FILE: Councilor Steve Novick at a Portland City Council meeting on Feb. 5, 2025. Novick led the charge to reverse a decision to withhold funding for Portland Children's Levy grant recipients.
Anna Lueck for OPB
Portland City Councilors voted unanimously Wednesday to reverse their own controversial decision to withhold expected grant funding to dozens of organizations that support children.
“The best time to not make a mistake is the first time, but the second best time is when you get to choose again,” said Councilor Mitch Green, who originally voted to cut off the grant funding three weeks ago. “I regret that vote. I do want to apologize for any harm this has caused in the community.”
The reversal demonstrates the new council’s willingness to admit mistakes and change course six months into the new job.
The Portland Children’s Levy is a decades-old city initiative focused on supporting vulnerable Portland kids through mentorship, after-school programs, hunger and abuse prevention and other projects. The levy is funded by a five-year property tax that collects 40 cents on every $1,000 of assessed property value. It’s been approved by voters four times and was last renewed in 2023.
Among other priorities, the program focuses on eliminating racial and ethnic disparities among Portland kids.
On June 4, the Portland City Council voted 7-5 to reject a $64 million funding package that the Portland Children’s Levy had planned to disperse among more than 60 nonprofits starting July 1. At the time, councilors echoed concerns raised by a few nonprofits, which accused the city program of not equitably disbursing funds among nonprofits that serve Black youth.
City staff pushed back, noting that the city had recently reconfigured its grant awarding process to make it more equitable. In the latest grant cycle, staff said, nonprofits that serve communities of color were far more likely to be awarded money than those that do not.
But councilors stood firm on their decision. To soften the blow, however, councilors unanimously voted to extend funding for current levy grantees for an additional year — time they said could be spent reevaluating the grant distribution process. Yet that did nothing for 36 other nonprofits, which anticipated receiving more than $17 million in grant funding.
Those organizations and their supporters raised a swift outcry, urging elected officials to reconsider their decision.
Councilor Steve Novick responded by introducing a last-minute ordinance Wednesday that would reverse both June 4 votes, restoring the previous grant awards.
Before voting Wednesday, councilors heard from several nonprofit leaders who were relying on the rescinded funds, ranging from a youth mentorship program for immigrants and refugees to a program that supports Black youth victims of domestic violence.
Several pointed to the levy’s uniquely equitable funding process.
“In my 15 years as a nonprofit leader, I was relieved by this thoughtful, equity-driven process created by the Portland Children’s Levy,” said Sprinavasa Turner, executive director of Experience Life Science Outdoors, a nonprofit that runs science camps for marginalized youth.
Turner said the rescinded funding could lead to staff layoffs and a significant reduction in programming at her nonprofit.
“We urge you to honor the process, respect the recommendations, and restore the funding,” she said.
FILE: Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane at a Portland City Council meeting Feb. 5, 2025.
Anna Lueck for OPB
Councilors voted 12-0 to do just that. They also passed an amendment, introduced by Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane, that directed the levy’s leadership to reevaluate their grant making process and, if needed, bring recommended changes to the council.
Those who initially voted to withhold funding expressed regret for not being fully informed on the grant process, while those who initially fought to keep the funding intact thanked their colleagues for changing course.
“Humility and vulnerability are leadership traits,” said Councilor Dan Ryan, who sits on the Portland Children’s Levy grant advisory committee.
Novick said he was surprised by councilors’ overwhelming support of his proposal, and that “willing to change your mind and make mistakes” is essential to being a good public official.
Councilors Angelita Morillo and Loretta Smith were the most hesitant to support the proposal, and both underscored the importance of potentially restructuring the grant process.
“If we fail to address those structural issues, then we’re not actually doing right by the community in the long run,” said Morillo.
Despite the reversal, it may take time for elected officials to regain the trust lost by nonprofit leaders and communities of color.
Eric Knox is the executive director of HOLLA, a nonprofit that connects youth of color in East Portland with adult mentors. Knox told councilors Wednesday he was “stunned” to learn that the new 12-person city council, which is the city’s most racially diverse, would reject funding to strengthen equity in Portland.
“We are watching members of our own community who once campaigned on courage fold into politics of self preservation,” Knox said during public testimony. “We expected more. We still do. This isn’t just about money, it’s about trust. It’s about the soul of the city and whether it can still recognize justice when it’s staring in its face.”
