One thing is for certain: downtown and the Central City feel alive. Summer is here, budget season is behind us, and there's a lot to catch up on in this month's Q2 newsletter.

Many of you know that, in addition to serving as a Portland City Councilor, I continue to serve in the Oregon Army National Guard, an all-volunteer force. Sometimes you ask me what that experience is like and about my role. Here's a look!

Happy Pride, Portland! There’s no better way to celebrate Pride Month than by celebrating the opening of Darcelle XV Plaza. Don’t miss the ribbon-cutting ceremony tomorrow and the grand opening on June 25.

Happy Pride, Portland!

I’m usually quite aggressive during budget season, but this year I took a different approach. My focus was on protecting the city’s financial standing, preserving the core services Portlanders rely on, and maintaining the public safety and livability programs that are making a difference.

Visiting Portland’s parks this summer made easy. Portland Parks & Recreation is offering free shuttle rides to the Oregon Zoo in Washington Park, Pittock Mansion, and three Forest Park trailheads.

City Council approved Portland’s $8.5B budget, I voted NO on raising taxes or adding new fees, and joined PBOT to help repave NW 23rd. A lot is happening in this month’s newsletter.

When I need a solution, I go to the Public Environment Management Office (PEMO). PEMO is a team that knows how to coordinate across bureaus so issues don’t bounce around, sticking with a project until the job is done.

Our city is defined by our neighborhoods, each uniquely Portland in their own way. Much of that is thanks to our neighborhood associations, who advocate for and work to improve their communities.

The Community Warehouse helps turn a new house into a home.

I spent this morning with the @pbotinfo.bsky.social (PBOT) helping pave Northwest 23rd. The block between Quimby and Pettygrove may officially be the smoothest road in the city.

Thank you to everyone who showed up to District 4’s Budget Listening Session last night. We’re heading into a budget deficit year, which means we’re going to have to make some difficult decisions. There’s no way around that.

I sat down with the Northwest Examiner to talk about everything happening at City Hall. We covered the Northrup Shelter closure, the PBOT funding package, and more. Thanks for the interview, Allan.

Budget season is here. This month, we're discussing Moda Center, Broadway Corridor, the return of the Thompson Elk, and more.

I was proud to join Governor Kotek as she signed Senate Bill 1501. Now it’s time for the city to do our part. As she said, “This is a time to get it done.”

I visited the Porch Light & Street Light shelters with @mayorkwilson.bsky.social and @juliabrim-edwards.bsky.social.

Shoutout to Mike Bennett’s Portland Aquarium for being featured in The New York Times. Very cool.

It was time. For a shelter to work, it needs to have robust cleanup services and neighborhood enhancement programs from the start, and they missed the mark at Northrup. Without those in place, the Pearl District and surrounding area felt the impact, especially during the morning hours.

I’m glad I got to attend Mayor Wilson’s State of the City. His speech emphasized the importance of core city services, including funding for parks, community centers, livability, and public safety.

Today felt like a good day to bring this video back.

It took too long to allocate the $56 million in excess housing funds, but hey—we got there. A portion of those dollars is now going toward priorities I’ve been pushing since December, when the funds were first “found” after a round of questions I raised with the Portland Rental Services Office.

More on my Business License Tax relief ordinance that passed full Council this week:

Portland needs to prioritize our core lines of business: safe roads and parks, accessible public spaces, building new housing to improve affordability, and ensuring 911 calls are answered quickly and reliably.

This week I convened an office happy hour with Councilors Zimmerman and Pirtle-Guiney to support a small business in Northwest Portland, Bar Diane, which is owned by my friends Sami and Christian Gaston.

Today, we’re eating a BLT sandwich to celebrate our BLT exemption passing full Council. This policy reduces taxes over the next two years for thousands of small businesses and aligns Portland’s exemption with the Multnomah County’s existing $100,000 gross receipts threshold by 2027.

Every step forward matters. And for small businesses, every dollar saved makes a difference.

My proposal doubles the business tax exemption by 2027, lowering taxes for small businesses across Portland. It also makes our city more attractive to new businesses so we can grow our economic engine and better fuel the future of our city. Thanks for the coverage, KATU.

