Voting for candidates is never easy. In general, Americans assume that who they are voting for will lie to them to get a vote and stab them in the back. But in rare cases, people come forth to become candidates not because they want to but because they have to. In the case of the four candidates running for office in North Plains, Oregon, we find community members who are part of a larger coalition that came together to stop our Governor, State Senator Jean Sollman, and their own Mayor and Council from doubling the size of their town without a vote or their consent.
When they did stand up and try to slow down and reduce the amount of growth, they found themselves on the receiving end of machinations so Machiavellian that it has rarely been my experience to encounter, and yet they combated them in the most noble and perfect way. They fought back with their pens and signatures and got an initiative petition signed. When their City leaders used taxpayer funds to stop them in court, they raised money themselves with BBQs and bottle drives to hire their own lawyers. Then, their own City hired a PR firm from Portland to confuse the message and blame these brave people for their willingness to fight. Next was the misguided and horrible Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors that poured almost $80,000 in influence funds into the growth side of the argument.
The Citizens were from every walk of life. Led by the Friends of North Plains Smart Growth, the people stood strong and ultimately won the day.
- They won the right to Vote on their initiative, which City Officials sued to stop.
- They won a Washington County Court Case to allow the Vote to be counted, which the City tried to stop.
- The people of North Plains voted in a landslide (72%) to reject the City leader’s unwanted forced growth.
- They won a crucial land use case in which the Judge decided that their initiative and Vote took precedent over our Governor and Senator Jean Sollman’s special bill to deny all people of Oregon to ever stand up to forced growth.
I’ve seen firsthand the unfair treatment the people of North Plains, Oregon have endured in this campaign, and their response has been both admirable and selfless.
Now, brought together only by the love of their town, their people, and each other, four of those brave people want the people of North Plains to give them a chance to slow their current leadership aspirations and keep their small Oregon farm town the way it is—livable!
If they win, North Plains wins sets a shining example and sends a shot over the bow of the Oregon State Capitol, a place where a very California growth concept has now deeply rooted itself. The Oregon way is smart growth, but never at the complete cost and devastation of our natural resources, never without the will of the people of Oregon and places like North Plains coming first.
If you live and Vote in North Plains, Oregon, Vote for “the Four.” When you do, you are voting for your town and your lives. The current group has proven they are not trustworthy or looking out for everyone. Send a message to them and save your time. If we could do all this in Hillsboro, where this same thing is happening, we would be so much better off.
Get out the Vote- Save your town!
Side Note- I have been on the record and written about how supporting a panel is usually not a good idea. I, in almost all cases, believe that to be true. Not because those running are incapable but because the panel itself is constructed of people who answer to outside influences and agendas. That is almost always the case. This is not the case here. They all proved themselves and earned their worth to their community long before they filed to run, and the only thing they have in common is the love of their community. This a rare situation, and I am all in.Hear from the Candidates themselves:
Sep 18, 2024 NORTH PLAINS
Vote for “The 4” by November 5th!
On November 5, 2024, votes will be tallied for a new North Plains mayor and three new city councilors. We four candidates vow to stand up for the 72% of North Plains citizens who voted “No” against the city’s huge, proposed Urban Growth Boundary expansion in May 2024.
We believe in slow, smart growth that emphasizes small, local businesses—not huge data centers, warehouses, or semiconductor factories that produce few jobs, command tax breaks, and detract from our small-town charm and livability. We vow to listen, engage with the community, and protect farmland as much as possible.
Electing new officials is our long-term solution to standing up for our small-town charm and values. Please vote for us four candidates as a group—together we can band together to Save North Plains!
- Ariel Goodwin for Mayor
- Aaron Dumbrow for City Council
- Mandy Hagedorn for City Council
- Katie Reding for City Council
https://www.SaveNorthPlains.com
• Get to Know Us: Save North Plains may… www.SaveNorthPlains.com
Also, a Meet and Greet is happening this Weekend!
More from the Hillsboro Herald
Source: Save North Plains
Via: Save North Plains
Here are the 4 who need to be DEFEATED….If they come to your door BE POLITE and send them away!
1. Mayor Lenahan: https://www.northplains.gov/government/city_council/members/teri_lenahan.php
2. Councilor Sheldon: https://www.northplains.gov/government/city_council/members/russ_sheldon.php
3. Councilor Kindel https://www.northplains.gov/government/city_council/members/butch_kindel.php
4. Councilor Martinez https://www.northplains.gov/government/city_council/members/cameron_martinez.php
Mike, Martinez isn’t running again. It’s some unknown with the last name of Fry who is also for huge expansion.
On another note, the dirt on Russ Sheldon is that he embezzled money from a family business a few years ago, lost all his money and foreclosed on his rural North Plains property. So do we want a mayor who embezzled money? Nope.
Mayor Teri Lenahan: https://www.northplains.gov/government/city_council/members/teri_lenahan.php
(Time to retire and go home to Ohio Teri)
Councilor Russ Sheldon: https://www.northplains.gov/government/city_council/members/russ_sheldon.php
In your 2nd term Russ you’ve proven that you’re a lamb following the Herd.
Councilor Butch Kindel: https://ww.northplains.gov/government/city_council/members/butch_kindel.php
It’s time to hang it up Butch. Don’t ya think 43 years on the council is ENOUGH!
Councilor Cameron Martinez: https://www.northplains.gov/government/city_council/members/cameron_martinez.php
Well “Cotton” we’re wondering if you’ve got a mind of your own…..
Don’t be fooled be these 4. They are just like the City of Hillsboro and don’t give a hoot about the North Plains citizens. It has been proven!
So true–and well written. I have been following this even though I am a Hillsboro resident–and cheering them on. This is exactly what has been happening!! Our State Governor–with rate bipartisan support rapidly passing that bill to prevent residents from having a say in local land use–now affects all Oregon Residents.
I wish them well–and hope they win in a landslide, like their measure did.
Yes we need our Oregon State Capital to stand up and take notice–of what their residents want!!!
Vote North Plains Residents!!
Hillsboro Residents–take note and see what our Mayor and City Council Candidates stand for. We also have a choice to slow down the out of control — as Dirk terms it: “California growth concept”. Very aptly named–Do we really want to be another Californian Sprawling City???