A cloudy afternoon in the city of North Plains on May 19, 2026. The Washington County town has fewer than 4,000 residents, and people inside and outside the city limits have been sharply divided over expanding the urban growth boundary. The rancor over differences of opinion about whether and how to plan for growth has spurred massive turnover in city government in the last two years.
Allison Frost / OPB
Residents in the Washington County city of North Plains have been sharply divided for years over whether and how much to expand its urban growth boundary. City leaders passed a plan in 2024 that was overturned in a popular vote and in the same election ushered in a new anti-growth majority on the council. In less than 2 years, the majority of those councilors have resigned, along with the mayor and two subsequent replacement mayors.
North Plains also saw the departure of its city manager and had two interim city managers resign one after the other. The current interim has a contract that expires on Sept. 1.
In June we went to North Plains to talk to people inside and outside of the city limits to hear about their different ideas about growth and maintaining their rural identity — and the other issues fueling the turnover in local government.
Austin De Dios is a politics reporter focused on Washington and Clackamas counties for The Oregonian/Oregonlive, and he joins us to share the latest on the community and city government of North Plains.
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