What Does Multnomah County Do for You? A Panel Discussion
The live panel discussion was held on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 7-8:30 p.m.
Watch or listen to the panel
Watch the recorded video of the discussion:
Watch the video replay on local television stations:
Additional Materials:
- Multnomah County: Governance Structure by Susheela Jayapal
- Multnomah County: The Basics by Denis Theriault
- Multnomah County: Budget Overview by Jeff Renfro
About the program
This webinar clarifies how Multnomah County’s government and programs impact its residents.
Multnomah County has been a recurrent topic in local news lately, from homelessness policy to public safety to Preschool for All. But how much do you really know about the county?
- What are Multnomah County’s structures and powers?
- What services does the county provide?
- How does it divide responsibilities with the cities and towns in its jurisdiction?
- How are county taxes and fees assessed and what do they pay for?
To answer these questions, we have invited a panel of county experts to lead an interactive conversation about what the county does, how it works, and what are its biggest challenges. At least half of the session will be given to answering audience questions. Our panel includes:
- Susheela Jayapal, the first Indian-American to hold a county elected office in Oregon. As a Multnomah County Commissioner from 2019-23, she earned a reputation as a strong advocate for homeless services and for her work on clean air and domestic violence. Susheela currently serves as a consultant on policy and strategic initiatives for creating a more just community and country; and chairs a North Star Civic Foundation work group developing recommendations for Multnomah County’s 2027-28 charter review process.
- Jeff Renfro, the County Economist for Multnomah County. He is responsible for economic analysis that is used to inform the Board’s decision-making process and to help the public understand the County’s work. This includes conducting and presenting economic forecasts for the County’s General Fund, the Library District, and Preschool for All. He works across departments and programs, and helps to run the County’s budget process.
- Denis Theriault, the Interim Communication Director for Multnomah County. He works closely with the Elections Division and the Joint Office of Homeless Services, among other assignments. Before joining the County in 2017, Denis worked in newspapers for nearly 17 years, overseeing politics, education and business coverage as a senior managing producer at the Oregonian. He also worked as news editor at the Portland Mercury, covering Portland City Hall, homelessness and police accountability issues.
This webinar is one of the League’s community education programs, held free of charge and open to the public. All of our programs are recorded for rebroadcast by MetroEast Community Media and available by video and podcast from our website, lwvpdx.org.
Join us on November 5 for the next part of our series on Multnomah County! Registration to view the live Zoom webinar will open soon.
Funding for production is provided by the League of Women Voters of Portland, Oregon and by the Carol and Velma Saling Foundation.