Council · Ward 1, Position A candidate · City of Hillsboro · November 3, 2026
Sarah Marugg
Revenue and tax specialist with municipal compliance experience.
Reach the campaign
- maruggforhillsboro.com (opens in a new tab)
- maruggforhillsboro@gmail.com
- Volunteer form (opens in a new tab)
As published in their pamphlet statement and campaign site.
Campaign finance: sources, amounts and timing ↓
In their words
Said: Affordability is more than the price of housing, it includes food and the Hillutility bills families pay every month.
Pamphlet p. 16
Candidate statement · November 2026 edition; extracted September 21, 2026
Washington County voters’ pamphlet · PDF page 16 ↗Verbatim opening of the candidate's own statement; publication by the county does not verify the claims. Skips the website line and the run-in label “Affordability & Housing”. “Hillutility” is printed that way in the pamphlet and is kept verbatim.
The verbatim opening of their voters’ pamphlet statement, the same rule for every candidate. We chose nothing.
What they say they would do
Our summary of their platform, in our wordsSupports housing growth while requiring large industries to cover impacts and protecting natural resources.
- Require data centers to pay their infrastructure and service costs.
- Protect farmland, wetlands, air and water.
- Improve pedestrian safety, accessibility and civil-rights protections.
Our reading
Our interpretation, not their wordsMaking data centers pay their full costs and stopping the buildout would change Hillsboro’s revenue and growth model; the charge level and the legal mechanism are not specified.
Where they stand
Rent and homes
Responsible housing growth- What
Supports responsible housing growth, family-wage jobs and practical solutions for people who are precariously housed, with quality housing working people can afford.
- How
- Said: Build more truly affordable housing through nonprofit partnerships, responsible infill and removing unnecessary barriers, while protecting residents from displacement.
- Measured by
- Not found in the reviewed sources
Camps, crime and who responds
Uphold sanctuary values- What
Would defend civil rights and uphold Hillsboro’s sanctuary-city values.
- How
- Said: Add mental-health care, addiction treatment, outreach, shelter and supportive services so police and firefighters are not the only response to people in crisis, and keep city services safe for immigrants to use and to report crimes.
- Measured by
- Not found in the reviewed sources
Your bills and taxes
Data centers pay costs- What
Would make data centers pay their fair share for the infrastructure and services they use and hold major polluters accountable; counts utility bills as part of affordability.
- How
- Said: Require large industrial developments to pay the infrastructure and service costs they create rather than shifting them onto residents, with more transparency around incentives and development agreements.
- Measured by
- Not found in the reviewed sources
Streets, buses and air
Protect wetlands, farmland- What
Would protect farmland, wetlands, clean air and water, stop further data-center buildout, oppose luxury private-jet expansion and make sidewalks, streets, bus stops and MAX platforms safer.
- How
- Said: Stop further data-center buildout; for permitted facilities require compliance with environmental standards, wastewater testing and public reporting; oppose luxury private-jet expansion with stronger oversight of corporate aviation land-use decisions.
- Measured by
- Not found in the reviewed sources
The choices this office faces
Every candidate in this race is asked the same 6 questions. Sarah Marugg is on record on 6. A question without an answer is a research gap, not a position.
On recordAdopt the new data-center zoning limits on October 6 and extend the 120-day moratorium past November 24?
Said: Says Hillsboro should not continue expanding data centers at the expense of land, water, power, neighborhoods and quality of life, with strict oversight and wastewater testing for permitted facilities.
Raise the fees data centers pay on abated taxes and set stricter terms on new abatements?
Said: Would make data centers pay their fair share for the infrastructure and services they use and hold major polluters accountable; abatement fees and terms are unsaid.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid.
Raise the transportation utility fee to $11.64 a month and sewer and stormwater rates about 5% from January 1?
Said: Before raising charges on residents, wants the city to demonstrate the need, examine alternatives, protect lower-income households and make sure large industrial users pay their share; a yes or no on the January increase is unsaid.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid.
Fund a Human Rights Office ($321,000–$553,000 a year) and more legal aid on top of the sanctuary ordinance?
Said: Supports a Human Rights Office and additional legal assistance with meaningful, accessible services for immigrants, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ residents and culturally diverse communities.
Add local tenant protections and a downtown anti-displacement strategy, or focus on loosening rules to build more?
Said: Supports reasonable tenant protections and an anti-displacement strategy alongside responsible housing development and infill, saying Hillsboro should both increase supply and protect residents from displacement.
Approve Sky Harbour’s seven private-jet hangars at the airport when it refiles?
Said: Opposes turning Hillsboro into a luxury private-jet hub at the expense of nearby neighborhoods, clean air, quiet open spaces, wetlands and wildlife.
Their answers to our questions
Rent and homes
Said: I support building more truly affordable housing through nonprofit partnerships, responsible infill, and removing unnecessary barriers to housing, while also protecting residents from displacement.
Camps, crime and who responds
Said: Public safety should include mental-health care, addiction treatment, outreach, shelter and supportive services so police and firefighters are not the only response to people in crisis. Hillsboro should also remain a community where immigrants feel safe accessing city services and reporting crimes.
Your bills and taxes
Said: Large industrial developments should pay the infrastructure and service costs they create rather than shifting those costs onto residents. I also support greater transparency around incentives and development agreements.
Streets, buses and air
Said: I support protecting wetlands, farmland, clean air and neighborhoods while improving sidewalks, crossings, bicycle routes, transit access and accessibility for people with disabilities.
Utility fees
Said: Affordability includes utility bills. Before increasing charges on residents, I want the city to demonstrate the need, examine alternatives, protect lower-income households and ensure large industrial users are paying their appropriate share.
Human Rights Office
Said: I support strengthening Hillsboro’s ability to protect civil rights and help residents experiencing discrimination. I support a Human Rights Office and additional legal assistance that provides meaningful, accessible services to immigrants, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ residents and culturally diverse communities.
Housing and displacement
Said: Hillsboro should both increase housing supply and protect residents from displacement. I support reasonable tenant protections and an anti-displacement strategy alongside responsible housing development and infill.
A question the evidence leaves open
How would you calculate a data center’s full public cost and enforce payment?
Sources (2)
- Washington County voters’ pamphlet · PDF page 16Candidate statement · November 2026 edition; reviewed September 18, 2026Written by the candidate or campaign. Publication by the county does not verify the claims.
- Marugg · what Sarah will fight for (home page)Candidate statement · Website reviewed September 21, 2026Campaign position. Claimed results and numerical premises have not automatically been independently verified.