Councilor Mitch Green

I think it’s unconscionable that we are willing to move heaven and earth to find money for stadiums, but seemingly incapable of doing the same to prevent the closure of schools. My constituents are outraged. They are right to be. There’s still time to fix this, but we’re going to need to lock in.

portland.govSave Public Schools ResolutionIntroduced by Councilor Mitch Green on Monday, October 26, 2026. Urges state and local officials to stall the impending crisis of school closures in the Portland Public Schools system and implement re...

Teachers, parents, councilors, and students are working together to demand better conditions for our public school system. Please ask your councilors to put the Save Public Schools resolution on tomorrow's agenda. 9 councilors must sign off by noon today. Details on the ask linked below.

Councilor Mitch Green@councilorgreen.bsky.social

Over the last several days I've heard directly from parents who are scared and outraged about the PPS proposals for closure of their schools. They are calling for action from their elected officials at all levels. Today I have filed an emergency that responds to the urgency of these calls. 🧵

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Update: The Save Public Schools resolution will not be on tomorrow's council agenda, but we will have more information soon on when it will be coming to council. Thank you all for your support.

Specifically on revenue reform, we are calling for: 1. Adoption of the kicker methodology bill that Rep. Gamba has carried 2. Taking on Measures 5 and 50 directly 3. Fully decouple from HR 1 We're also calling for action on local revenue measures under consideration by Council (i.e., Fair Share).

If this is something you want, please urge your councilors to consent to my ask for the 9/12 procedure.

I'm worried that the scale of these proposed closures will be another huge headwind for our economic recovery as families choose to leave for the suburbs, which will make the ed funding problem even worse. Families want to be part of the solution and recognize we need help from Salem.

Council expresses its will as a body by passage of resolutions. If we adopt this resolution, we send a strong message to the Governor and the Legislature that we stand united and show Portlanders that we can meet the moment. A PPS pause needs Salem for a generational investment in our children.

We filed the Save Public Schools resolution as a Nine-Twelfths agenda item for the Wednesday Council meeting. The resolution calls for: 1. Gov. Kotek to release emergency 🎓 funds 2. City lobbies for rev reform and ed spending in next session as top priority 3. PPS to pause proposed plans

Extremely powerful testimony from the children served by PPS at the SE region community listening session. Parents and students asking for a pause in this process while we fight for the resources we deserve for our schools.

Economic development will be a key item in the next OR legislative session. I’ll say that if we don’t acknowledge robust public education investment as the single most important ec dev priority then we will only reinforce the dynamic that has made it hard for firms to locate in our state.

One of the many benefits of having a school in your neighborhood is having the option to walk or bike to get there. The parents and children of the Duniway Bike bus for Duniway Elementary show us how it’s done. They’re also sending a message to save our schools amid the proposed PPS closures.

There is no world in which I will vote in favor of removing the first-class clause, and it's not something the Mayor can do unilaterally. This man has secured a path to roughly a billion in public subsidy for a stadium deal (despite my opposition) and still cries poor. We deserve better than this.

The Oregonian@oregonian.com

Negotiations between Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon and Portland officials have stalled over a $1 billion settlement demand tied to the team's first-class arena maintenance clause, with Dundon pushing for a 10-year buyout option rather than the required 20-year lease commitment. https://mrf.lu/2bWJc

Closing neighborhood schools is extremely risky and threatens to bring about the very enrollment crisis that the closures are supposed to address. We need urgent action to change the state funding model and I support a pause in this process and consider the community concerns more carefully.

Today in the Housing and Permitting Committee Chair Avalos had to interrupt and call to order Brian Owendoff who violated our rules of decorum and engaged in ableist slurs at the dais. Mr. Owendoff’s comments were deplorable and the chair was right to gavel him out.

Councilor Mitch Green reposted

Replying to @councilorgreen.bsky.social

"Giant corporations are enjoying a raft of tax breaks at the federal level while our local funding dries up. [The Fair Share tax] is a small but important first step...to show you're actually on the side of small businesses and the people of Portland." Noah, Bernstein's Bagels, D2

portland.govCommunity Roundtable: Unified Housing Strategy - District 4Portlanders who live, work, play, study, or worship in District 4 are invited to participate in a Community Roundtable about the City's work to create a Unified Housing Strategy. On Zoom or in person ...

Unified Housing Strategy (UHS) community roundtable for District 4 is happening now in the Portland Building and on Zoom, convened by Housing & Permitting chair @candaceavalos.bsky.social. Councilor Avalos and I are in attendance to hear from you about the UHS goals. www.portland.gov/phb/events/2...

