Co-chair Smith and Co-chair Gorsek convened the Joint Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on General Government on April 28, 2025, for a public hearing on Senate Bill 5523, the governor’s budget for the Office of the Governor. Presenters from the governor’s office outlined staffing and program requests in the governor’s proposed 2025–27 budget.

Kate Nass, chief financial officer for the Office of the Governor, said the governor’s office “continues her focus on their 3 initiatives, which is the housing supply and homelessness, behavioral health and education initiatives.” Nass told the committee the office’s budget is largely driven by personal services, which she said account for roughly 65% of the office’s costs.

Chris Warner, chief of staff to Gov. Tina Kotek, said the governor has directed the executive branch to focus on performance, accountability and service delivery. “Governor Kotek is committed to improving the lives of Oregonians and we work on that every day,” Warner told the committee, summarizing the administration’s priorities and initiatives.

On personnel, the budget includes a request to add 0.75 full-time equivalent (FTE) for a deputy director in the office’s arrest-and-return (extradition) program. Nass said the office currently has one person handling the program and that workloads have increased; the deputy would be added mid‑biennium to address that demand. Relatedly, the budget requests capital outlay to acquire two new vans used by the extradition program.

The governor’s office also proposed several administrative reclassifications for staff whose duties have shifted toward project management and program coordination. Nass said the governor’s budget pairs those reclassifications with targeted reductions, including higher vacancy savings and trimmed board stipends, to balance costs.

Committee members extensively questioned the office about outreach to small and disadvantaged vendors. Committee members referenced the office’s procurement performance measure (KPM 2) and the program that tracks outreach to certified disadvantaged businesses. The presentation showed a KPM target of 10% and committee members observed that historical performance has been below 1%. Warner and Nass said staff would follow up with additional detail on measurement and links between the governor’s marketplace trade shows and vendor outreach outcomes.

The governor’s office requested a non‑general‑fund spending limitation for sponsorships to support the governor’s marketplace and trade-show outreach; Nass said those sponsorships are not paid from the general fund. Warner said the marketplace events have been held statewide (including Salem and Portland) and that the intent is to expand the program beyond the capital to connect vendors with procurement officials.

Committee members raised questions about Regional Solutions staffing and geographic coverage, noting Oregon’s 11 regions are served by seven coordinators. Warner said recent hires and changes have adjusted coverage and that the office would continue evaluating whether additional positions are needed to serve rural areas. Members also raised constituent‑services and ombudsman access, asking for clearer website links and follow up on a constituent case in Representative Tran’s district; Warner said he would look into the specific case.

No formal committee action or vote was taken at the hearing. Paul (LFO staff) told the committee there was one person signed up to testify but that person did not appear, and the committee adjourned.