About Paul
Paul Schaefer is a 2026 candidate for the Washington County Board of Commissioners District 4.
Born and raised in a small town in Montana as the youngest of six children, Paul learned from his father the value of hard work and helping neighbors. These life lessons formed a strong work ethic that continues today and has served him well throughout his 30+ years with the Washington County Department of Land Use and Transportation. He has worked in Current Planning as an Associate Planner, in Long Range Planning, and in Current Planning as a Senior Planner.
Oregon has been home for Paul and his wife for 30 years, and home to their son for the past 21 years. More specifically, Washington County is where they and their labrador retriever, Tiger, call home. They have lived in Beaverton, Hillsboro, and now North Plains, which pleasantly reminds them of the small Montana towns they grew up in with their laid-back, restful lifestyle.
Paul currently works in Current Planning but has spent several years in Long Range Planning. Two key responsibilities of the Board of Commissioners are conducting public hearings on land use ordinances and service district annexations (minor boundary changes), and then approving them. Long Range Planning prepares the ordinance exhibits and staff reports, as well as staff reports for service district annexations, and presents them to the Board of Commissioners. Paul is uniquely qualified to represent District 4 because he has prepared land use ordinance exhibits and staff reports for both land use ordinances and service district annexations. He has also presented staff reports to the Board of County Commissioners at public hearings. His experience in writing Community Development Code regulations gives him insight into what to look for and how regulations should be implemented in an easy-to-read format for laypeople.
Why He's Running
Paul is running for Washington County Board of Commissioners District 4 to help bring back accountable fiscal responsibility, foster a business-friendly environment, make housing affordable again, and promote multi-generational housing. The Board of Commissioners is accountable to the taxpayers and to those developing and building in urban and rural Washington County.
When Paul first started at Washington County, budgets were more "lean and mean." There were no annual budget shortfalls like the county has experienced in recent years. The typical taxpayer lives from paycheck to paycheck and must carefully manage their limited finances, or they risk accumulating high-cost credit card debt. Paul wants to help restore accountable fiscal responsibility. Promoting a pro-business, business-friendly environment will result in good-paying jobs for Washington County residents and those in surrounding communities. Working to ensure the provision of affordable housing completes the vision of a vibrant community with jobs and housing.
With over 30 years of land use planning experience, including serving as project manager on the West Bull Mountain Concept Planning project for Long Range Planning, Paul knows how land use ordinances are prepared and what good code writing looks like. He can use this experience to guide the land use ordinance development process to produce user-friendly ordinances that serve the community well. He will apply his strong work ethic and commitment to helping neighbors to represent constituents in both urban and rural District 4. His main goal is to leave District 4 better than when he was seated on the Board of County Commissioners—with a leaner budget, more affordable housing available, and a supply of multi-generational housing that enables multiple generations to live together.
Why Now
Running for the District 4 position on the Washington County Board of Commissioners is the right thing to do, and now is the right time. Retiring after 30+ years in land use planning with the Washington County Department of Land Use and Transportation would be the easy choice, but not the right one. The right thing—and undoubtedly the hardest thing—is to pursue what he is uniquely qualified for and has a heartfelt desire to do.
"For such a time as this..." That is why Paul is running, and why he is running now. He believes this is the moment to step forward and represent the constituents of District 4—in both urban and rural areas—and all of Washington County, to the best of his abilities. He will listen to voters and represent them faithfully. Rural voters are as equally important as urban voters. He will work hard to represent both constituencies equally. All voters matter. All business owners and residents matter. In the end, all constituents matter.