Demystifying Budgets for Local Changemakers

We are living in the wealthiest moment in Oregon’s history, and yet more people are facing food and housing insecurity in our state than ever before. How can that be? Every community member has the right to play an active role in decisions about how our local governments spend our tax dollars. It can be hard though to figure out how or when to get involved in the budgeting process, or how to make a difference.

The Rural Organizing Project is hitting the road with Democracy at Work in Rural Oregon: Demystifying Budgets for Local Changemakers, a newly developed 90-minute workshop led by Mark Brenner, economist and faculty member at the University of Oregon. We will dive into how local budgets are created, learn how to read budgets, and practice asking strategic questions during budget meetings. We will brainstorm together about what changes are needed for our budgets to reflect our community’s needs and values.

This workshop is the result of a powerful strategy session at this year’s Rural Caucus and Strategy Session called “Budgets as Moral Documents” where leaders from across Oregon shared the roadblocks they were running into. Many named how their town and county budget committees didn’t offer training on how to read budgets, and how difficult it was to raise questions and concerns when the committee was being facilitated to do nothing more than give a rubber stamp of approval.”

Co-Hosted by Rural Oregon Progressives

6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

RSVP to emma@rop.org to receive the address.

Co-Hosted by the Earth and Social Justice Committee of First Presbyterian Church

6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

RSVP to jess@rop.org to receive the address.

Supported by SEIU 503

6:00 PM – 7:30 PM

RSVP to courtney@rop.org to receive the address.

Please help get the word out! Whether you have been on the budget committee for years or have never looked at a budget before, we would love to see you and your friends there! Space is limited, contact us at emma@rop.org to participate before seats run out.

Is your group interested in bringing this workshop to your community? Email emma@rop.org to let us know!