Portland Mayor Charlie Hales doesn't have the votes inside City Hall to pass a controversial budget that includes a tax hike on businesses.

What's a lame duck mayor to do?

Issue a 672-word statement to select supporters -- subsequently emailed by Hales' office to The Oregonian/OregonLive and three other media outlets -- outlining what he says will happen if the City Council makes cuts from his proposed $510 million budget, of course.

"This city council has the opportunity to find new revenue to invest in Portland's future," Hales argues. "Now is the time to be responsible leaders and act in our city's best interest."

Hales' statement came about 24 hours after Commissioner Nick Fish politely shoveled dirt on the mayor's proposed tax increase, joining Commissioners Dan Saltzman and Steve Novick in their opposition.

Hales said cutting money from his budget would be a "disservice to Portland." Hales wants to pay for everything in his budget, even if it means tapping a new source of revenue -- a construction excise tax on commercial projects.

But the city's independent budget office in recent days has already applied a critical eye to Hales' spending plan. At the request of various City Council offices, the budget office has compiled a list of potential cuts to Hales' plan.

Among other things, the list is said to include paring back a pay increase for police officers, delaying body cameras on cops and axing a proposed diversion program.

Andrew Scott, the city's budget director, declined to provide copies of the potential budget cuts, arguing that they are exempt from disclosure because no decision has been made and officials need to be able to communicate in private.

A new budget proposal is expected by Friday. The City Council, acting as the budget committee, is slated to vote on a budget May 18.

Below is Hales' pitch:

"Portland is a growing city that's facing real challenges: youth violence at record highs; systemic hurdles to access and opportunity; a housing affordability crisis; thousands of people sleeping on our streets.



To address these challenges, we need more revenue. The boom years we've experienced came after a record budget shortfall -- $21.5 million cut from the General Fund. We need to be pragmatic and responsible leaders, and take advantage of our prosperity to prepare ourselves for the future.



At yesterday's work session, my City Council colleagues expressed doubts about the proposed Business License Fee increase. That is one option to raise revenue with little impact on most Portland businesses, but a large benefit citywide. I am open to other options my colleagues propose, such as the planned Construction Excise Tax.



The bulk of additional revenue in my budget goes toward investing in the Police Bureau and continuing to address homelessness. Cutting these investments would be a disservice to Portland. The impact:



Impact of not investing in police



Our current staffing numbers are at crisis levels. Just to respond to 9-1-1 calls, we need 370 patrol officers. Right now we have 335. We're losing officers to retirements, terminations, and to other agencies that pay better than Portland does.



In a letter to the City Council, Police Chief Larry O'Dea sums up the urgent need for real investment in the Bureau:



'The Bureau has done a tremendous job managing these huge challenges, but to be clear -- we are on the verge of a serious crisis. I will be forced to continue to reduce and eliminate our specialty units and functions to staff the street. This means important and critical specialty units and functions like the Walking Beat, the Youth Services Division, the Traffic Division, the Family Services Division, the Gang Enforcement Team, and the Drugs and Vice Division will continue to have to increasingly support core patrol operations.



These units and functions are all critical and should be expanded, not reduced or eliminated. Our ability to support important special events will continue to decrease. Our ability to meet community and Department of Justice priorities (community policing) will be seriously impacted. Our ability to support critical city commitments, like Vision Zero, will be reduced. Our ability to assist with all manner of livability issues, from marijuana impacts to homelessness, will be seriously impacted.'



To continue to provide public safety services Portlanders deserve, we must invest in our Police Bureau.



Impact of not investing in homelessness



July 1, 2016

The One Point of Contact system ends; people will have to go back to contacting individual bureaus jurisdictions about homelessness issues. All support for camps stops. That means 200 people who are sleeping off the streets and in organized camping would no longer have toilets, dumpsters, storage, required Code of Conduct agreements, or management. Dumpsters, needle containers, and portable toilets that are helping to keep our streets clean will be removed.



New organized camps won't be established for vulnerable women or for homeless campers moving off the Springwater and city streets. All planning for new shelters -- like the 100-man overnight shelter slated to open soon -- stops. The pods constructed by Benson High School students will be removed from campsites, and construction will stop. Planning for organized car and RV camping ends; instead of safe, controlled environments, they'll continue to stay on the street.



Other items that will stop: mobile shower pilot program; development of new shelters and campsites; trespass signage coordination; neighborhood outreach on homelessness issues.



August

Day storage ends. Homeless people have been able to store belongings for the day so they can job hunt or go to medical services. Without the service, they remain on the street with their shopping carts, backpacks, and other belongings.



October

R2D2 moves to new site in Central Eastside, but doesn't have the funding to provide operation services at the site.



This city council has the opportunity to find new revenue to invest in Portland's future. Now is the time to be responsible leaders and act in our city's best interest."

-- Brad Schmidt

503-294-7628

@cityhallwatch