It’s time we start thinking and working proactively. The Chair’s Working Group is designed to take a tactical approach to developing clear, well-thought-out financial policies that work with our new form of government and set the City up for success this year and in the years ahead.

Happy New Year, Portland! Catch up on everything we accomplished in 2025 and take a look at what I’m focused on heading into 2026. Read it here: bit.ly/zimmerman-20...

Last night’s @trailblazers.bsky.social game and Pride Night were so much fun. Did we win in overtime because the game ball was rubbed on my head for good luck at the start of the game? I think so.

In 2026, I want cranes in the sky. I intend to deliver on Design Review reforms and keep cutting the red tape that has slowed or deterred development in Portland. Next year is about more development, more jobs, more homes, faster.

I was invited to join Portland’s Jewish community on the first night of Hanukkah. It was an honor to stand alongside Jewish community leaders, elected officials, neighbors, and gather with constituents on such an important evening.

Portland, what are your expectations when you engage with Council, and how can I better meet those expectations?

I’m excited to share that our Design Review Resolution passed full Council! When @councilormorillo.bsky.social and I started drafting this, our goal was to cut through unnecessary red tape while staying true to “Keep Portland Weird.”

If “finders keepers” applied, I would invest these dollars in developing as many new homes as possible—at the affordable, middle, and workforce levels.

Today, I introduced a resolution to improve how Council reviews bureau budgets. I’m proud to say that it passed and will be moving on to full Council.

Last week, I went to Capitol Hill and met with Oregon’s representatives in the House and Senate to urge them to push for federal standards for law enforcement and ICE operating in our cities: agents must show their faces, and they must use clearly marked government vehicles during operations.

This month, I’m feeling grateful. Read more about my Design Review Resolution and other updates in this month’s newsletter.

From Thanksgiving dinner to Downtown’s 41st annual Christmas tree lighting. Happy Holidays, Portland.

I toured Moda Center today to see the construction updates completed over the summer and to talk with the team about how the City can partner with them moving forward. I’m looking forward to seeing the @trailblazers.bsky.social beat the Bulls tonight under Moda Center’s brand-new scoreboard.

Pettygrove Park feels a little different from the other two parks in Lawrence Halprin’s three-park sequence. Still, when you walk the full sequence, the experience feels like a quick PNW hike tucked into the city.

I stopped by Nike to see their new downtown storefront. Congratulations on a successful grand opening—I know I’m happy you’re back.

I’m excited that our Design Review Resolution was approved by the Climate, Resilience, and Land Use Committee and will now move on to full Council.

Proud of Governor Tina Kotek and the Oregon Department of Human Services for getting Oregon’s SNAP benefits back online this morning. Keep up the good work!

Early ballot returns show that Portland’s Parks Levy will pass, securing funding to keep our parks open, keeping programming and classes like those at Sellwood Park’s Shack running, and protecting jobs for Portland Parks & Recreation employees.

Judge Immergut has extended her temporary restraining order (TRO), blocking National Guard troops from any state from deploying to Oregon until this Friday, November 7, as she prepares to issue her final decision on the matter.

This month we start by celebrating the wins, then dive into Portland and the federal government.

It’s important that Portlanders know their city stands with them. We are not playing the same game as the federal government. When you need a city service, you can rest assured that no city employee will engage in immigration enforcement.

Yesterday, the 9th Circuit Court granted an “en banc review,” vacating its earlier decision and moving the case to be heard by eleven 9th Circuit judges who will issue a new ruling. During this time, Judge Karin J. Immergut’s temporary restraining orders (TRO) remain in effect.

The deployment of federal troops on U.S. streets in response to citizens protesting the federal government is deeply inappropriate.

Thank you, Senators @wyden.senate.gov and @merkley.senate.gov, for standing up to the federal government to ensure SNAP benefits are released and Oregonians can get their groceries next month.

I partnered with @councilorclark.bsky.social and PEMO to launch the new citywide sidewalk cleaning initiative, ensuring District 4’s sidewalks are cleaned on a regular schedule. This is a win for livability in District 4!

The City and State will use every legal tool we have to push back against this week’s 9th Circuit Court ruling. There’s a much larger legal battle ahead and we’re nowhere near done.

How about instead of wasting millions to deploy the National Guard where they’re not needed, we feed kids? Or instead of offering new federal agents $50k signing bonuses, we make sure our elders can afford groceries? This is a gross misuse of taxpayer dollars. Shame on the federal government.