My heart goes out to the families and students impacted by the shooting yesterday at Silver Rail Elementary. It’s a gutting tragedy that reminds us that thoughts and prayers aren’t enough - we need action now on gun control at all levels of government. We need to press our leaders to take a stand.

Every time this happens there are calls to avoid “politicizing” these tragedies. But these tragedies are avoidable and only happen because our politics facilitates them through inaction. I’m mad. We should all be mad and demand better of our electeds.

Donald Trump slashed taxes to make corporations and shareholders richer. Let's put that in perspective. If every major U.S city raised $88 M per year from these corporations (like our proposed Fair Share Tax), it would only be 2.4% of their Trump tax savings. Corporate wealth is still immense.

If we are truly worried about affordability and people leaving the City and State, why not take the smallest of bites out of one of the largest tax cuts in recent memory?

Councilor Mitch Green reposted

Councilor Angelita Morillo

Replying to @councilorgreen.bsky.social

"As a small business owner, I chose to build my business in downtown because I believe in this neighborhood. The Fair Share Tax will give 18,000 small businesses owners like me some breathing room and a better chance to stay open in the city we call home." Diana, All Burn Wax, D4

Councilor Mitch Green reposted

@councilormorillo.bsky.social

Today, the Fair Share Tax returns to the Committee of the Whole. We face a simple decision: keep the financial burden on working people and small businesses, or require large corporations with significant CEO pay gaps that have benefited from the Trump tax cuts to contribute their fair share.

We have a policy proposal to support small businesses and address affordability, and to raise millions for things like parks, transportation safety, violence prevention, Portland Street Response, and summer programs for youth and seniors. Portlanders want this. Here are some powerful testimonials.

portland.govAmend Business License Law Code to include new compensation ratios and increase the CEO Pay Ratio Surtax and gross receipts exemption amount (amend Code Sections 7.02.400 and 7.02.500)

Please add your support to the record. Submit testimony below and email your lawmakers, we'll be discussing the proposal at the Committee of the Whole tomorrow. www.portland.gov/council/docu...

"The surtax only touches companies whose CEOs earn at least 50 times the median worker. Around 400 of them. Nobody on my block is on that list." Azar, Azar Indulgences, D4

"My business needs a city that works: clean parks, safe streets...housing and health care for all, basic services. The Fair Share Tax is projected to raise about $72 million a year toward that..." Isabelle, Deep Lake (D3) and Rodeo Consignment (D4)

"We've been a micro-business in Kerns for almost 11 years and we hope to be here for at least 11 more years - tax relief like this could really help make that a reality! I know owners who skip paying themselves to make a tax deadline. This ordinance means fewer of them have to." Nicolle, Epif, D3

"It will help many of our members who are struggling in the current economy, and who have repeatedly indicated that the tax burden here is too high for them. The proposal seems to be sensible, revenue-positive, and well researched." Kernside Business Association, D3

"Running a business in Portland is very expensive and we need all the help we can get to ensure businesses stay alive and prosper." Lyf, Flying Fish LLC, D3

"This is the first time that any City Councilor has put forth a proposal that not only relieves myself and my clients (truly SMALL businesses) of a tax burden but also puts the responsibility of generating tax revenue on those businesses that can actually afford it." Jenna, Shift Accounting LLC, D1

"As a small shop owner in the Alberta Arts District I deeply appreciate the proposal to amend the business license tax to ask corporations who can afford to pitch in their fair share to our city's revenue to fund crucial programming that makes our city livable for all!" Emily, Holcombe Shop, D2

"We are the cultural life blood of this city. Taxing the largest corporations that refuse to share their profits with their workers is a great way to push them to pay better wages or pay into the City’s services." Lily, Parkrose Coffee, D1

"A resilient Portland depends on neighborhood businesses having the resources to stay open, retain workers, and invest locally. In historically underserved communities like Parkrose, that breathing room can help sustain livelihoods...and local economic resilience." Hector, Historic Parkrose, D1

Councilor Mitch Green reposted

The Fair Share Tax is coming to the Committee of the Whole this Thursday for debate and possibly a vote (agenda item 5). We need your help to get it passed out of committee. Here's how you can support: 1) Submit written testimony 2) Email your lawmakers 3) Join us in chambers this Thursday

Councilor Angelita Morillo@councilormorillo.bsky.social

Working people deserve a fair share. Portlanders pay more for rent, groceries, and utilities. Small businesses are fighting to stay open. Meanwhile, CEOs collect enormous paychecks. Why should working people keep carrying the burden while corporations pay less?

