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dediosreports.bsky.social
Austin De Dios
@dediosreports.bsky.social
120 followers 28 following 48 posts
Reporter for The Oregonian/OregonLive covering county programs and politics. Let's hope integrity retains its worth. Otherwise, may we all go broke keeping it. SU Newhouse/UP Beacon Alum He/Him
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Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · 4h
State budget cuts may force Multnomah County to end a key pretrial release program that keeps those accused of a crime out of jail until their trial and frees up jail beds.

It could strain an already burdened jail system. www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
The end of this pretrial release program could put Multnomah County in a bind
County public safety officials warned that the end of the program would strain the county’s already challenged jail.
www.oregonlive.com
dediosreports.bsky.social
Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · 10h
Ambulance prices in Washington County could jump 27% starting in January. It's the second Portland-area county to weigh big rate hikes for emergency medical care in recent months. www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Another Portland-area county poised to approve big price hike for ambulance rides
Washington County officials seem ready to approve a rate hike for emergency services provided by American Medical Response.
www.oregonlive.com
dediosreports.bsky.social
Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · 7d
Multnomah County officials plan to make additional safety upgrades at Portland’s troubled Central Library, but remain undecided about installing metal detectors. The move would not only be costly, but library staff are largely against it. www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Multnomah County to upgrade security at downtown Portland library while metal detector debate lingers
The controversial move to add weapons detection would be costly, and library employees strongly oppose it.
www.oregonlive.com
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Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · Sep 8
Shantae Johnson and Arthur Shavers, well established in Portland's Black farming community, are reaping a new harvest as the operators of Multnomah County's CROPS farm.

It wasn't an easy road, they said. Read more about their journey below:

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Portland couple transforms Multnomah County farm into food hub for east Portland, training ground for BIPOC farmers
Shantae Johnson and Arthur Shavers, well established in Portland’s Black farming community, now operate Multnomah County’s reopened CROPS farm.
www.oregonlive.com
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Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · Aug 22
Multnomah County officials knew that former Preschool for All Director Leslee Barnes owned a local preschool, but Barnes did not list her ownership of Village Childcare as a potential conflict of interest in the years after she took the job, records show. www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Multnomah County Preschool for All director failed to disclose business ties in annual conflict of interest forms
County officials never questioned why Leslee Barnes wasn’t disclosing her ownership of a preschool on annual conflict of interest forms.
www.oregonlive.com
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Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · Aug 18
Folded into the 100-page contract with AMR was a huge price hike for Clackamas County residents in need of an ambulance. Officials say the cost, set to double in November, will be absorbed by insurance. But plans vary, with deductibles and co-pays to consider. www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
The cost of an ambulance ride in this Portland-area county is about to double
The county board approved a new contract two weeks ago and it came with a major jump in costs to patients.
www.oregonlive.com
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Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · Aug 12
Cumulative heat is a real danger, especially for those with no AC. Multnomah County has reopened 3 cooling centers to offer some respite from what forecasts show should be the last of a string of scorching days in Portland. www.oregonlive.com/weather/2025...
Cooling centers reopen in Portland area as high heat persists
Multnomah County’s cooling centers will reopen and libraries will extend their hours as Tuesday threatens to hit 100 degrees.
www.oregonlive.com
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Reposted by Austin De Dios
oregonian.com
The Oregonian @oregonian.com · Aug 7
The universal preschool effort has come under fire after pressure from the state and controversy surrounding its former director.
Multnomah County weighs Preschool for All tax changes amid program scrutiny
The universal preschool effort has come under fire after pressure from the state and controversy surrounding its former director.
www.oregonlive.com
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Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · Aug 1
Multnomah County’s Preschool for All director has resigned after her ties to a preschool provider accused of “wasteful” spending of state dollars, first reported by Willamette Week, called her credibility into question with her employers.
www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Preschool for All director resigns after being tied to preschool accused of ‘wasteful’ spending
Multnomah County commissioners are calling for an outside investigation of the county’s Early Learning Division Director following an audit from the state.
www.oregonlive.com
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Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · Aug 1
A Washington County human resources manager is suing the county, alleging that it retaliated against her after she raised concerns about potential violations of Oregon’s pay equity laws.

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Washington County HR manager claims retaliation after reporting alleged illegal pay practices
The employee accused the county of violating Oregon’s Pay Equity Act.
www.oregonlive.com
dediosreports.bsky.social
Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · Jul 26
In the wake of a deadly downtown Portland shooting near the Multnomah County Central Library earlier this month, county Commissioner Meghan Moyer put pressure on Portland to address longstanding safety concerns in the area.

Portland's mayor pushed back.

