Final Thoughts On Hillsboro Elections Before The Bell Tolls – VOTE JAKE MEAD FOR COUNCIL! And Who Is Taneshia Redmond?

In Hillsboro, the race between Jake Mead, Mike McTernan, and Elizabeth Case has caught our attention. We heartily endorse Jake Mead for his ultra-local connection to our community. Jake is a small business owner who is lobbying for increased communication between the City and the Citizens, real housing solutions, and more robust Hospital services. He is pro-business and advocates responsible use of our lands.  Beyond that, the guy has been everywhere in Hillsboro long before he began to run for office.  He is plugged into our town and gets it- it is not manufactured nor coached.  Jake has run an unscripted and uncrafted campaign with his authentic voice.  That is what we need right now.

Hillsboro Herald Endorses Jake Mead Over Elizabeth Case For City Council And Our Cities Future

For all of you who have not voted, please consider voting for Jake.  

From my standpoint, we need Jake in City Hall to represent what we need right now. There has been almost no debate or careful discussion on anything, and as we have all gone about our lives, our town has grown unbridled. The results have been soaring water, power, housing, and crime rates. Mayor Callaway has pushed us through the past 8 years with an eye for corporate growth at all costs.  And yet here we are with Intel falling apart, 3,000 people laid off, and deep concerns about our budgets are growing.

Beach Pace will most likely be our next Mayor.  As supporters and drivers of those policies in her past 6 years, we can expect more of the same.  But this time, I believe we will see sitting Councilors Kipperlyn Sinclair and Olivia Alcaire thoughtfully require more discussion and debate.  On the matters that need our attention, I believe the years of 7-0 “Yes” votes are over. At least, I hope they are.  If Jake Mead wins, someone who both of those ladies have heavily endorsed, our community can expect a slower, more methodical approach.  A better approach.

LOOK AT THE CITY COUNCIL LANDSCAPE GOING INTO THE ELECTION!  The combinations of personalities, platforms, and policies they all have will certainly lead to some very interesting City Council meetings!

Kipperlyn Sinclair and Olivia Alcaire both return to City Hall 

The Red Candidates are running as a Cohort and the messaging is basically more of the same, although we respect that each candidate will grow and mature into their roles.  Having said that they ran on a platform which reflects the last 8 years policies led by Callaway/Pace. 

Sinclair and Alcaire both endorse Mead– If he wins we could see an evening of the Council and some more thoughtful management. 

The Harris-Grambo race and the selection for the Pace seat if vacated, will certainly make for a wild finish this years Hillsboro City Council elections! 

We have endorsed Rob Harris at this time, who I believe will show his Independence and leadership on a wide variety of issues.

Here is what council woman Alcaire had to say About Jake Mead:

“It’s refreshing to see a candidate like Jake Mead (weneedmead.com) work so hard to gain the public’s trust. Jake grew up in Hillsboro and has a lifelong investment in continuing to make Hillsboro a great city for people to live, work, and thrive. Yes, there are the other candidates. So far, Jake’s ethics and leadership remain intact, as he campaigns to gain the public’s trust by demonstrating his independence in thinking, willingness to collaborate, working towards solutions not problems, and listening to what the people want out of their local government,

I trust Jake Mead because I have watched him talk to people and listen to them talk about what is working/not working for them in Hillsboro. Jake spends copious amounts of time evaluating data and info to make informed opinions about issues he sees impacting Hillsboro. Jake attends the council meetings – not to sit there in the audience to be noticed. Jake is listening and asking questions about –

1. City finances/expenditures/use of public tax dollars

2 North Hillsboro/SB4 and landowners – how to find balance

3. Workforce jobs and housing to respond to city growth

4. Affordable housing and living with dignity

5. Public safety and the need for more staff and services

6. Humane solutions for homelessness like transitional housing and connection to critical services

7. Climate impact studies and action plans

8. Stronger urban renewal planning and development

9. Strengthening the viability Hillsboro neighborhoods

As a City Councilor, I understand the weight of making decisions on behalf of all of you. Jake has patience, critical thinking, courage to stand for what is right, humility to work with others, and determination to see things through. Jake doesn’t run from conflict or controversy, but rather approaches challenges as though they are opportunities to learn and do more. Jake doesn’t hide behind his privilege and status, and in fact his word, his actions, and commitment stands out to me.

Jake knows that being a City Councilor is more than taking exploitative photos of other people’s life experiences for his own gain. As a Latina, a person of color who has served on council since 2017 – it’s a hard job standing up for what is right and making space for others to participate in local government regardless of national origin, residency, race and ethnicity, religious beliefs, and gender/orientation, and voting with consensus for the common good.

Jake is a very successful business owner and supports the growth of more small businesses. He has served on the Chamber board and has tried to make critical recommendations for the Chamber to reach greater levels of equitable work to match the growing diversity of local, small businesses in Hillsboro. That kind of commitment can be challenging when you are the lone voice crying out for fairness in ways the status quo can understand.

