Oregon Public Broadcasting

Portland City Council is scheduled to vote Wednesday on Mayor Adams' proposed budget. This follows several weeks of turmoil over police spending, and other priorities. April Baer reports.

Mayor Sam Adams has drawn fire this year by proposing rate hikes for water and sewers, as he works to balance the city budget. The final budget vote will include those controversial proposals.

It also considers various tweaks Adams made to his original budget plan.

He's restoring the jobs of about twenty-five sworn police officers –– including the horse patrol. Those cutbacks became a point of contention between Adams and former Chief Rosie Sizer. He plans to pay for those jobs mostly through cutting non-sworn positions, and some projects, including a pilot that would put video cameras in police cars.

The city also got a little breathing room by refinancing some of its bonds.

Overall, the city needs to save $5.3million to get a balanced budget.