2025 Newsletter: The Year in Review

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Hi Portland,

I'm Eric Zimmerman, a Portland City Councilor representing you every day at City Hall. Some of you may know me, others may not, so I wanted to introduce myself and share a few personal highlights from 2025.

I serve as Chair of the Finance Committee, and I'm proud to say that this year my committee passed more legislation than any other committee. I also serve on the Public Safety Committee, the Housing and Homelessness Committee, and Multnomah County's Homelessness Response System Steering and Oversight Committee.

My priorities are straightforward: getting Portland back to being the "city that works." That means cutting years of bureaucratic red tape to promote new development and housing affordability. It means keeping Parks and youth sports funded and accessible to everyday Portlanders. And it means addressing the unsheltered homelessness crisis in a way that is effective and respectful of each neighborhood's livability and community.

This year marks our first year under Portland's new form of government, and yes, the transition has had its challenges. The house may not be in perfect order, but the behind-the-scenes work we do every day is shaping City Hall to be more transparent and positioning Portland to be more financially responsible in the long term.

2025 was a busy year. Here are the moments that I think are important and where I'm focused as we head into 2026.

Portland City Budget & my Transparent and Balanced Budget Resolution

Going into budget season, April through June, we knew the challenge ahead. Portland faced a significant budget deficit, and we were operating under a new form of government that was still finding its footing.

With my years of city budget experience and as Chair of the Finance Committee, I worked to triple the number of budget work sessions originally proposed. With a city budget this large and complex, Council needed the time to evaluate every dollar, and the public needed the opportunity to be heard. Over weeks, the City hosted budget listening sessions in every district, and I attended all of them. I was struck by the number of Portlanders of all ages, including kids, who showed up to share their priorities for our city.

During budget debates, some members of Council began framing a false choice between Parks and police funding. Portlanders deserve solutions, not ideology-and we certainly shouldn't make decisions that put public safety at risk based on fallacy. My focus remains on realigning resources to meet the needs of each district and ensuring every decision serves our community effectively.

In the final adopted budget, I was able to preserve funding for youth sports, protect the Downtown Marketing Initiative, and eliminate layers of administrative bloat left over from Portland's old form of government, and secure funding for neighborhood cleanups.

In December, to prepare for next year, I introduced and Council passed the Transparent and Balanced Budget Resolution, which partners with Portland Parks and Recreation to break down their budget by program and staff, showing which parts are funded by the General Fund, fee revenue, levy dollars, or other sources. This level of transparency gives Council a clearer picture of where dollars go, so we can make better, more informed budget decisions.

As we look ahead to the 2026 budget, I am hopeful. I will remain focused on protecting public safety, strengthening livability, defending parks and recreation, and ensuring youth sports remain accessible to every kid.

Fixing an Overgrown System: Urban Forestry & Tree Code Enforcement

It all started with a Sophie Peel article titled "Rigid Enforcement of the City's Tree Code Is a Nightmare for Portlanders." I heard from Portlanders across the city who shared similar stories: problem trees on their property, months of frustration, and endless battles with Urban Forestry over regulations that felt disconnected from common sense.

The Urban Forestry Commission, created under Title 11 in 2015, oversees the rules, budgets, and policies governing Portland's urban forest. Protecting our tree canopy matters, but it became clear that Portland's tree regulations had overgrown their original intent. At some point, we started prioritizing trees above people and safety.

First, I took action by voting to reduce Urban Forestry's enforcement, administrative, and violation fees. Next, I led the charge to transfer all Urban Forestry's tree enforcement regulations from Portland Parks & Recreation to the Planning, Permitting, and Development Bureau. This change better aligns enforcement responsibilities with the bureau who already conducts code enforcement and frees up Parks Levy resources for much-needed park maintenance and community programs.

Most importantly, this refocused Urban Forestry back to its core mission: expanding Portland's tree canopy.