Councilor Angelita Morillo@councilormorillo.bsky.social

portland.govCouncil districtsFind information about Portland City Council districts and look up an address to find its district.

The link below will show which District you are in, and who to contact to share your support.

portland.govCouncilors, labor, businesses, and experts unite to demand small-business tax relief and call on City Council to address CEO-to-worker pay inequity

Thankful for cosponsors @councilormorillo.bsky.social @counciloravalos.bsky.social @councilordunphy.bsky.social @councilorkanal.bsky.social @councilortkl.bsky.social, and the 60+ small biz, associations, and organizations that have come out in support. Portlanders deserve better, let's get it done.

Councilor Angelita Morillo@councilormorillo.bsky.social

portland.govRegister for testimony or submit written testimony to CouncilComplete this form to register to provide verbal testimony on an agenda item during Council and committee meetings, or to submit written testimony on an item.

Testimony has been overwhelmingly in support of the Fair Share Tax. That's for a good reason. The policy is backed by decades of research and is incredibly popular. One 2024 poll found 78% of U.S. workers support taxing corporations whose CEOs make 50 times more than their median employee.

Councilor Mitch Green reposted

Terry J. Harris

@trryjhrrs.bsky.social

This is strong work by the Councilor on the potential for regulating commercial drones. But it's also more evidence that state and local governments are urgently lagging in the regulatory authorities to address the myriad newfangled threats from big tech.

Councilor Sameer Kanal@councilorkanal.bsky.social

Short version: There's going to be a 3-step process to deal with private/commercial drones because state law. My office will file the 1st step tomorrow with some colleagues, with the hopes of adding it to the agenda for this week. (9 out of 12 Councilors must sign off for a late agenda addition.)

Happy Indigenous People's Day. This Spring, the Park's bureau volunteer naming committee announced 'Scht Wiwnu Park as the new name for the Southwest Portland park formerly known as Custer Park. The park's new name means "path of the huckleberry" and comes from the Ichishkin Sńwit language.

Also, this Spring, Gerald D. Skelton Jr., a citizen of the Klamath Tribes, was appointed as the City’s Tribal Government Relations Manager. I look forward to supporting his work to ensure collaboration and consultation with Tribal Nations on environmental, social, and economic issues.

Native communities have been here since time immemorial, they are still here, and their legacy is enduring in shaping both the present and future. nayapdx.org

nayapdx.orgHome

portland.gov'Scht Wiwnu Park'Scht Wiwnu is a treasured community gathering space in Southwest Portland. With over six acres of space, it includes sports fields, an accessible restroom, an accessible play area, and more.

Ichishkin Sńwit is spoken by Native American tribes from the Columbia River area, including the Nez Perce, Umatilla, Warm Springs, and Yakama tribes. The park features a nature patch that contains a path planted with native huckleberries, an important First Food for local tribes.

portland.gov‘Scht Wiwnu: More Than a NameLanguage, belonging, and how to let community lead.

Thank you to the community members who participated in this process. I appreciate that the committee chose to honor local tribes and Indigenous communities both here in Portland and throughout Oregon and Washington with their recommendation.

Need something fun to do this weekend? Help us pass the Fair Share Tax by submitting written testimony and emailing your legislators! We'll be discussing the ordinance this Thursday, October 15th at the Committee of the Whole. www.portland.gov/council-cler...

Councilor Mitch Green@councilorgreen.bsky.social

From accountants, to musicians, coffee and bagel shops, artists, business alliances, unions, faith leaders, and experts, we heard overwhelmingly supportive testimony for the Fair Share Tax today. It was loud and clear that Portlanders are ready for City Council to pass this, now let's get it done.

Councilor Angelita Morillo@councilormorillo.bsky.social

Today’s Fair Share Tax testimonies were inspiring and reminded us that we can make progress when we unite to address economic inequality. We deserve an economy that empowers working families and small businesses and strengthens our neighborhoods, not one that benefits only those at the top.

Shout out to Bold and Coffee Books, Bernstein Bagels, Portland Businesses for All, Division Midway Alliance, 82nd & Sandy Business Alliance, Midway Business Association, Parkrose Coffee, Next Up, Imagine Black, PROTEC17, CPPW, MusicOregon, Welcome Home, Jobs with Justice, and everyone else.