Proposed budget cuts could close Portland fountains

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland Mayor Charlie Hales is asking for 5% budget cuts across the board to free up money for affordable housing, the hiring and training of more police officers and a higher minimum wage for city workers.

One of the proposals for the Portland Parks and Recreation department was higher fees for community gardens. That is now off the table, but the other options aren’t ideal either.

“Let me be very clear, I don’t support the proposal I’m putting before council — I’d like to adopt very few of the cuts that we have to propose,” says Commissioner Amanda Fritz, who is in charge of the parks bureau.

Fritz has proposed shutting down the 18 city operated fountains over the summer, the place where kids and adults alike head to cool off.

Closing the fountains would save the parks bureau $570,000 and $500,000 more in maintenance costs. 18 positions would be cut. Also included in the proposal is an ‘aquatic services reduction’ of $260,000. In other words, the closure of Buckman Pool.

Fritz knows a lot of people will be upset with these ideas.

“Everything in the parks department is something that people love. It’s a great bureau to lead because everybody loves the services that parks provide.”