ODOT layoffs ‘will have consequences,’ governor warns
3 min read
Oregon Governor’s Office
The Oregon Department of Transportation initiated the first wave of layoffs on Monday resulting from lawmakers’
ODOT told 483 employees they would be laid off effective July 31, according to the governor’s office. The layoffs
Cuts to maintenance crews will affect basic services, like pothole repair, pavement maintenance and brush clearance to prevent wildfires. The reduced funding will also affect planned and existing transportation and capital projects, which could be cancelled or delayed, Kotek said.
“These layoffs constitute an emergency in Oregon’s transportation system that will hurt every part of Oregon,” Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said in a statement. “While we sharpened our pencils to temper the pace of layoffs from one wave into two, there will not be enough workers to provide the level of response Oregonians rely on, whether it’s filling a pothole or clearing safe passage for evacuation when a fire strikes.”
In addition, the agency is eliminating 449 vacant positions for a total of 932 positions slashed as a result of budget cuts, according to the governor’s office.
A second wave of layoffs, partly dependent on unpredictable winter weather is planned for early 2026, absent legislative action to preserve Oregon’s transportation services, Kotek said.
Each wave would constitute the largest layoff in Oregon state government, according to the governor’s office.
When lawmakers adjourned June 30 without passing a bill to sufficiently fund the department, Kotek asked ODOT Director Kris Strickler and other agency heads to draft a reduction plan.
“This emergency was preventable and there is still time to intervene,” said Kotek, who has
Lawmakers spent a year working on House Bill 2025, the transportation package. Majority Democrats couldn’t put together the three-fifths supermajority needed to pass the bill, which included $14.6 billion in tax and fee increases over the next decade.
“I have not and will not stop fighting for Oregonians who rely on us to keep our roads safe and people and products moving,” Kotek said. “Come winter, without a shared commitment to solve this crisis from partners and lawmakers, Oregonians will be left out in the cold — literally.”
The plan outlined by Kotek attempts to lower the hit to basic services by reducing the purchase of materials like sand and de-icer, delaying vehicle replacements, preserving institutional knowledge by retaining senior staff and limiting the closure of maintenance stations, according to the governor’s office.
But as early as this summer, Kotek said, Oregonians will see noticeable impacts to road maintenance and safety services, like pothole repairs, pavement maintenance, and road striping.
Vegetation management, including brush clearing and fire prevention work, will also be scaled back, increasing wildfire risk and reducing visibility along roads, she said. As winter approaches, Oregonians can expect slower and less frequent snow and ice removal, particularly in rural and mountainous areas where reduced staff will have to cover more miles of roadway.
Deicing treatments will also be scaled back, officials said, increasing the risk of dangerous driving conditions. Longer and more frequent road closures can also be anticipated during winter storms, they said.
For the past two biennia, ODOT officials said they have been holding hundreds of positions vacant to manage available resources. In addition to the planned layoffs, they said, these vacant positions will also now be permanently eliminated.
