Hillsboro City Council Ward Redistricting

In the decade between the 2010 and 2020 U.S. Census of Population, the City of Hillsboro’s population increased by over 16%. Due to buildable land availability and other factors, the change in population affects the three city council wards differently. The City sought to rebalance the ward boundaries on the principle of equal representation. Starting in spring 2022 the City of Hillsboro (the City) partnered with several programs from Portland State University’s College of Urban and Public Affairs in order to provide independent analysis and recommendations to ensure—and to assure the public--that boundaries are not redrawn to benefit incumbent commissioners or in response to other political factors. The City also wanted to make sure that members of the public would have opportunities to provide input at different points of the redistricting process. In addition, this process also provided the opportunity for the City to test new ways of reaching and engaging Hillsboro’s diverse residents on public policy issues that affect them. Oregon’s Kitchen Table worked with the City to conduct a community engagement process to hear from residents of Hillsboro about what was most important to them when considering changes to the city ward district boundaries. About 620 people participated in different forms of engagement activities, including with assistance from community organizers in several languages, an online survey in multiple languages, in-person and virtual community meetings, 9 cultural festivals and events in Hillsboro, and individual interviews.