Politics & Government

Portland Ranks No. 68 for Fiscal Health

A new report on the financial condition of the 75 most populous cities ranks Portland no. 68 in the nation for fiscal health.

A new report on the financial condition of the 75 most populous cities ranks Portland no. 68 in the nation for fiscal health. The report is based on the cities’ 2017 comprehensive annual financial reports, the most recent data available

The analysis by Truth in Accounting, a non-profit government finance watchdog group, found Portland needs $4,391 million to get out of the red, or $20,300 from each of its taxpayers.

According to the watchdog's annual Financial State of the Cities report, Portland has $5,526 million in bills and only $1,134 million in available assets to pay those bills after capital and restricted assets are excluded. This results in a $4,391 million shortfall, or a $20,300 Portland Taxpayer Burden™, which is each taxpayer's share of the municipal debt after the city's available assets have been tapped. TIA's Taxpayer Burden indicator incorporates both assets and liabilities, including pension debt.

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The bottom line is that Portland does not have enough money to pay its bills, which is why it received a "F" grade for its fiscal health.

You can read the full report here and Portland's individual report here.

Find out what's happening in Portlandfor free with the latest updates from Patch.