Felicita Monteblanco, Washington County Commissioner, District 2–Candidate Interview

By Geoff Nudelman, Washington County Democrats Communications Committee Member

What do you think are some of the key issues facing the district that this seat represents?

Our country and our world are in a time of crisis. People’s personal safety and their futures are in jeopardy. I feel it every day. I’m sure you do too, and when I speak to our community members, it’s top of mind. A democracy that is crumbling, our neighbors being kidnapped, an unjustified war; every day feels like a new horror, and local government has a role in addressing community safety, affordability and quality of life. I’ve spent the last few months really prioritizing direct outreach to voters, and after hundreds of conversations with residents across the county (I knocked on my 800th door this past weekend), the themes are very clear. They communicated that the most urgent issues are housing and affordability, and that’s what’s keeping them up at night. They’re stressing about if they get to stay in this community. That their kids get to raise their grandkids in this community. They’re nervous, they’re hurting economically and they’re worried they’re going to be priced out of their homes. It is all overwhelming for so many people that I talk to.

How do you help people work through the frustration when they feel like, at the county level particularly, not enough is being done to deal with this issue?

I think one of the wonderful privileges of voter outreach and literally going to someone’s door is that I’m essentially a resource of information. A lot of this district is unincorporated, so they don’t have a city that is providing services, and don’t know who they can connect to get questions answered. Sometimes it can feel very confusing, and you throw on top of that all the special districts, and it’s just hard to navigate for a busy mom, someone who’s older, someone who maybe isn’t great at the Internet, right? There are just a lot of barriers to getting answers.

No matter what happens on Election Day (May 19), I think one of the wonderful opportunities I’ve had is to help people connect the dots and help them understand the services that the county provides. I’ve been doing this work for over eight years, so I know a lot of people and I have a lot of answers. Getting to share that with folks, and be truly at their door so they don’t have to go do the research. Having someone at their door excited to answer questions and help them navigate is a privilege and an opportunity

What have you learned from your time on the THPRD board that prepares you for the step up to the Washington County Commission seat?

Thanks for asking about my two terms (eight years on the elected Board of Directors). That job prepared me for many of the aspects of the County Commissioner role, including budgeting, setting policy and securing resources. I’m really proud of the work that I did there in my last year. We balanced a budget of $150 million and that goes far beyond playgrounds. It’s public space management, staff recruitment and retention, community programming, habitat restoration and long-term infrastructure for 270,000 residents. I’m the only candidate with experience of balancing and stewarding multiple priorities in a government budget that affects hundreds of thousands of people.

Which accomplishment from your time on the THPRD board are you most proud of?

I’ll share two. Number one is definitely the waiving of System Development Charges (SDCs) for affordable housing units. I know that’s super wonky, but SDCs are essentially the fees that any new construction has to pay. If you’re building a new business, a restaurant or a new home, you have to pay a fee to all the area jurisdictions to ensure the same level of service for the new residents coming in, and that’s pretty basic across the state. The district had been hearing directly from affordable housing developers about the many barriers in this region to building affordable housing, and that we were one of them. The previous Board of Directors felt very strongly, ‘This is outside of our lane. This is not our job.’ For me, I believe if it’s affecting the residents we serve, then it absolutely is within our job to at least explore what is appropriate and what we can afford. How can we play a role in addressing this crisis?

It took three years from when I was first elected, flipping the board with more Democrats, but we ultimately passed a policy that waived System Development Charges for ADUs. Five years later when I left the board, we had waived 450 units. So that’s seniors, that’s veterans, that’s individuals with disabilities, all who have housing. I couldn’t be prouder of that work. It’s very tangible. I can literally go see the housing that was built.

I’m also really proud of how I invested in, mentored and recruited really thoughtful, enthusiastic people–progressive leaders to join the Board. Right now, the Board is made up of parents and people that use the district. It’s primarily people of color and entirely Democrats. We have the youngest person ever elected to that role, Miles Palacios, who is now also running for Metro and endorsed by the Democrats. I supported a pipeline of Beaverton leaders through deliberate strategy, grassroots engagement and sustained relationship building. I work closely with prospective candidates who I identified, recruited and advised. I leveraged my network and my time and financial resources. I knock doors for them and show them how to knock doors. They won their campaigns over and over again, and now I watch with pride as they continue to lead with racial equity.

I cried my eyes out at my last Board meeting, but I also know that the district is in the hands of five extremely thoughtful and engaged community members.

Since we last spoke in 2021, have your values evolved as they relate to the Democratic Party? Has your personal vision for the party changed since then?

It doesn’t feel like it’s changed, but it’s certainly been strengthened and fortified. The right to vote is top of mind. The SAVE Act has been coming up as a topic in my voter outreach. People are afraid they’re not going to be able to vote. It’s very scary. It is our moral obligation to engage in democracy, and I’ll always fight to increase access. Our role as leaders is not to exclude more people, but include more people in the democratic process. Unlike our current President, I don’t take that right for granted. I vote in every election, local, state and national. Basic human rights is on the Washington County Democrat’s values list–everyone deserves access to housing and safety. That’s really the floor, not the ceiling. The county is the first line of defense.
My hope for the party is that we make the biggest tent possible, welcoming as many Oregonians as we can with similar values for a democracy that works for all of us.

A core part of our conversation then was about pandemic recovery. Are there still things you’re seeing across the county that potentially haven’t fully recovered from that era?

So much has not recovered since the pandemic. There are certainly some positive things, like remote work that has been pretty life changing for employees, and I applaud that. That level of flexibility is critical, especially as the county works to be an employer of choice. But with regards to people engaging in events, patterns and behavior have changed so much and as a result budgets have changed drastically. Almost every government entity doesn’t have the resources they need, and unfortunately that’s going to continue. The county has tough conversations ahead about what its most critical services are. If we have to choose between libraries, roads and the Sheriff’s Office, what is the highest priority to the community? These are tough decisions. And how does it all connect to the values of public safety, community safety and community well-being? I commit to not making these decisions in a vacuum and hearing directly from those that will be most impacted.

Is there anything we haven’t covered that you want voters to know about you?

I grew up off 185th and Baseline in unincorporated Washington County, and that was my home for the majority of my life. I grew up with family members that lived within walking distance. I just love it here. I have been deeply engaged in progressive work for the last 10 years, as exemplified in my list of endorsements that include Congresswomen Bonamici and Salinas, Attorney General Rayfield and Secretary Read. They’re not saying they agree with me on everything, but they know that I am deeply engaged, I do my homework, I’m thoughtful and deliberate and I bring my honest self to decision-making. I believe this level of support, along with over 50 other elected leaders including State Legislators, Mayors, School Board Members and more showcases that I have been deeply engaged in the community for quite some time and that I share the progressive values of so many of our Democratic leaders.

Learn more about Felicita Monteblanco, Candidate for Washington County Commissioner, District 2, at her campaign website.