As Multnomah County approaches adoption of its FY 2027 budget tomorrow, it is worth asking a basic question:

What is the point of the billions of dollars being spent?

A budget should answer that question. It should reveal an organization's priorities, explain how it intends to achieve them, and show how success will be measured.

As Multnomah County’s budget process winds down over the next couple of weeks, it’s important to remember that County officials have essentially promised that homelessness would not improve over the coming year no matter what they did. 

People keep asking me whether I’d run for Multnomah County Chair, and I truly appreciate all the support and encouragement. Before answering, I want to clear up some confusion about the race itself, and then share how I’m actually thinking beyond the brief conversational exchange.