Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.
On October 20, 2026, the Forest Grove Cornelius Chamber of Commerce hosted a candidate forum for the three open seats on the Forest Grove City Council. Five of the seven candidates participated: Mallory Highfield, Matthew Knight, Karen Martinez, Sandra Perea, and Mariana Valenzuela. Candidates John LePerry and Chris Mejia were absent. The forum featured opening statements, moderator questions on key city issues, and closing statements. The moderator was Janine Merle, and the facilitator was Blake Tim.
Candidates responded to a series of questions on city governance, economic development, housing growth, immigration/sanctuary policies, transportation, and budget priorities.
So good afternoon. My name is Claudia Yakos. I'm the director of the Forest Grove Cornelius Chamber of Commerce, and we're excited to bring to you this forum for City Council. So thank you to all who are participating tonight. I am going to introduce Blake Tim. It is my pleasure. Blake Tim is going to be our facilitator for MCN facilitator for tonight's candidate forum. He serves as the associate director of communications at Pacific University, where he oversees media relations and rights for Pacific magazine and the university's website. He also brings extensive experience in public speaking and event moderation. He has served as a press conference moderator for six NCAA division basketball regionals and has hosted numerous community events. Blake is a longtime member of the Forest Grove community, a dedicated Rotarian, a past president, and a current assistant district governor uh for Rotary International. We're grateful to have Blake guiding tonight's conversation as we learn more about the candidates, their priorities, and their vision for Forest Grove. Please join me in welcoming Blake Tim. Thank you. Thank you very much, Claudia. Good evening, everyone. First of all, uh thank you to our five of our seven candidates who are here tonight, and thank you to all of you in the audience for being here and being part of the democratic process. Tonight we have the opportunity to hear from five of our seven candidates who are running for three open seats on the Forest Grove City Council. All seven were invited to participate. Unfortunately, John LePerry and Chris Mejia are unable to be with us this evening. I would like to introduce our five participating candidates tonight in alphabetical order: Mallory Highfield, Matthew Knight, Karen Martinez, Sandra Perea, and Mariana Valenzuela. Thank you again for being here tonight. Before we get started, we would like to go over the rules for tonight's forum. Each candidate will have three minutes to give an opening statement. Following the opening statements, our moderator will ask the candidates a series of questions. Some of the questions have been written by our moderator, others have been written tonight by members of the audience. Our moderator has reviewed and will select the questions and know that our candidates have not seen any of the questions in advance. Each candidate will have up to two minutes to answer each question. And at the end of the evening, all of our candidates will have an opportunity to provide a closing statement. As participants, you also have uh responsibilities in this as well. We do ask that you please respect the candidates and their differing viewpoints. Please refrain from applause, booing, or interruptions during candidate responses. Allow moderators to guide the discussion and questions, and probably most importantly, please silence your cell phones. We don't want to have uh angels getting their wings with their bells as the as the evening goes on. And now it's my honor to introduce tonight's moderator. She is a longtime Forest Grove resident and business owner, operating her own farmers insurance agency for over 25 years. She is a Navy veteran. She is a past district governor for Rotary District 5100, a longtime member of the Rotary Club of Forest Grove, a former Cornelius City Councilor, and a former president of the Cornelius Chamber of Commerce. Please welcome Janine Merle. Thank you, Blake. Good evening. I want to start with this statement for you and for the audience. The questions that are presented tonight are limited to the matters that fall within the authority and responsibilities of the city council. Our focus should remain on the issues that the council has the power to address, the decisions it is responsible for making, and the ways it can best serve our community. I was asked if I wanted to wander, fill Donahue or Oprah style.