Meet Hillsboro’s New City Council Member Gina Roletto

The November election is now behind us, and Hillsboro has a new City Councilor. With the election of Gina Roletto, the Hillsboro City Council has a more representative make-up of our city’s demographics. The Hillsboro City Council now has three female councilors, two Latinx councilors, and one LGBTQIA councilor. While we all have diverse beliefs across the political spectrum, it is important to have representation that more closely aligns with the demographics of the area being represented. Hillsboro is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Oregon; at one of the city’s naturalization ceremonies in the spring of 2019, residents from 28 countries became US citizens. With nearly 25% of Hillsboro’s population being Latinx and 50% of the population being female, our City Council becomes more representative of that.
While all other City Council races had their incumbents re-elected, Ward 3 had an outgoing Hillsboro City Councilor, Fred Nachtigal, and had 6 candidates vying to replace him. After tallying the votes, Gina Roletto came out ahead and was elected as our new Hillsboro City Councilor.

So who is Councilor-Elect Gina Roletto? Gina has been a Hillsboro resident for over 20 years and was born and raised in the northwest. She has raised her three sons in Hillsboro and all three have attended Hillsboro Public Schools. Gina is an educator who started her teaching career in Hillsboro and is currently a school administrator for Portland Public Schools. Gina’s mother immigrated from Mexico to continue her education and her father was raised within a migrant farmworker family. He served in Vietnam before becoming a postal worker for over 30 years. Gina and her parents were involved with volunteering and helping in their community, and this instilled a desire to become involved in civic duty herself. Gina hopes to be an additional perspective for Hillsboro, apply current problem-solving skills, and looking at items the Hillsboro City Council votes on through a lens of equity and inclusion.

Gina answered a couple of questions for the Hillsboro Herald this week.

What are your goals for 2021?
My goals for 2021 are to continue the short-term and long-term goals that have been put in place for Hillsboro. This includes items from the 2035 Community Plan as well as real-time projects and needs that have been presented by the pandemic. Secondly, looking at how to continuously involve the community in various ways that are culturally relevant and welcoming.
What is your favorite thing about Hillsboro:
I like the seasons that we have here in the Northwest and the fact that Hillsboro is a short drive from the coast to the west and a short drive to Portland and mountains to the east. We have a baseball team that creates memories in the summer and diverse options for places to eat and shop throughout Hillsboro.
What words of wisdom have meant the most to you:
I learned a long time ago to never assume anything about anyone. I can’t. If I did, I wouldn’t be able to serve on boards, volunteer or be open to understanding other perspectives.

References
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/hillsborocityoregon
https://pamplinmedia.com/ht/117-hillsboro-tribune-news/425209-331436-slideshow-naturalization-ceremony