Livability & Addressing Unsheltered Homelessness

Addressing unsheltered homelessness is one of the most urgent and complex challenges facing Portland.

At the start of the year, Mayor Wilson set a goal to significantly expand shelter capacity. City Council supported that goal, funded it, and the Mayor delivered. More shelter beds came online, but vacancy rates remain high, and neighborhoods needed clear expectations and support as new shelters opened.

There should be absolutely no camping on the street while shelter beds remain vacant. That's why I continue to ensure that the City commits to enforcing our camping regulations. I also want to ensure that shelters work for both the people they serve and the neighborhoods around them. That meant pushing for direct and responsive reporting systems, enforcing the 1,000-foot priority response zone, and setting clear standards: no lines, no loitering, no drug dealing, no trash.

As the City's representative to Multnomah County's Homelessness Response System Steering and Oversight Committee, I work closely with the County to review their Homelessness Response System and Action Plan. I continue to advocate for pod-village shelters across the county and am pushing to use the "By Name List" to target specific issues, rather than relying on the current one-size-fits-all approach.

Multnomah County needs clear goals, accountability, and I expect transparency and measurable progress in meeting them. Because addressing unsheltered homelessness requires clear directive, and most importantly follow-through.

Housing and Development & my Design Review Resolution

Affordability is a crisis facing nearly all Portlanders. And it's time we start acting like it.

As Finance Chair, I focused on removing barriers that were slowing production and/or increasing costs to signal to builders and investors that Portland is open for business.

One of the most impactful steps we took was advancing a three-year System Development Charge waiver introduced by Mayor Wilson and Governor Kotek. The policy targets the construction of 5,000 new homes and is designed to jumpstart housing production across all income levels. I am proud to have helped move this proposal through committee and onto the Council floor, where it passed unanimously.

But cost is only one barrier. Portland's design review process is another major obstacle. The current system is overly complex and slow, often producing uniform buildings that meet technical requirements but lack creativity, forgo additional floors and the additional housing units that come with them. In District 4, we cannot afford to "under-develop" the Central City.

That's why I partnered with Councilor Morillo to develop a Design Review Resolution that begins the process of reforming how Portland approaches design review. Our goal was to cut through unnecessary red tape while being a city that says "yes!" to creative and dense development.

The resolution directs the City Administrator to report back to Council on existing design review types and to recommend potential long-term code changes to streamline the process. It also opens the door to immediate, short-term exemptions that could help projects move forward while broader reforms are developed.

The System Development Charge waiver and my Design Review Resolution will position Portland to build more housing, faster.

Standing Up to Federal Overreach and Protecting American Norms

When reports first surfaced about the federal government's threat to deploy federal agents and National Guard troops in Portland, City Council, Portlanders, and the State of Oregon stood united.

We knew there was no operational or legal justification for an increased federal presence in Portland, and certainly no justification for the deployment of National Guard troops in American cities. Our city was functioning as it should. Police, fire, and emergency services were responding to calls as they do in any major metropolitan area. Violent crime was down nearly 52 percent, and shootings dropped by 33 percent compared to the year prior.

Attorney General Rayfield, with the support of Governor Tina Kotek and City of Portland lawyers, filed a lawsuit challenging the attempted federalization of the National Guard. The case argued that Title 10 allows federalization only in cases of invasion, rebellion, or when federal law cannot otherwise be enforced. None of those circumstances applied to Portland, Oregon.

City Council also acted decisively. We unanimously passed the Protect Portland Initiative and reaffirmed our Sanctuary City ordinance, making it clear that no city employee would engage in federal immigration enforcement. We also committed to training staff on how to navigate federal encounters with the safety and rights of Portlanders front of mind.

Despite the facts, Portland was repeatedly portrayed on the national stage as a "war zone" and a "wasteland." That narrative was false, and it demanded a response.

