PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez was less than pleased by the latest county budget proposal, saying that although appearing to support public safety on paper, it is using "creative accounting to hide the reality."

In a Thursday press conference, Vasquez said he was "disgusted" and "blindsided" by the latest proposal, saying it makes cuts to key public safety components, including 10 DA's Office staff members.

"Under this budget, this office will be laying off people," he said. "We will be unable to serve victims of domestic violence, we'll be unable to properly serve children in our Juvenile Services Unit."

With this proposal, the DA's Office could also see the loss of the Auto Theft Task Force, a prosecutor in the Domestic Violence Unit, a prosecutor in their Treatment Court Unit and potentially the Organized Retail Theft Unit. The task forces in particular, Vasquez noted, were some of their most successful positions, producing "a dramatic turnaround" in the community.

Given these factors, Vasquez said it was "shocking" that Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson allocated $23 million into the Homeless Services division, "doubling down on failed issues," instead of funding the DA's Office or the Dept. of Community Justice.

He further argued that those funds could come from funding from the Supportive Housing Services measure - which he claims holds around $200 million - instead of taking from his office, which holds one of the smallest budgets in the county.

"We have the funds and the resources in this community," said Vasquez. "It's about the decisions we make and the priorities. On the one hand, we're hearing that the Chair says it's a priority to serve families and some of our most vulnerable communities. But across the board in this budget, we're seeing cuts in our juvenile services and domestic violence areas and so this budget doesn't match the County's values."

Vasquez added that when he previously met with the Chair prior to the unveiling of the budget, he put together a $4.5 million package, none of which was approved.

"All I'm asking for is balance," he said.

Multiple organizations - including TriMet, Historic Parkrose, the Oregon Crime Victims Law Center and the Oregon Department of Justice - sent in letters to Vega Pederson supporting the DA's Office and encouraging reform of the budget proposal.

In the meantime. Vasquez says he will be "working diligently" every day with each of the commissioners to get the votes necessary to amend it.

If approved, the budget will go into effect at the beginning of the fiscal year on July 1, 2025.

In a statement, Vega Pederson's responded to Vasquez's comments on the budget.

"Elected leadership and the hard decisions that come with it are not new to me. We have a serious budget deficit that requires tough choices – the DA’s budget is no exception. The DA’s budget has seen a 57% increase since 2019. The numbers in my budget speak for themselves - public safety is prioritized with no cuts to the Sheriff’s Office, jails, and some of the smallest reductions in the County to the DA and Department of Community Justice. To imply otherwise is disingenuous. No one jumps the line and gets special treatment because they go on TV and talk loudly."

Vasquez's full press conference can be viewed above.