“An Attack on Our Town”: The Video That Explains the Remark

Oregon Public Broadcasting recently hosted a recording of Think Out Loud at Atfalati Ridge Elementary School. The host, Dave Miller, asked guests who live inside North Plains city limits and outside the city limits about their vision for the future of North Plains.

During the event, one panelist remarked that "if a group of people run four candidates to take over City Council, I view that as an attack on our town."

Some residents may have been left wondering what the panelist meant by that statement.

The comment was not referring to people simply running for office. Competitive elections are a healthy part of democracy. Rather, the concern was about organized efforts by a political group to gain control of city government in order to advance a specific agenda and fundamentally reshape how North Plains is governed.

To provide context, we are sharing a video clip from a meeting organized by Friends of Smart Growth and Strong Towns in which Washington County resident Linda Galas-Merten discusses the group's political objectives.

You can watch the full video clip here.

WATCH FULL CLIP

Here is one of the most striking statements made: "One of the things that we're going to try to do if we can get a city council is also to change the charter and allow people who live outside the boundary but within 97133 to have two members at large on the council."

— Linda Galas-Merten, President, Strong Towns North Plains

This statement(at about 1:45 mark) identifies the concern expressed during the Think Out Loud discussion.

The issue is not whether residents should advocate for their beliefs. The concern is the explicit goal of "getting a city council" aligned with a particular political movement in order to implement structural changes to local government, including changes that could expand political influence beyond current (tax paying) city residents.

This raises important questions about recent developments at City Hall.

The four candidates publicly supported by Strong Towns and allied anti-growth activists constituted a majority of the elected City Council. Since the departure of former Mayor Ariel Goodwin, that majority has appointmented of every new council member added to the body.

At every single appointment, North Plains residents have been shocked to hear no public discussion or debate about the candidates or their qualifications.

Residents may reasonably ask whether these appointments were made solely on the basis of qualifications and community representation, or whether they reflect a broader effort to build support for a predetermined political outcome.

These questions matter because City Council decisions will shape North Plains for decades to come. They affect housing, economic development, public services, infrastructure, and the long-term financial sustainability of our community.

As North Plains approaches future elections, residents should carefully evaluate candidates based on their qualifications, independence, priorities, and willingness to represent the entire community—not just a particular political faction or interest group.

The video referenced above was originally shared on YouTube through the Hillsboro Herald before being removed. If you're unfamiliar, The Hillsboro Herald is a blog run by Hillsboro real estate agent Dirk Knudsen. Dirk has been a staunch public opponent of growth in North Plains and Hillsboro, while quietly personally profiting from it. Dirk's profiteering includes acting as buyer's agent for appointed City Councilor Mark DeForge when he moved to North Plains.

For those who were unable to attend the Think Out Loud recording, we encourage you to listen to the full discussion and draw your own conclusions about the future direction of North Plains.