This instance wasn't exclusive to the judicial branch, the court of public opinion mattered too. The federal government used propaganda, media created with bias to spread disinformation, to attack Portland on a national level. From the White House Press Secretary's podium to the Secretary of Homeland Security's visit, it was all propaganda. And propaganda is not fact.

And the best way to fight propaganda? Facts. I accepted every national media opportunity I could to speak directly to Americans outside the Pacific Northwest and challenge the false portrayal of Portland as a city in rebellion. In every interview, I was clear: demonstration of disagreement is not rebellion. Portland was not a war zone. And that we are an American city standing firm in defense of constitutional rights and democratic norms.

Ultimately, the courts agreed that the situation did not justify troops on our streets. U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut issued multiple temporary restraining orders blocking the deployment of the Oregon National Guard and preventing the mobilization of troops from other states. While parts of those rulings were challenged, the City and State continued to push back using every legal tool available.

This moment underscored what Portlanders already knew about our city. We believe in free speech. We strongly believe that immigrants are valued members of our community. And if you call Portland home, you are welcome and protected.

I am so proud of how Portland showed up during this moment. In a situation like this, things could have changed for the worse at any moment. And you still showed up. You practiced your first amendment constitutional rights with tact-and frog suits. It's a proud year to be a Portlander.

More Wins:

A full year's worth of work can only fit so neatly into a single newsletter. Here are a few additional accomplishments from this year that I think are important:

Sidewalks for Southwest Portland: Council passed the Sidewalk Improvement and Pavement Project (SIPP), a major win for District 4 and our neighbors in District 1. In a city that values accessibility, we can all agree: anything is better than mud.

I-405 & District 4 Sidewalk Cleaning Initiative: Working with the Public Environment Management Office, I helped fund and launch a new sidewalk cleaning program to keep District 4's busiest sidewalks clean on a regular schedule. Councilor Clark and I also secured additional funding for enhanced seven-day-a-week cleaning along the I-405 corridor near the St. Stephens and Northrup shelters.

Extended Parking Hours Reversed: Over the summer, downtown paid parking hours were extended later into the evening. I pushed back and successfully convinced the Mayor to reverse that decision. The extended hours didn't make sense for residents or visitors, especially as we work to revitalize Downtown.

Neighborhood & Community Engagement: From my first City Club event to packed town halls in the Pearl, and even meeting a 24-year-old goose at Goose Hollow Days, engaging with our community has been one of my favorite parts of this job. In 2026, I'm committing to spending more time away from City Hall to connect directly with you, whether it be a town hall, a cup of coffee, or neighborhood association meeting.

What is Eric Eating?!

Running for office didn't exactly prepare me for a side gig as a food blogger, but sharing some of my favorite Portland spots with you has been a fun part of the job. From Mother's Bistro to Escape from New York Pizza, Portland has some amazing food-though nothing beats a bag of Doritos during a late night at City Hall.

So, What's Next?

In 2026, I want to do everything I can to position the City to retain our Portland Trail Blazers. As the most outdated arena in the league, the Moda Center needs our attention to ensure it remains a competitive venue space for all types of events in the years to come. More to come, but with the sale of the Blazers on the horizon, I'm telling you exactly where I'm at when it comes to our future together. Go Blazers!

I also plan to be as engaged as possible--meeting constituents for neighborhood coffees, hosting town halls, and attending your neighborhood association meetings. Here's a look at where I'll be the first few months of the year:

*These dates and locations may change. Follow me on social media for updates and details.

On a personal note, I hope your holiday season has been positive. In my family, my youngest sister welcomed her second daughter. With a newborn in the family, our gatherings were a little calmer this year but good nonetheless, we are lucky that everyone is local. As the uncle to three nephews and two nieces I do my best to keep up with their basketball, soccer, and T-ball schedules. As we enter 2026, I'm sure I'll see some of you at the gyms, parks, and fields-please say hi and have a great New Year.

See you soon,

Councilor Eric Zimmerman