// POST_02
MAY 2026 PRIMARY
·
WASHINGTON CO. / BEAVERTON
·
9 MIN READ
How I voted in the May 2026 primary.
The case for new taxes has to be specific now. Show results before asking for more.
$ ./ballot --summary
SAADAT.BALLOT.2026-05
MEASURE 120
NO
Transportation taxes & fees
MEASURE 34-350
NO
THPRD bond — parks, trails, rec centers
MEASURE 34-351
YES
Washington County Auditor requirements
I voted yes on the Washington County library and public safety levies last November. I didn’t love the added cost, but the case was specific enough. I could see the service, understand the tradeoff, and justify the vote.
This election is different.
Everything is expensive right now — groceries, insurance, utilities, housing, repairs, taxes, fees. Every new measure gets framed as modest. A few dollars per month. A reasonable fee. A targeted bond. That framing misses how people actually experience cost.
// THE STACK · how households actually feel cost
A household budget doesn’t care that each increase was approved separately. It just sees the total.
MEASURE 120
Transportation taxes & fees
NO
// statewide · broad cost increase
+6¢/galmotor vehicle fuel tax
$43 → $85annual passenger vehicle registration
$77 → $216passenger vehicle title fees
0.1 → 0.2%payroll tax for public transit (temp)
Roads and bridges need work. Transit needs funding. Maintenance doesn’t get cheaper when delayed. But this is still a broad cost increase at the wrong time.
// BEFORE I SAY YES, I WANT
- What gets funded first?
- What gets delayed?
- What gets cut?
- What changed operationally?
- Where are the results from the last round of funding?
The need may be real. The request still gets a no.
MEASURE 34-350
THPRD bond — parks, trails, rec centers
NO
// $0.37 / $1,000 assessed · ~$120/yr typical home
fundrepairs and improvements to facilities, safety, parks, trails, rec centers, natural areas
cost≈ $120/year for an average home
framenot wild on its own — but nothing ever is
I value parks, trails, recreation centers, and public spaces. They’re part of what makes Beaverton livable. THPRD has real maintenance needs. This is a bad time to ask households for another property tax increase.
The problem is the stack. Property taxes, bonds, levies, fees, utilities, insurance, groceries. At some point, the right answer is no.
MEASURE 34-351
Washington County Auditor requirements
YES
// no anticipated tax impact · governance fix
+auditor must live in Washington County for 1 year before taking office
+audits must follow Government Auditing Standards
−removes outdated certification requirement
If public agencies want more money, the public should expect stronger audit standards, better performance reviews, and clearer accountability for results.
This is exactly the kind of boring governance fix that should pass.
[C]
Candidates
Same filter — competence, accountability, fiscal restraint. Some challengers where the institution needed pressure. Some incumbents where the challenger didn’t clear the bar.
RACEVOTEWHY
BOLI
Chris Lynch
focused on backlog, management, execution
WASHINGTON CO. CHAIR
Jenny Kamprath
fiscal-restraint vote — pressure on taxes, fees, audits
BEAVERTON CITY COUNCIL · 1
Rachel Philip
best mix of competence, budget focus, local seriousness
BEAVERTON CITY COUNCIL · 2
Kevin Teater
stronger operating record
BEAVERTON CITY COUNCIL · 5
John Dugger
stronger operating record
METRO COUNCIL PRESIDENT
Ken Ross
stronger accountability signal — taxes, public trust
For the major federal and statewide races, I mostly stuck with the serious candidates. Cost frustration is real — but I still want people who can do the job.
// BOTTOM LINE
NO
new taxes right now.
YES
to accountability.
—
show results before asking for more.
> that’s where I landed.