Bethany and Cedar Mill residents will get their first formal chance to weigh in on the county's plan to replace 17 Community Participation Organizations with four district-aligned groups.

The Board of Commissioners will hold its own hearing on the ordinance on August 25, at 6:30 p.m. If the board amends the ordinance at that hearing, an additional hearing would be required before final passage.

A virtual listening session for District 2, which covers Bethany and Cedar Mill, is scheduled for Wednesday, July 8, from 6 to 7 p.m. via Zoom.

The restructuring traces back to January 27, when the board adopted Resolution and Order 26-14 directing a modernization of the nearly 40-year-old CPO program.

Board Chair Kathryn Harrington said the action would update "one community engagement channel among the county's many channels." The existing CPO program is paused for the summer, with the new structure expected to launch in fall 2026.

The board convenes July 7, at 10 a.m. for its regular business meeting at the Charles D. Cameron Public Services Building Auditorium, 155 N. First Ave., Hillsboro. It is the first action meeting since the board adopted the FY 2026-27 county budget on Monday, June 16.

The confirmed consent agenda includes items with local relevance: a drainage easement for the Century Boulevard Extension project connecting Main Street to Lois Street, amendments to the FY 2025-26 and FY 2026-27

Road Maintenance Programs, and initiation of proceedings to legalize a portion of SW Carpenter Creek Road as County Road 3368. Additional action items may appear on the full agenda, which is posted on the county's CivicWeb portal.

For context, the prior fiscal year's $2 billion budget required closing a $20.5 million general fund gap, the fifth consecutive year of shortfalls. Harrington described that earlier budget process bluntly: "This isn't a happy budget. We have a lot of cuts in personnel and in services."

Tuesday's meeting is hybrid. Residents can attend in person or join via Zoom (Webinar ID: 863 3988 2518). Public testimony sign-up and written comments are available through the county's online portal at forms.co.washington.or.us/form/public-testimony-sign-up. Translation services are available upon request. The meeting streams live on Washington County's YouTube channel.

The board's next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 22, at 10 a.m.