North Plains Council Confronts Overdue Audits as New Leaders Step In

The Real Story – A Column

It has been a very contentious and controversial 5 years in North Plains, Oregon.  From ethics complaints and threats of suits to a revolving door of political offices, it has frankly been a mess.  Not the town itself or its people, but specifically City Hall and those who run it.  At times, it has been almost comical, and at others just sad and divisive.  Having said that, the beautiful historic town that flanks the Tualatin Mountains and the Sunset Highway has some new life and some new energy.

Former City Councilor Aaron Dumbrow has been selected as the new Mayor of North Plains, filling the seat left by the departure of Ariel Goodwin, who left a few months after being elected for health reasons.  Dumbrow was one of the 4 candidates who ran on a Smart Growth platform – that was a response to the old guard Mayor and Council turning the city into a Monopoly Board and stepping on residents to do so.  Now we find a full governmental body with Dumbrow in the Mayoral chair, newly appointed Councilor Don Weber (who filled a vacancy left by the resignation of Councilor Michele McCall-Wallace), and the selection of Mark Deforge , who will fill Dumbrow’s vacant seat.  Phew~~~ See the rest of the Council here-

Dumbrow is openly posting his observations about the City he now leads on his Facebook page- making it clear his positions are his own.  But he is telegraphing that he will be fair and interested in the right growth to generate the much-needed revenues for the growing residential town.  He is messaging his beliefs and feelings with residents on his Facebook Page, and frankly, it has been just what the doctor ordered.  Here is his New Year’s post!

A new year is a good time to reflect on the past year and look ahead to what is coming. For our city, the new year brings us new opportunities.

Some of the things we are looking forward to this year are:

Code updates – Our planning commission and city staff will be working on updating our code.

We are excited about this, as it provides an opportunity for the citizens to shape the future direction by defining what growth looks like. 

Urban Renewal Plan – Our Urban Renewal Agency will be working to renew the plan, which will help us fund additional growth in our city.

Communications and Parks – With the Council’s approval of the budgeted Communications and Parks Program position, we begin the search for a new city employee to help us begin the process of adding more local programs and growing our city communications.

Elections – This year we will have three (3) council seats up for reelection. This is a great opportunity to help shape the future of our city.

It is also a valuable time for us all to reflect on the following 3 questions.

What brought you to and/or keeps you in North Plains?

What do you love about the City?

What would you like the City of North Plains to look like in 20 years?

I look forward to serving the community in 2026 and beyond, thank you all for being good neighbors and being the best part of North Plains.

Mark DeForge is a perfect complement to the rest of the Council and an important addition.  Mark is someone known to me- I have watched his careful and historic work in turning his former small farm on the edge of Hillsboro into a complete ecosystem that reflected the Atfalati people and the plants they harvested and existed off of in pre-settlement millennia.  He and his family exited that property, given no choice- it was that or live in Hillsboro’s hellish Data Center expansions that were forced all around their home.  A few years into his residency now, DeForge is an important and thoughtful addition, as he is a CPA and manages a very large landscaping firm with a budget similar to that of the City of North Plains.  He is a great numbers guy, and I think the residents have someone who will help guide City Hall out of a messy financial period. His deep knowledge of economic development and his love of the landscape and natural areas are real bonuses, given the history and importance of the lands in and around the City.

A Financial House That Must Be Put In Order

We reached out to City Manager Bill Reid to ask about the status and any comments he could offer.  It just so turns out that a presentation will be made to the Mayor and Council on January 20th.  That was Bill’s comment for us.

“City Council will get an update on City audit for FY22, FY23, and FY24 at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, January 20. 

If you would like to make a public comment, we certainly welcome it.”  Bill Reid- North Plains City Manager

This is a big year for North Plains, and yet there will be another election in the Fall for 3 of the Council seats.  I, for on,e am pulling for a big year, positive actions, and the new leadership.

From the Oregn Secretary Of State

Oregon’s Municipal Audit Program periodically publishes a list of municipalities that haven’t filed their required financial reports for the last few fiscal years. The most recent list shows that as of December 2025, there were 238 entities with delinquent reports, many of which were delinquent for multiple years.

The number of delinquent filers remains significantly higher than when the Audits Division began publishing this information in 2017; however, it is an improvement from May 2025, when 385 municipalities were delinquent.

Under Municipal Audit Law, Oregon’s municipalities are required to submit annual reports with key financial information to the Secretary of State’s Office. For most entities, this report must be a financial audit conducted by a certified public accountant; for other, smaller entities, they may self-report expenditure information.

In February 2025, the office released a summary report that found a record number of municipalities were falling behind in filing these required reports. Auditors noted a major reason for the delinquent filings was a lack of adequate resources and persistent issues around staffing, both turnover and filling positions.

There may be consequences for municipalities that are delinquent.

Entities that don’t file a report may jeopardize their ability to service debt, obtain new debt, comply with grant requirements, or obtain new grants. School districts may have state school funds withheld by the Oregon Department of Education. Special districts may be subject to dissolution if they don’t file reports for three consecutive years.

Postscript:  Less than 48 hours after we published this, Councilor Jame Fage resigned- opening up yet another hole in the council.