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Multnomah County Budget for Fiscal Year 2013
Multnomah County Chair Jeff Cogen’s Executive Budget for the Fiscal Year 2013 will be released next Thursday, May 3rd. Throughout the month of May, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners will begin budget work sessions to better understand the impact of the budget on county departments and services provided to Multnomah County residents.
During this process, testimony from the public will be vital in helping the Board of County Commissioners make the tough decisions necessary to balance the County’s budget. The entire calendar of budget work sessions and public hearings is posted here: web.multco.us/budget.
Additionally, the Office of Citizen Involvement is conducting a survey to identify community budget priorities: http://bit.ly/yNizhD. If you have any questions, please contact my office at 503-988-5219 or district2@multco.us.
Sen. Ron Wyden encourages extension of county payments
NEWS CONFERENCE
10 a.m., Sunday, March 18, Multnomah County Building, 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Ron Wyden, Local Government and State School Officials on the Need for House Approval of County Payments Extension
Hundreds of Jobs and Millions of Dollars in Services Will be Lost if the Program is Not Renewed
Oregon Senator Ron Wyden and local government and state school officials will hold a news conference at 10 a.m. Sunday, March 18, 2012, on the need for the House of Representatives to pass the Senate-approved one-year extension of county payments. Without the extension, counties and school districts will be forced to reduce services and lay off employees.
The county payments program, known as Secure Rural Schools, expired on September 30, 2011. Since 2000, the Wyden-authored program has provided federal payments to rural counties that have lost revenue from reduced federal timber sales. Under the one-year extension of the program approved last week by the Senate, Oregon counties and schools will receive $102 million during fiscal year 2013.
WHO:
- Senator Ron Wyden
- Clackamas County Commissioner Ann Lininger
- Columbia County Commissioner Tony Hyde
- Polk County Commissioner Craig Pope
- Multnomah County Commissioner Loretta Smith
- Betsy Miller-Jones, Oregon School Boards Association Eric Schmidt, Association of Oregon Counties
WHAT:
- News conference on the need for the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the one-year extension of the county payments program.
WHEN:
- 10 a.m., Sunday, March 18, 2012
WHERE:
- Multnomah County Boardroom 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Portland, OR
Contact:
Tom Towslee
State Communications Director
Office of Senator Ron Wyden
Looking for a job? Multnomah County Libraries can help
Commissioner Smith speaks about the new Libraries for Livelihoods program in North Portland.
Multnomah County residents continue to feel the impacts of the global recession, and while the unemployment rate is showing marginal improvement, landing a job is still a daunting task.
One barrier to employment is computer and internet access. Many job postings and applications are only available online, making internet access an essential resource for job seekers.
Commissioner Loretta Smith identified this barrier and launched a new initiative to help bridge the digital divide for job seekers called Libraries for Livelihoods, supported unanimously by the Multnomah County Board and spearheaded by Multnomah County Library director, Vailey Oehlke.
Libraries for Livelihoods is a pilot program at three library branches that will augment Multnomah County Library’s existing employment support services by providing two additional computers dedicated exclusively to job seekers. The program will also offer classes and training to teach job seekers how to use social media to aid in job searching and how to gain the skills needed to be a successful job candidate.
“Libraries have always played an important role in the community by empowering people to make positive changes in their lives,” said Commissioner Smith. “It only makes sense that our libraries are the place to turn to for help in finding work.”
These computers will be available at branches that serve citizens in areas of high unemployment: Central Library (801 SW 10th Ave.), North Portland Library (512 N. Killingsworth St.), and Midland Library (805 SE 122nd Ave.). For more information on Libraries for Livelihoods and other Multnomah County Library employment support services visit Multnomah County Library.
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