Propaganda items are not fact. And propaganda should never be used to turn a city in our own country into the enemy. That’s what’s happening right now and it should sound the alarm for every governor, really every American across the nation. Thanks for having me, Brianna. Always a pleasure.

Know this: Portland will continue to use every legal, policy, and advocacy tool available to defend our democracy and our values.

I am so proud of Portlanders. These past few weeks, you’ve shown up—and tonight, you showed up again.

I stand with @ofnhp.bsky.social union members. Their strike is about having a voice in decisions that directly impact patient care. Keep up the good work and strike on.

There is no fire here. There never was. Every day at City Hall, I’m working to tackle Portland’s real challenges: homelessness and mental health, housing and development, and more. We all know these issues exist, and we aren’t shy about talking about them.

What we’re seeing in Portland is unconstitutional. Using American cities as a “training ground” for military operations is a terrifying thought—and a dangerous abuse of power. Federal agents are using excessive force against Portlanders, deliberately fueling tension to justify their own overreach.

The City of Portland will continue to protect our citizens’ First Amendment rights. The right to protest peacefully is as American as it gets. Yet the federal government has responded with excessive force on our streets. This is unacceptable.

Illinois is now in court resisting the federal deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago. I’m not on the ground there, but I trust @govpritzker.illinois.gov when they say Chicago does not need military intervention.

Another update: the court has blocked the deployment of federalized National Guard troops from ALL states and Washington D.C. to Oregon. This was based on the facts: there is no justification for a federal military presence on our streets.

Federalized California National Guard troops landed in Oregon last night. This is a deeply concerning and dangerous overreach that undermines the norms and laws of the United States. Portland won its case in court. Our city has been protesting peacefully. That remains true—nothing has changed.

Portlanders have been protesting peacefully. We knew it. And now the has court confirmed it. Portland is not on fire, and certainly isn’t a threat to national security. This ruling shows that Oregon is standing firm and can self-govern. This is a win for Portland, and for all of us.

This week, Portland hosted leaders from nearly every city in Oregon for the League of Oregon Cities annual conference. A few arrived concerned by national headlines, only to discover the reality: it’s just another day here in Portland.

Once more for the record: federal troops are not needed in Portland. It's a waste of taxpayer's $10 million. Thank you @tinakotek.bsky.social for calling this out.

Federal activity, parking hours rolled back, unions, and more—all in my September Newsletter. Read it here: bit.ly/46xOp3S

We did it! Starting today, downtown parking hours roll back to 7 p.m. The City is pausing the 10 p.m. extension, with the exception of some event districts. This is a big win—for Portlanders, for downtown, and for the role City Council plays in decision-making.

Portland is home. There is no situation here that requires increased federal presence, and certainly not federal troops on our streets.

Let Portland leaders lead. Our city is working as it should. Police, fire, and rescue are handling the same calls as any major metro area. We are a different administration with a different approach: we respect Portlanders' First Amendment rights while maintaining public order.

This is one of the biggest moments of these new officers’ lives, and it’s always an honor to be part of it. Congratulations to our newest officers and thank you to @ppbchief.bsky.social for your leadership in achieving the largest hiring class since the ‘90s.

Portland is the city that walks. Between January and August of this year, Downtown welcomed over 1 million more people than in 2024—a 5.6% increase. Each month brought steady growth, with Portlanders and visitors enjoying meals, shopping, seeing movies, and simply walking our city’s streets.

This week I stopped by Hoyt Arboretum, where more than 6,000 trees from across the globe grow—including rare and endangered species. It’s ranked one of the top 100 arboretums in the world, and it’s free for everyone to enjoy. Thanks for the tour, Anna.

The extension of parking hours wasn’t decided by Council; it was made unilaterally by the mayor’s office. Council should have a voice in decisions like this, and I appreciate my colleagues’ commitment to reaffirming our authority.

Swimming? Check. Skateboarding? Check. VR games, yoga, weightlifting, and even a water slide? All under one roof at the Southwest Community Center in Gabriel Park. Thank you LiUNA Local 483 for the tour and for the great work you are doing for our community.

I want to be clear: I have heard from residents in District 4—and across Portland—who have strong opinions on the ICE facility. The City is responding through our state land use law process, and we will take the investigation very seriously.