A judge in Multnomah County has cleared the way for a proposed ballot initiative that could allow voters in Portland to decide whether millions of dollars from a city climate fund should be redirected to hire more police officers.
The ruling by Eric Dahlin allows supporters of the initiative to move forward after correcting a small typographical error and resubmitting the proposal for approval and signature gathering.
If supporters gather enough signatures, the measure could appear on the November 2026 ballot. The proposal would redirect 25% of the Portland Clean Energy Fund each year to hire additional officers for the Portland Police Bureau.
The fund, known as PCEF, is financed through a 1% tax on large retailers and was originally created to support clean energy and climate-related projects. However, it has generated significantly more revenue than originally projected.
Supporters of the initiative, including the Portland Police Association, say the measure would strengthen public safety while still preserving climate investments.
Opponents, including environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, argue the proposal contradicts the original purpose of the fund and combinines unrelated issues — environmental programs and policing — into a single ballot measure.
Backers must now collect more than 40,000 signatures by early July for the initiative to qualify for the ballot. If successful, Portland voters will decide the measure’s fate in the November 2026 election.
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