SALEM, Ore.-Hundreds of Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) employees received layoff notices on July 7, including 12 in Umatilla County.
“Consequences to essential transportation services are imminent across the state,” Governor Tina Kotek said in announcing the first wave of ODOT layoffs. “This is not business as usual. These layoffs constitute an emergency in Oregon’s transportation system that will hurt every part of Oregon.”
The 483 layoffs announced July 7 take effect at the end of the month and are the first wave of an estimated 600-700 jobs to be lost, with the second wave expected in early 2026. If both sets of the estimated layoffs go into effect, it would be the largest layoffs in the history of Oregon State government.
The layoffs became reality when the Oregon Legislature adjourned June 26, without reaching a spending bill that would fund ODOT’s budget.
According to Governor Kotek’s office, the effects of the layoffs will start to be seen this summer and could get worse as winter approaches.
“Oregonians can expect slower and less frequent snow and ice removal, particularly in rural and mountainous areas where fewer staff will have to cover more miles of roadway,” said Governor Kotek.
The mass layoffs account for about 10 percent of ODOT’s total workforce, and will include road maintenance crews, technical support and operations staff.
A list of layoffs by County is available from the ODOT.
Failure to pass a transportation budget
House Bill 2025, a major funding bill that would have raised taxes and fees to help generate the billions of dollars needed for road projects across Oregon, was introduced three weeks before the end of the legislative session.
The bill was amended several times and called for increases to Oregon’s gas tax, payroll tax, privilege tax and vehicle use tax, as well as the creation of a fund to pay for road projects, according to the State Legislature.
HB 2025 never gained full support of either party or came to a vote on the floor before the session adjourned, leaving ODOT with a $354 million funding gap in its budget.
A path forward
Under Oregon state law, a special legislative session may be called by the Governor or the majority of both houses due to an emergency.
Lawmakers could be called back to Salem for a special session to hammer out a budget and avert the mass layoffs.
“We’re gonna figure this out and I need every lawmaker, I don’t care how tired you are, I don’t care what your vacation plans are, we are going to solve this,” Governor Kotek said during a news conference on July 27.
Rather than lay off non-essential pencil pushers and those who work from home, as well as the high-priced administrators, Kotek opts to punish the public by laying off the hardest-working people in ODOT. It is retaliation and punishment to the citizens of Oregon.
The ODOT management made these decisions along with the non performing legislators. Kotek is not punishing the public! We elected these people and they did not work on a solution.
July 27th is still 2 weeks away???
Why don’t we lay off Tina Kotek for starters?
this is just PUNISHMENT for not passing the largest tax hike in Oregon’s history.
every time they want more money the threat is “we can’t plow your roads”
welcome to communist Oregon…
Governor Kotek only puts blanket referendums out to not regional referendums. This one slows and stops economy and products through the shipping from the east due to no viable infrastructure.