Hillsboro voters will choose three City Council members this fall from a field of nine candidates whose views differ sharply on how the city should balance high-tech growth with environmental protection and community needs. The contests come as the city of about 111,000 considers new rules for data centers and debates the use of tax incentives to attract major businesses. Hillsboro is home to large technology employers including Intel, Tokyo Electron America and Epson. Its enterprise-zone program can waive property taxes for three to five years on qualifying capital projects. A progressive slate — Diana Jackson in Ward 1, Karim Delgado in Ward 2 and Dorian Russell in Ward 3 — has called for tighter limits on data centers, less reliance on corporate tax breaks, moderated urban growth and stronger farmland protections. The three are endorsed by the Washington County Democratic Party; Delgado has formally identified with the Democratic Socialists of America. Other candidates say they want to protect neighborhoods and the environment while preserving the jobs and revenue that business investment can bring. All nine candidates have identified housing affordability as a key concern. They also support Hillsboro’s sanctuary status amid increased federal immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. The seven-member council has two representatives from each of the city’s three wards. Councilors serve four-year terms and receive $12,600 annually. A candidate forum at Brookwood Library on Oct. 8 drew about 160 people. In Ward 1, North Hillsboro, incumbent Cristian Salgado is running against Jackson, Luis Garcia and Sarah Marugg. Salgado was appointed to the council in January 2025. In July, the council voted unanimously to censure him over his conduct during a June meeting where community members spoke against data centers. Council members accused him of antagonizing attendees while livestreaming; some attendees also accused him of blowing a kiss at a person in the audience, which they called sexual harassment. Salgado denied that incident occurred, and the livestream did not capture it. Salgado says he wants to establish a city human and civil rights office and help develop a permanent, community-focused data center policy. He has also named Shute Park and the Tualatin Valley Highway corridor as priorities. Jackson, a legal assistant at a nonprofit public defense firm and a member of the city Planning Commission, opposes the city’s current data center policy and its tax breaks for such facilities. She has emphasized affordable housing, farmland protection and expanded mental health and addiction services. Jackson also disclosed that a 2023 driving-while-intoxicated charge was dismissed after she completed a diversion program, describing the incident as a regrettable error in judgment. Garcia, a health information systems designer at Kaiser Permanente, supports considering data centers if they meet environmental and public-benefit standards. He has pointed to the possibility of using waste heat from data centers to warm homes and says rural areas need both protection and room for appropriate development. His priorities also include housing, public safety coordination and more transparent city decisions. Marugg, a Portland tax accountant, entered the race after learning of proposals for private jet hangars at Hillsboro Airport and a data center on a tulip farm. She wants more transparency in major development decisions, affordable housing and safeguards for clean air, clean water and natural areas. She also says large industries should pay an appropriate share of infrastructure and service costs. Ward 2, South Hillsboro, is a two-candidate race between school board member Ivette Pantoja and Delgado, a Marine veteran and owner of a Beaverton bar. Pantoja, who co-founded Briar Rose School, says she would focus on traffic safety, job growth and affordable housing. She supports strict environmental standards for data centers while maintaining Hillsboro’s position as a technology hub. She has cited her school board experience, including navigating $20 million in budget cuts while protecting school meals and career programs. Delgado wants industry to remain on land already zoned for it, farmers to have a greater voice in land-use decisions and the state’s pause on certain tax breaks to become permanent. He also supports a city human rights office and has raised concerns about the limited number of U visas — which can provide legal status and work authorization to crime victims who assist law enforcement — issued by the Hillsboro Police Department. Delgado and his wife host a free-food refrigerator outside their home, and his bar offers free soup. In Ward 3, West Hillsboro, Russell faces Titonian Wallace and Kimberly Culbertson. Russell leads HomePlate Youth Services, a nonprofit serving young people experiencing homelessness, and has said they received services from the organization while in high school. Russell wants more affordable housing, quality jobs, stronger trust in local government, added protections for immigrants and a police oversight commission. They say the city’s data center approach has failed residents. Wallace, a small-business owner and former chair of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, has emphasized supporting local businesses, apprenticeships and career pathways, as well as strengthening police and fire services and setting clearer housing and permitting goals. Culbertson, a Habitat for Humanity board member and vice chair of the Hillsboro Downtown Partnership, told forum attendees she wants the city to balance high-tech development with environmental protection and affordability. She did not respond to a candidate questionnaire and is not listed in the state voters’ pamphlet. The city’s decisions carry substantial financial weight: Hillsboro operates on a nearly $2 billion biennial budget. Voter registration closes Tuesday, Oct. 13, and ballots are scheduled to begin mailing the following day ahead of the Nov. 3 election.