Okay, Folks, those ballots are in your mailboxes. Our local Races in Hillsboro are as big as any others, and we will be making some endorsements after months of studying the issues! Here is our first one!

The Hillsboro Herald has spent weeks watching these candidates who are running for our Hillsboro City Council.  The future of our City is, in fact, on the line.  And so is your way of life here.  Let’s forget about all the wards and names and any confusion about who is running for what.  Let us cut this down for you!

Jake Mead VS Elizabeth Case VS Mike McTernan- Hillsboro City Council Race – The Future Of The City

Questions:

1.  Do you believe the Status Quo in the past 4 to 8 years has made Hillsboro a better place to live?
2. Are you Happy with our climbing sewer, water, storm sewer, and electricity rates?
3. Is crime worse than it was 4 and 8 years ago?  Are you more worried about your household?
4. Do you feel like growth is out of control and that big corporations make more and get all the breaks while you and your household struggle more than ever?
5. Do you feel like no one at city hall listens but does whatever it wants, and we all pay the price?

If these questions resonated with you, you are among the majority of readers at the Hillsboro Herald, whom we hear from every day.

And now, with your vote, you can do something about it.  

The Hillsboro Herald is STRONGLY ENDORSING JAKE MEAD for Hillsboro City Council over Elizabeth Case and late entry Mike McTernan.  Here are the essential reasons why:

• The Washington County Democrats endorsed Jake Mead over Elizabeth Case.
• The WCDP felt Elizabeth Case was less knowledgeable and “represented the Status Quo”.
• The Party WOULD NOT endorse Elizabeth’s Case for ethical reasons because she altered the party’s slate card, changed recommendations, and violated time-honored agreements and rules against HER OWN PARTY rules! If she breaks her own party rules, the Herald is more than concerned at what she might do to the people of Hillsboro should such behavior continue.

• Jake Mead is local and has 4 generations of history in our community and local agriculture and business roots.
• Elizabeth Case is part of the Sisterhood / Emerge program along with Beach Pace (Mayor’s Race), Saba Anvery (future District 1 Councilor), and many others in power. These candidates are squarely aligned with the Status Quo, which has prioritized State, County, and METRO priorities over the needs of the people of the City of Hillsboro.  This will mean a steady slide into a Portland like morass where history and community are erased.
• Elizabeth Case has taken campaign funds from large landowners and Politicians who are trying to buy influence to get land into the City and make hundreds of Millions in profit in the North Hillsboro area—all of whom are working with/lobbying Governor TINA KOTEK’s Office and others to convert hundreds or thousands of acres of Farmland to special interest factories with massive tax giveaways.  We all get stuck paying even MORE for SEWER, WATER, ROADs, Schools, And Failed Tax incentive programs!!

• Jake Mead is the first COUNCIL Candidate who has taken up our call for COMMUNITY TOWN HALLS!  As of this moment, Jake is the first and only candidate running to seek to break the complete one-sided communication platform that is City Hall in Hillsboro!  NO MORE SECRETS- Jake Wants Transparency!
• We believe that Elizabeth Case is NOT the best candidate for City Council in Hillsboro at this time as she is too connected to outside interests, the Washington County Chamber ( Hillsboro is not their top priority), and politicians and land owners.  Her decade or so here and her focus on these outside interests show she is not ready for this role.  When we add this analysis and consider her own party’s “Thumbs Down” after extensive interviews, this point becomes clearer right now.  SHE IS NOT THE ONE WE NEED RIGHT NOW!
•   We do believe that Elizabeth has a lot to offer. Still, it must be in the future once she has resolved who she wants to represent and has more time to define her roles here in Hillsboro outside her work-related alliances and political connections, which seem to be holding her personal potential back.  We believe she will be tapped for the Planning Commission or other powerful positions within the City once this election is settled out, and we look forward to seeing her do the work, grow, and reach her full potential as a Voice for Hillsboro and its people!

UPDATE – Regarding Candidate Mike McTernan– The Herald had limited information on Mike.  But we did see him in the Candidates forum.  Mike is knowledgeable, thoughtful, and has top-tier knowledge of the environment and what is happening here in Hillsboro – especially regarding North Hillsboro.  His commitment to climate and the planet shines through, and Hillsboro has very few leaders beyond Councilwoman Kipperlyn Sinclair working on these matters. McTernan’s background combines academic expertise with practical experience. He holds a master’s degree in environmental studies and biology from Ohio University and has worked in the field with Turnstone Environmental Consulting. His resume also includes community-focused roles such as chef with the Community Food Initiative and school garden coordinator.  We believe Mike is not ready yet for the City Council, but his desire to serve our community should be tapped for the Planning Commission, the Environmental Stewardship Committee, and/or several other commissions Mike could serve our city on.  

The bottom line here is that if you believe Hillsboro is on the wrong track or perhaps being controlled by BIG BUREAUCRATS who are using our beautiful town for State tax programs, corporate giveaways, and special interests, and that WE NEED A VOICE – JAKE MEAD is the Candidate you want. Democrats will appreciate his thoughtful approach, in which he calls for a balanced approach and for us to take advantage of Good opportunities but not GIVE OUR TOWN AWAY. He is LOCAL FOLKS FIRST ALL THE TIME!

If you are a Republican, the only shot you have to gain good representation in Hillsboro is to back a local kid who will fight Tina Kotek’s big bureaucracy.  She wants to take our towns’ lands, shove outside jobs on them, tax them for Salem, and tell us how to live.  We MUST HAVE  LOCAL CONTROL.  Elizabeth Case is part of a panel of candidates who have been assembled to back the Callaway era regime, and their goals seem more in line with keeping the Californication of our community rolling where outside interests and Corporate profits come first.

WE MUST STOP WHAT IS HAPPENING!  Jake is endorsed by the 2 remaining City Councilors who are returning, and together, they will save our Town from a horrible and predictable fate.

SO, when it comes time to check that Ballot – Check that BOX and VOTE JAKE MEAD and ELECT a Local Guy Who will not give in and be pushed around.  Jake is our local guy, and we certainly NEED JAKE MEAD!

Here are the contributions to the Friends of Elizabeth Case as reported on the State of Oregon Website.  These are landowners in Washington County (NOT HILLSBORO) giving money to a City of Hillsboro Candidate who is tied to these landowners through this Money.  They will need her support and influence in the years to come and have hundreds of Millions of dollars in land values on the line- clearly they are hoping her time in office helps them get the land into the Urban Growth Boundary from the farmland protection reserve status it is in now.

It is important to note that Case acted as a campaign manager or consultant for Janeen Sollman (Senator) and Mayorial Candidate Beach Pace – as well as others- who all have received money from land owners and/or consultains working on massive land deals North of the City of Hillsboro- people’s land who Tina Kotek is considering bringing into the UGB.  Is this hard to figure out?

BIG LANDOWNERS SUPPORT ELIZABETH CASE DESPITE NOT BEING HILLSBORO VOTERS 

VIDEOS TO SUPPORT OUR STRONG ENDORSEMENT OF JAKE MEAD

LISTEN TO The Wash Co Dems Put Both Candidates On The Spot About Ethics and Activities – and a Party Leader soundly points out that Elizabeth Case should never earn the endorsement after breaking a sacred party rule.

Listen to the Party Explain why Elizabeth Case is not ready to be a Hillsboro Coty Councilor.