Battleship Oregon Memorial in Waterfront Park. I've attended many flag ceremonies during my military service, but I have to say this may have been the most impressive one I've ever seen. Sunshine, clouds, live music, and a perfect breeze all came together for a moment that can only be described as epic.

Before the parade, I attended the U.S. Navy Fleet Week welcome celebration to personally welcome members of the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and Royal Canadian Navy. I also met with mayors from across Oregon during the annual Mayors' Reception at the Oregon Historical Society.

And to top it all off, I walked my first Grand Floral Starlight Parade as an elected official.

Seeing the streets lined with families, live music from the marching bands, and people simply enjoying themselves was a welcome reminder that Portland is at its best when people come together.

Opening The Shack at Sellwood Park

Did you know my very first job was at an ice cream shop? So, when The Shack invited me to serve ice cream to visitors at Sellwood Park, I had to dust off those skills and get back to work.

And put me to work they did.

Alongside Mayor Wilson, we served Portlanders one cone after another until we sold out. I have to admit, having the toughest decision in front of me be whether to serve someone an ice cream or a popsicle was as refreshing as the treats themselves.

The Elk is Back

We celebrated the return of the Thompson Elk Fountain, one of Portland's most recognizable landmarks.

Restoring a landmark like this takes an enormous amount of work, and I'm grateful to everyone who helped make it happen. Next, I'd like to see Abraham Lincoln back up on his pedestal in the South Park Blocks.

Small Businesses get Tax Cut

My Business License Tax (BLT) exception passed full council! Mayor Wilson and I celebrated by eating bacon, lettuce, tomato (BLT) sandwiches.

The policy reduces taxes for thousands of small businesses over the next two years and aligns Portland's exemption with Multnomah County's $100,000 threshold by 2027, supporting the businesses that are open today while creating incentives for new ones to open tomorrow.

Why I Voted No on New Taxes & Fees

Council approved several increases to taxes, fees, and utility rates. I voted no.

That included:

• Transportation Utility Fee (TUF)
• Arts Tax increases
• Water utility rate increases
• Sewer utility rate increases
• Street parking rate increases

I believe affordability should be Portland's top priority right now. People are feeling the rising cost of groceries, housing, utilities, and everyday necessities. When it comes to raising taxes, fees, or utility bills, there is a fine line between keeping pace with inflation and maintaining city services while also recognizing the growing cost of living in an already expensive city. I'm working hard to strike that balance.

Northwest 23rd Repaving Goes Smoothly

Councilor Olivia Clark and I successfully advocated for the repaving of Northwest 23rd Avenue, one of Portland's most visited streets.

I was impressed by how the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) completed the work efficiently, block by block, while keeping impacts to traffic, businesses, and parking to a minimum.

I even had the opportunity to throw on a PBOT vest and hard hat to help pave the block between Quimby and Pettygrove, which may now officially be the smoothest stretch of road in Portland, if I do say so myself.

It was a great reminder of the professionalism and expertise of PBOT crews who keep our transportation system running every day.

And yes, you bet I'll be scootering down Northwest 23rd this summer.

Budget Season: Proposed, Approved, Adopted

Budget season is City Council's busiest time of year. I usually look forward to it, but this year's budget deficit and lack of clear budget reporting from bureaus made for a particularly difficult process.

A budget like this required a different approach. Rather than focusing on new projects or programs, I focused on protecting Portland's financial standing, preserving the core services Portlanders rely on every day, and maintaining the public safety and livability programs that are helping move our city in the right direction.

Success looked different this budget season. When I voted no on amendments, it was to block bad ideas that I believed would take Portland backwards and undo the progress we've made on public safety and livability.

My amendment passed, prevented the city from opening another poorly resourced shelter in the middle of a residential neighborhood in the Pearl and instead maintaining funding for the existing shelter on Grand Avenue. Switching locations and moving into a neighborhood without the proper resources wasn't going to be good for Portlanders. The savings from my amendment were reinvested in the severe weather shelter system, helping strengthen our emergency response during heatwaves and snowstorms.

I'm grateful to my colleagues who supported the amendment. Thank you.

Over the last few months, I have worked hard to improve the budget and block bad amendments from setting us back. But in the end, I could not support a budget that made deep cuts to public safety and livability programs I believe are critical to Portland's progress.

Now that the $8.5 billion budget is formally adopted, I'm ready to move forward and focus on delivering results.

See you soon,

Councilor Eric Zimmerman