District 4 is hosting a Budget Open House this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Portland Building. Hearing directly from Portlanders shapes how I approach difficult budget decisions, especially when we’re expecting another deficit year.

I’m very proud that my proposal to lower taxes for thousands of small businesses across Portland passed its first reading before full Council today.

This week, @mayorkwilson.bsky.social and Councilor Zimmerman’s proposal to lower taxes for approximately 10,000 small businesses across Portland goes before full Council for its first reading.

With March and Q1 coming to an end, I’ve been focused on advocating for Moda Center renovation funding at both the City and State level, advancing dense, mixed-income housing development, and supporting small businesses.

We may spring forward this season, but it’s important to slow down in Portland’s school zones. Councilors Clark, Green, and I joined volunteers at West Hills Montessori School to welcome students back and remind drivers to reduce their speed and stay alert as kids return from Spring Break.

I joined the League of Oregon Cities in Washington, D.C. to meet with our federal delegation and advocate for local transportation funding, with a focus on directing more resources to safety projects.

When I met with Senator @merkley.senate.gov in D.C. to discuss Medicaid funding for Portland Street Response and increased federal investment in affordable housing and transportation, I didn’t expect to leave his office with a quest.

Of course, I had to stop by the cherry blossoms at Waterfront Park. They’ll be in full bloom this weekend and should last about another week, don’t miss it!

Councilor Smith and I are in D.C. this week, so we took the opportunity to meet with Senator Wyden to advocate for Portland Street Response’s Medicaid funding, continued investment in our city’s water infrastructure, and federal support that strengthens our local economy and helps businesses grow.

Council Vice President Clark and I are hosting a Town Hall with special guest City Administrator Lee at Sellwood Community House on April 14 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Everyone is welcome, so come with your questions for the three of us. Learn more here: www.portland.gov/council/dist...

“It Gets Better” may not be as cool as it once was, but its message still holds true. I’m proud of Portland for passing our LGBTQ+ protections package.

Yesterday, City Council voted unanimously to allocate $150,000 from the City’s Legal Priorities Reserve Fund to SOAR Immigration Legal Services.

Tomorrow my Business License Tax exemption proposal goes before full Council, and I think that it’s exactly the kind of policy Portland needs right now because it will benefit 10,000 small businesses over the next two years.

February was a busy month! Highlights include a proposed small Business License Tax exception, Moda Center funding, City Club of Portland, and more.

I stopped by the construction site for Ukandu’s new Loft, which will serve as the organization’s headquarters and year-round program hub.

My proposal, co-sponsored by @mayorkwilson.bsky.social, to raise the City’s small Business License Tax (BLT) exemption passed Finance Committee unanimously and will now move to full Council for a vote.

Last week I joined Councilor Zimmerman and our staffs for lunch at Mother’s Bistro & Bar, which has been serving delicious comfort food downtown for 26 years. Executive chef and owner Lisa Schroeder has been a wonderful cheerleader for our small businesses, and it was a pleasure to show our support.

Stop by JoLa Cafe tomorrow morning and let’s chat over a cup of coffee. JoLa Cafe | Coffee-Bar-Kitchen 5915 S Corbett Ave, Portland, OR 97239 Tuesday, February 24 at 8 a.m.

Funding renovations to the Moda Center has broad support from City Council and the Mayor. Now we need the State on board. The City should commit to an initial investment to retrofit the arena. After all, Portland owns the Moda Center—we purchased it for $1 in 2024.

When Sophie Peel asked, “What is your proudest accomplishment from this last year?” my answer wasn’t something I can take sole credit for. It’s something all of Portland came together to accomplish.

Thank you to City Club of Portland and to everyone who showed up to this year’s Meet Your District 4 City Councilors event.

Not a coffee person? Let’s grab a drink instead. Join me at John’s Marketplace on February 26 at 6:30 p.m. for drinks and candid conversation. John’s Marketplace – Multnomah 3535 SW Multnomah Blvd Portland, OR 97219 Thursday, February 26 at 6:30 p.m.

10,000 small businesses across Portland will benefit from the proposal @mayorkwilson.bsky.social and I introduced to raise the City’s BLT exemption. That means business revenue reinvested into local storefronts, supporting small business growth and Portlanders employing Portlanders.