|
|
|
|
For questions or more information, please contact bhoop@ci.portland.or.us, or call 503-823-3075.
--posted April 16, 2008--
MAYOR'S BUDGET PROPOSES TO FUND FIRST YEAR OF FIVE YEAR PLAN TO INCREASE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Mayor Potter released his proposed budget for the next fiscal year, starting July 1, 2008. The budget proposes to fund most of Community Connect's budget requests to implement the first year of the Five Year Plan to Increase Community Involvement.
The Mayor's proposed budget for the Office of Neighborhood Involvement (ONI) awards $997,524 in one-time funding. The original budget package deliberated by the ONI Bureau Advisory Committee package requested $1,071,039, of which $299,000 was requested in ongoing funding for Diversity and Civic Leadership programs.
"We are in the midst of a difficult budget climate, with available dollars being highly contested and an ever shrinking pot of on-going funds," said Amalia Alarcón de Morris, ONI Director. "That being said, ONI has once again fared very well under the thoughtful leadership of a Mayor who understands and is extremely supportive of the work we do."
According to the March 2008 financial projection, a budget surplus of $33 million was anticipated, of which $5 million was available in ongoing funds and $28 million in one-time funds. Budget requests by other bureaus for general fund dollars totaled $30 million in ongoing funds and $83 million in one-time funds.
To review the Mayor's comments, please click here. (Comments specific to ONI are on p. 7.) To review budget decisions for all bureaus, please click here. (See p. 26 and 27 for information related to ONI.)
Those who wish to comment on the Mayor's Proposed budget can log their comments on through the Community Budget website: www.portlandonline.com/communitybudget , or attend a public hearing on the evening of Thursday, May 8. City Council will consider any changes to the budget when they formally approve it on May 14. The budget will become final when Council adopts the budget on June 19.
--posted March 24, 2008--
ADAMS-STEN TEAM RECOMMENDS ONE-TIME FUNDING FOR ONI BUDGET The Adams-Sten budget team released its recommendations on the requested budgets of 10 City bureaus, including the Office of Neighborhood Involvement (ONI). The 4-member team ultimately recommended one-time funding for most of ONI's budget requests.
This latest development in the budget process marks the last formal step to influence major decisions of the Mayor's Proposed Budget for FY 08-09, which will be released April 15.
One of the largest components of ONI's budget is a request for $1,071,039, comprised of one-time requests and an ongoing request of $299,000 to implement first year strategies of the Five Year Plan to Increase Community Involvement.
While Commissioners Adams and Sten voted to fund all of the package's requests as one-time funding, the community advisors of Mary Edmeades and Martin Medeiros did not support funding for the Diversity and Civic Leadership Organizing Project and staffing for various ONI initiatives such as the Portland Citizen Disability Advisory Committee.
The portions of the budget package on which the team didn't reach agreement have been referred to the Mayor to determine in developing his proposed budget. Mayor Potter will consider public input, team recommendations, and the recommendations of the City's Financial Planning Division (FPD) to develop his budget. FPD has supported all of ONI's budget requests with one-time funding in its recommendations.
Coming up next: - April 15, 2008 - The Mayor will release his proposed budget decisions. - May 2, 2008 - Mayor's proposed budget available on the Community Budget website. - May 8, 2008 - Members of the public can comment on the Mayor's Proposed budget prior to Council approval. Testimony can also be given via fax, postal mail, or online (log-in required).
-- posted March 11, 2008 -- ADAMS-STEN BUDGET TEAM SUPPORTIVE OF ONI'S BUDGET
The budget team led by Commissioners Adams and Sten expressed initial support of the requested budget of the Office of Neighborhood Involvement (ONI) for the 2008-09 fiscal year yesterday.
"This is the only budget that I've committed to support full funding for," Commissioner Adams said. He noted the effectiveness of the small grants program in leveraging community resources and described the ONI budget process as "remarkable."
ONI Director Amalia Alarcón de Morris introduced ONI's budget, which requests $6,566,823. This amount continues ONI's current service levels, provides for continued funding for existing programs, and proposes funding for brand new programs.
The main component of ONI's budget is a budget package for $1,071,039, which contains many of the first year recommendations of the Five Year Plan to Increase Community Involvement. Alarcón de Morris explained that this budget package was hammered out through a 48-member committee representing the neighborhood system, members of the Diversity and Civic Leadership (DCL) project, other community organizations, and ONI staff.
"We started with $2.5 million in requests, most of those ongoing," Alarcón de Morris said. "In order to bring it down to a reasonable request, we had some difficult conversations, but in the end, [ONI's budget workgroup] unanimously stood behind this package."
After ONI presented its budget, Bob Tomlinson of the Financial Planning Division of the Office of Management and Finance shared his analysis. Overall, he agreed with funding for all of ONI's budget package. However, he recommended one-time funding for the Diversity and Civic Leadership project.
Citing reduced ongoing funding from the latest economic forecast and other committed projects, Commissioner Adams asked Alarcón de Morris to consider ways to further cut the $299,000 in ongoing requests. Another member of the budget team, Martin Medeiros, asked about ONI's fundraising capacity.
The budget session concluded with testimony from Dora Reyna, a participant of the Diversity and Leadership Academy administered through Latino Network, and Doretta Schrock, co-chair of ONI's Bureau Advisory Committee and staff at North Portland Neighborhood Services. Both spoke to the value of the DCL program in providing an opportunity for voices to be heard and connections to be made among underrepresented groups.
The budget team will make their recommendations public on March 24 on www.portlandonline.com/communitybudget . Mayor Potter will consider these recommendations and other input in releasing his proposed budget in mid-April.
CITY COUNCIL VOTES TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN PORTLAND ***Click here for full story. Click here to view a web video of the Council session.*** (Real Player required for video)
Pictured below are images from the Feb. 27, 2008 Council hearing.
(Left to right): Colin McCormack, Public Involvement Policy Manager for Mayor Potter: Cece Hughley Noel, Community Connect chair and Southeast Uplift Director; and Amalia Alarcón de Morris, Office of Neighborhood Involvement director.
(Left to right): Paige Coleman, Boise Neighborhood Association and Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods; Joice Taylor, North-Northeast Business Association; and Carol McCreary, Old Town-Chinatown Neighborhood Association.
|
