Budget

At the Trustees meeting in Portland Tuesday, union leaders demanded the vote be delayed, repeating their earlier objections that the budget process has been rushed and hasn’t included enough worker input.

The city has 662 vacant positions and a more than $12 million budget gap.

The university is seeking 2.5% average cuts across its schools and colleges, in order to help fill a budget deficit. It’s said it will notify affected staff during the week of Sept. 7.

The public college’s Board of Trustees adopted a new budget on Friday. It includes a sobering $5 million budget deficit the university has to address within a year.

Wilson joined OPB's "Think Out Loud" to discuss his plans for executing this final budget, the Portland police's role in protests and the possibility of National Guard troops in the city.

“The budget that’s being proposed and likely to be adopted will effectively be a reduction in resources available to [institutions],” said Kevin Neely, interim executive director of the Oregon Council of Presidents.

Oregon lawmakers have until June 29 to finish legislative business and adjourn the 2025 regular session. Rep. Christine Drazan (R-Canby) spoke with "Think Out Loud" host Dave Miller about what she sees as the biggest challenges in the last two weeks of the session.

“Think Out Loud” guest host Geoff Norcross spoke with Senate Majority Leader Kayse Jama, D-Portland, to get his thoughts on progress toward sine die. 

The change translates into $168 million in savings for districts across the state — money schools can now use for other needs.

This Wednesday, the new 12-person Portland City Council will face the most consequential task of their first few months in office: approving the city’s annual budget.