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
‘A hotbed of illegal activity’: County commissioner clashes with Portland officials over security outside Central Library
It comes weeks after a shooting left one man dead in downtown Portland near the library branch.
www.oregonlive.com
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Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · Jul 24
After weeks of intense debate, Oregon’s most diverse county has reached a compromise to comply with Trump-era executive orders that threaten to pull federal dollars over diversity, equity and inclusion. www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Washington County passes resolution to comply with Trump crackdown on DEI
After months of debate, the county board adopted new guidelines to try to preserve $135 million in federal funds.
www.oregonlive.com
dediosreports.bsky.social
Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · Jul 24
Multnomah County has long emphasized its commitment to equity in its programs and hiring practices, but an audit released Wednesday found that systemic problems could hinder “meaningful progress” in achieving those goals. www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Multnomah County audit reveals workplace disparities for Black, Asian, LGBTQ+ employees
The auditor's report analyzed data on hiring, firing and promotions and scored each department on its equity efforts.
www.oregonlive.com
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Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · Jul 11
Multnomah County has piled onto a wave of local governments opposing Trump administration threats to cut federal funding due to immigration and diversity, equity and inclusion policies. www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Oregon’s most populous county joins 2 big lawsuits against Trump administration
Multnomah County joined dozens of other local governments in challenging federal grant restrictions tied to DEI and sanctuary policies.
www.oregonlive.com
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Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · Jul 11
Multnomah County will pay an estimated $238,500 to a marketing and outreach agency to gauge opinions on the county’s effort to offer tuition-free preschool, with a focus on its finances. www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Multnomah County poised to pay marketing firm $238K to collect feedback on Preschool for All, its tax on high earners
A draft contract shows the company will conduct focus groups and surveys on the universal preschool program and its associated tax.
www.oregonlive.com
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Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · Jul 10
Multnomah County probation and parole officers are jailing fewer people for minor parole violations than they did in 2019, but those who do land behind bars are staying much longer, according to a new audit. www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Minor parole and probation violations in Portland are landing people longer stays in jail, audit finds
The audit from Multnomah County also shows disproportionate sanctions for Black and Native American people and those with mental health conditions.
www.oregonlive.com
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Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · Jul 3
More details emerged in the downtown Portland shooting that left one man dead and rattled bystanders outside Multnomah County's Central Library Tuesday. www.oregonlive.com/crime/2025/0...
Deadly shooting outside Central Library renews calls to fix ‘downtown Portland’s neglect’
The man accused in the shooting had been in the library moments before, according to court records.
www.oregonlive.com
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Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · Jun 27
Decades after Multnomah County officials desecrated and exhumed the graves of thousands of Chinese Americans and immigrants in Portland’s Lone Fir Cemetery, officials have finally found the words to express their regret.
www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Multnomah County apologizes for historical desecration of Chinese people’s burial sites
The story of the site has come to public attention as its history has been unraveled piecemeal by research and reports.
www.oregonlive.com
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Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · Jun 27
Gov. Tina Kotek continued her assault on Multnomah County’s effort to offer tuition-free preschool Thursday, doubling down on her criticism of the program and the tax that funds it and suggesting it is doomed to fail. www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Gov. Tina Kotek digs in heels on criticism of universal preschool program: ‘The program as it stands cannot keep its promise’
Her statement comes after days of attacks on Multnomah County’s controversial initiative to offer universal, tuition-free preschool.
www.oregonlive.com
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Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · Jun 26
Since April, only 26 people have used Multnomah County's 24/7 sobering beds. Officials are casting a larger net to connect with people in crisis. www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Limited usage of Portland sobering beds prompts county to cast larger net to connect with people in crisis
Multnomah County has broadened what agencies can refer intoxicated people for sobering services.
www.oregonlive.com
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Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · Jun 26
Washington County walks back plan to appease Trump administration by upending diversity policies. They'll take up the matter again on July 22. www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Washington County walks back plan to appease Trump administration by upending diversity policies
The Board of Commissioners said it would pause signing federal contracts as it worked to find a path forward.
www.oregonlive.com
dediosreports.bsky.social
Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · Jun 24
Gov. Tina Kotek used outdated data to argue Preschool for All taxpayers were fleeing the Portland area. But even though more recent figures show a net increase in filers paying the tax, that’s not the full picture.
www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Gov. Kotek used outdated data to argue Preschool for All taxpayers were fleeing the Portland area
Although the data shows a net increase in filers paying the tax, that’s not the full picture.
www.oregonlive.com
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Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · Jun 13
Following months of deliberations and few easy choices, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners adopted a $4 billion budget Thursday.

See which programs were saved from cuts, and what it cost:

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Multnomah County board makes key changes before approving $4B budget
Commissioners managed to amend the budget to save key programs, but layoffs will still hit many county programs.
www.oregonlive.com
dediosreports.bsky.social
Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · Jun 12
Today's the big day. Multnomah County's Board of Commissioners will vote to adopt the government's $4 billion budget, which includes sweeping cuts in the face of fiscal shortfalls. It could have a lasting impact on the health services the county provides. www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Portland’s largest public health provider is bracing for large cuts; it could have lasting consequences
Multnomah County's Health Department will likely take an over 8.6% reduction in the next fiscal year.
www.oregonlive.com
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Austin De Dios @dediosreports.bsky.social · Jun 12
Multnomah County's largest employee union makes last ditch effort to stop looming layoffs.
www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Union makes last ditch effort to stop Multnomah County layoffs
The county's largest employee union sent a petition to the Board of Commissioners to halt job cuts.
www.oregonlive.com