Thank you to everyone who came yesterday for our Multnomah County Proclamation Day! We celebrated with a Women's History Month reception sponsored by me and @jvegapederson.bsky.social. The theme for Women’s History Month this year is Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future. #Multco
As PFA expands, so will economic benefits to our region.
PFA can boost parent earnings by over 20%, saving participating families $18,600 per child. This helps skilled professionals lay down roots – attracting and retaining workers while building a more prosperous community for every taxpayer.
Maintenance is complete. I am excited to share a major step forward in making County services easier to access for everyone. Today, multco.us is now available in Spanish.
Thank you to our Web & Digital Experience team. There's more work ahead, including adding additional languages.
🛠️ MULTCO.US will be offline for several hours starting at 6 P.M. this evening for maintenance.
We appreciate your patience as we perform these necessary updates! 🛠️
At 2pm this Wednesday, join Preschool for All & Boston University's Center on the Ecology of Early Development (CEED) for a webinar presenting findings from the 2025 PFA family, site leader, and educator surveys.
Hear what nearly 1,000 PFA participants shared about their experiences. RSVP online ⤵️
Multnomah County's renovated libraries are seeing increased foot traffic, including at the North Portland Library's Black Cultural Center. These incredible investment in our infrastructure have been a monumental undertaking – with joyous results for so many community members.
February was the shortest month of the year, but there was been a long list of important developments in our work at Multnomah County. ⤵️
🥬 CROPS Farm Awarded $1M Solar Grant
🌎 Celebrating Women in Sustainability
💡 Lighting Up the Central Eastside
📚 East County Library Updates
🎒 PFA on the Road
Preschool for All addresses an affordability crisis head on, saving families an average of $18,600 per child.
Soon thousands more families will save money as we prepare to nearly double seat allocations next school year.
Universal tuition-free preschool in Multnomah County is near.
Preschool for All is rapidly growing. Soon tuition-free preschool will be available to every 3 and 4 year old in MultCo, saving families an average of $18,600 per child.
We stand ready to provide our expertise so the success of PFA can expand to all of Oregon’s current and future young families.
Addressing the climate crisis is a mandate we have to protect our future, grow our economy, and strengthen our community.
It’s work I’ve championed at both the state and County levels.
We are grateful for this grant that further enhances the benefits of the @multcosustain.bsky.social CROPS Farm.
Multnomah County’s investment is a great example of partnership between government and local business in responding to the needs of our community. We are all excited to contribute towards renewed vibrancy and a brighter future for Portland’s Central Eastside.
Black History Month recognizes that the fight for a healthy planet is inseparable from the fight for civil rights.
Learn more about two local leading voices in the environmental justice movement, Dr. Derron Coles and Taren Evans, at multco.us/news/black-h....
Four smiling children roll up their sleeves to show their bandaids from getting vaccinated. Headline: 2026 School Vaccination Catch-Up Clinics with location and dates.
@multco.bsky.social Walk-in only. No cost. Language interpretation available. What to Bring: Exclusion letter from school or Health Department. Student’s current immunization records. If you have insurance, please bring your insurance card. Insurance is not required. ID not required.
Have you taken our budget survey yet? The survey closes this Sunday, Feb. 22.
It only takes a few minutes and is accessible in many languages.
Ranking your budget priorities will help inform the Executive Budget I will release in April.
Take the survey here:
survey.multco.us/jfe/form/SV_...
Multnomah County residents protesting for climate action
Last week, in a move opposed by Multnomah County and the City of Portland, the EPA rolled back rules that regulated greenhouse gas emissions.
Read County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson's and Mayor Keith Wilson's responses to this rollback here: multco.us/news/chair-j...
During severe weather, Multnomah County often welcomes the support of volunteers at emergency shelters.
If you are interested in joining this life saving work, please sign up for our next training on March 2 using this online volunteer interest form ⤵️
A photograph of a tree trunk with moss, surrounded by wood chip mulch that is lightly covered in snow. Large white text overlaid on the center of the image reads "CARE FOR WHEN IT'S COLD." A blue banner at the bottom features the Multnomah County logo on the left and the URL "multco.us/cold" in bold white text on the right.
Forecasts are still uncertain but it’s possible we could see a wintry mix in the Portland metro area this week — with some potential for accumulating snow Wednesday night into Thursday. While confidence is low, anyone with travel plans should pay close attention to the @nws.noaa.gov and plan ahead.
☝️A friendly reminder that most Multnomah County Offices will be closed on Monday, Feb. 16 in observance of Presidents Day ➡️ multco.us/news/multnom...
Today’s decision by the EPA to roll back climate protections is not based in science or the public interest. Instead it's a naked attempt by the administration to boost fossil fuel interests at the expense of the public’s health and our environment.
To better understand the current budget situation for the Homeless Services Department, you can check out their online FAQ: hsd.multco.us/hsd-fy-2027-...
My latest newsletter provides updates on our response to homelessness through another challenging budget cycle. I’m determined to lean into partnership, streamline our work, and make the hard decisions that learn from recent improvements. ⤵️
We are co-hosting a virtual community workshop on the current energy utility disconnection moratorium and other recently strengthened disconnection protections. Join us on Thursday, February 19 to learn more about utility protections in Multnomah County!
RSVP at: tinyurl.com/DisconnectionWorkshop
ICYMI - Even as the homeless count has ticked steadily upward for five years running, the three counties have collectively met, or are on track to meet this year, the initial 10-year performance goals set for them in the measure. www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
That's a wrap on this year's virtual budget town hall! If you were unable to join us live, you can watch anytime at the @multco.bsky.social YouTube channel.
There will be many more opportunities to hear from you as we move through our annual budget process.
Learn more: multco.us/info/get-inv...
My virtual budget town is getting started. Watch along online ⤵️
Hope to see you this Saturday! Don't forget to RSVP at bit.ly/JVPtownhall
HAPPENING TOMORROW
Join the Board and I in celebrating 3 very important proclamations. Thank you @vincejonesdixon.bsky.social for cosponsoring these proclamations. Refreshments will be served immediately following the proclamations. RSVP at bit.ly/MultCoBHM26. #BHM2026 #BlackHistory #BlackLiberation
Multnomah County graphic: "The Voter Education Fund Grant Program is Open! Help East County residents understand ranked choice voting. Apply by March 16, 2026 at multco.us/votereducationgrant."
📣The Voter Education Fund Grant Program opens today (Feb. 2, 2026). Up to five grants will support community-based voter education on ranked choice voting in East Multnomah County. The grants will go to nonprofit organizations serving residents in East Multnomah County: multco.us/votereducationgrant
Please help us share this information! Guidance for organizations interested in applying for a grant from the Multnomah Sanctuary Fund can find information in 7 different languages online ⤵️
MultCo is allocating $401,000 in funding approved by our Board & Metro Council to support households directly impacted by immigration enforcement actions. We’re also launching the Multnomah Sanctuary Fund, a $75,000 grant program for community organizations not currently contracted with the county.
