Public Statement on Prosper Portland Amendment
Unite Oregon supports the goals of the budget amendment to increase transparency, accountability, and community control over public funds — especially when it comes to institutions like Prosper Portland. We believe this is a critical moment to begin shifting how decisions are made and who holds power in shaping our city’s economic future.
At the same time, we want to be clear about the position we’re in. Due to the compressed city budget timeline, we have not had the time or capacity to fully engage our base in understanding and responding to the specifics of this amendment. As an immigrant, refugee, and BIPOC–led organization, we know that our power comes from our people — and we will not take positions on their behalf without the opportunity for real conversation, clarity, and consent.
What we can speak to is the deep and ongoing harm that our communities have experienced under Portland’s urban renewal and tax increment financing (TIF) systems. These policies have prioritized real estate and development over the needs of the people who live here — and our members have paid the price through displacement, disinvestment, and exclusion.
We also want to acknowledge that we have community partners who are concerned about how this amendment may impact specific projects they’re working on with Prosper. Those concerns are valid and reflect real stakes. But what we’re hearing even more urgently is fear — not of hypothetical risks, but of retaliation. That fear is grounded in direct experiences and on-the-record statements from Prosper representatives, who have suggested that if they face accountability or budget shifts, the first cuts will be to BIPOC-led community programs and small business support.
This is not acceptable.
This is the exact dynamic we called out in our March 25, 2025 testimony to City Council — where powerful institutions threaten to withdraw the few resources they provide to community when they are challenged. It’s a political and structural pattern we’ve seen time and again. It’s not principled budgeting — it’s leverage. And it reinforces the very accountability crisis this amendment is trying to address.
Prosper Portland has the resources and discretion to avoid cutting direct community support. If they choose not to, that is a political choice — not a budget inevitability.
We also want to name that we’ve seen promising action from this current Council — and that gives us hope. It’s why we’re showing up now to demonstrate support for this important step toward greater accountability. We believe this amendment, while not perfect, moves us in the right direction.
Unite Oregon supports:
A long-term campaign to democratize Prosper Portland and shift economic power into community hands
Transparent, participatory budgeting processes that allow communities to shape how public money is spent
A public commitment to ending retaliatory budget messaging and building trust through shared governance and accountability
Continued coalition work to push for structural change — not just surface-level reforms
We deeply appreciate the time the Council is dedicating to strengthening accountability within our local government. It’s an important step forward — and it must be matched by a clear commitment to follow through on fully funding Prosper’s support for community-based organizations in the 2024–2025 budget. These groups are doing essential work on the ground, and they deserve funding that reflects their value and impact.
In Solidarity,
Unite Oregon