Portland City Council Passes Budget Without Business Tax Hike

The Portland City Council, going against the wishes of Mayor Charlie Hales, based a budget Wednesday that did not include a hike on business taxes.

To balance that loss of revenue, the council cut proposed spending for the police bureau and other programs.

The mayor, who leaves office in January, had proposed a hike on business taxes that would have brought approximately $8.7 million into city coffers.

Without that additional money, the council agreed to several cuts including: a proposed $3 million that would have gone for raises for police officers; a $1.7 million for police body cameras; and a $2.3 million diversion program that would have helped the city's homeless population.

The $500 million budget does protect 13 firefighter positions that had been threatened and has money for two additional park rangers for the east side.

The council is expected to formally adopt the budget in a vote next month.

Earlier in the day, Ted Wheeler who was elected Tuesday to succeed Hales, said that he hoped the council would show "fiscal restrain."