I am not part of the status quo in Hillsboro, I am one of the people from Ward 3A, across the railroad tracks in beautiful Southeast Hillsboro. I own an affordable home, now unaffordable because of the housing stability I have enjoyed.

The Herald asked her to tell us what the road ahead looks like as one of just two City Councilors returning to City Hall:

“I’m looking forward to the new council and what work we will accomplish at that time. I’m one of 2 remaining councilors, and the change of 4 new councilors and a mayor is huge. We have to work together and come to a consensus to accomplish the work that we were voted to do. I feel there will be lot of growth as we get to know each other and finish the work left from the old council, and prepare to begin the work of the new council. In all our work, DEI is important – you cannot simply say you support it. You have to do it. Our council has spent significant amounts of time on DEI work so that we can better support our entire city, more than half of which are people of color. Also, this new council needs to understand what it means to serve a Sanctuary City. There’s a lot of education ahead of this council.

I look forward to change. I have appreciated working with councilors since I started in 2017. I appeciate the role of the councilor – voting for what is right, advocating for people, evaluating information, and to do what is right by the citizens of Hillsboro.  (I am) Looking forward to change.”

Councilor Olivia Alcaire

Councilor Kipperlyn Sinclair On Jake Mead –

From her Instagram Page:

• TRUST Jake Mead to serve the people not political interests or status quo’s.
• Trust that Jake Mead will serve on the dais with an independent voice to affectively make good policy that increases the quality of livability in Hillsboro beyond high tech employment.
• Elect Jake Mead who will push for smart growth inclusive to Oregon’s land use procedures and natural resources…
• Elect Jake Mead to hold Hillsboro accountable in completing an affective Climate Action Plan…
• Elect Jake Mead to prioritize equitable housing with homeownership opportunities for the working class families wanting the choice to live and work in Hillsboro…
• Elect Jake Mead who stands with teachers fighting for manageable class sizes, livable wages, and safe learning environments for both students and teachers…
• Elect Jake Mead to advocate for capital investment projects that shape our Downtown Hillsboro and Calle Diaz neighborhoods to diversify economic growth and opportunities…
• Elect Jake Mead to prioritize safe infrastructure that promotes affordable water, reliable fire services, and scalable hospital access as our population prepares to expand…
• Elect Jake Mead who is action driven for smart growth and welcomes open dialogue and public engagement.
  

  I endorse to elect Jake Mead. Learn more about Jake at www.WeNeedMead.com and vote by November 5th! @weneedmead

From the Herald:

We will not get that level of change with Elizabeth Case, who has been heavily endorsed by Callaway, Pace, and others running the current freight train system and status quo.  It is unlikely that Case will have the independent voice needed to stand up to the machine that is in power now in Hillsboro, and certainly not to Pace, who is as tough as they come when a vote is needed.  Case has run several campaigns as a part of her consulting buisness including Senator Janeen Sollman and Pace.  An expert at crafting an image and cleaver slogans, an in selling politicians to the public, a good City Councilor does not make.  But she may be it.  If that is the case I expet we will see a lot of 4-2 council votes as we move ahead.

Mike McTernan came into the race later and proved to be a force on enviromental issues.  And I think he is someone to watch going forward because he has a lot to offer the people of Hillsboro.  He has a shot but we never got to see enough of Mike to make an endorsement.

No other race has the potential to change the composition of this Board than this one.  Jake Mead is someone who can bring some real value and in the end, we hope he is able to win that seat.

Please realize if you have not Voted, this vote means more than any other you will make locally in terms of it postential.  We hope you will vote for Jake.

Who Is Taneshia Redmond?  

Lastly, Pace has an opponent for Mayor.  Her name is Taneshia Redmond.  

You have not seen a sign for her.  No ads. No Social Media posts. No lobbying meetings.  No election finance filings.  Almost nothing.  And not one paper really covered much about her.  The Herald persisted in trying to contact her, and we finally got to spend a few minutes with her on the phone a week or so ago.  Teneshia is well spoken, upbeat, and an excellent communicator.  To me she is exactly what Hillsboro needs right now in City Hall.  A total political unknown with fresh eyes and ears, unpolluted by political connections, campaign policy deals, donors, and bug growth Policies being handed down from Tina Kotek and Ron Wyden.

     A 6 year Hillsboro resident and busy Mom, Taneshia told us that she simply wanted people to “have a choice for Mayor in Hillsboro”.  You can read some of her campaign ideas and purposes below.  We had a short but productive conversation and this is someone I believe should be appointment to serve on a commission or committe should she not win.  It is the people like her that make politics great.

     Some rumors have swriled about this towns political circles that she was not a serious candidate and that she might be friends of Pace, perhaps running a sort of false campaign.  We spoke about that and other than serving on the Police Advisory Committee in Hillsboro, and meeting Pace and her Wife Jincy, a Hillsboro Police Commander, Taneshia said they do not know each other nor has there been any discussions between them.

Creating A Better Hillsboro – From https://www.taneshiaformayor.com/