One man's mission to change government

Hank first became motivated to be involved while watching a commodities broker on CNBC talk about the Tea Party. "I was tired of throwing popcorn and marshmallows" at the guy on TV.

During a Tea Party rally in Newberg, Hank held a "Dump Wu" sign. "I looked aournd nervously for the men in black," he added.

Hank subsequently started attending Newberg city council meetings. It became apparent that residents were not only being overtaxed, but were also charged fees in an effort to meet an ever increasing budget demands.

In particular, the Public Safety Fee that was tacked onto the water bill in Newberg was seen as a hidden tax. That is when Hank decided to take action and spread the word about the Public Safety Fee. He also shared information he uncovered about other hidden taxes the city was charging its residents.

The water bill in Newberg has become a weapon of choice by the city to assess hidden taxes by simply referring to them as “fees.”

These fees are not optional. A resident could not send in a payment for just the water/sewer portion of the bill. The amount sent would be applied to the fees first, and then to the water/sewer charges last.

Hank began looking at other cities where citizens had made an effort to curb this abuse by their local governments. It would not be the first time in Yamhill County that a charter provision requiring voter approval for any new fee or increase in a fee would exist. Sheridan voters overwhelingly passed a charter admendment to this effect.

To make this work for Newberg, Hank submitted a petition for circulation which would allow voters the right to have a say in whether or not a fee could be created or increased.

To his surprise, the city fought back almost immediately.

The city attorney claimed that the petition covered more than one subject so it could not be presented for circulation. So, Hank revised the petition and resubmitted it. Again, another delay tactic was used.

The city attorney said that the petition could not address quasi-judicial decisions and that the State Constitution only allowed referendum power to legislative items.

After four attempts to submit the petition, Hank enlisted the help of an attorney. The draft taken back to the city was still not accepted. A showdown in court was needed to settle the matter.

To the average citizen, it was no surprise that Hank won, and he was given the right to circulate his petition.

Hank spent many afternoons walking door-to-door collecting signatures. He even enlisting a few fellow residents for help along the way. Together, Hank and the volunteers collected over 1800 signatures. The signatures were submitted for validation and there were enough to place the petition on the ballot before the people of Newberg as Measure 36-149.

What each of us can do
Hank’s story is not unique. He said he's learned that "anybody with determination can do it, especially with a mentor who can show you the ropes."

As each of us sits down and wonders what we are doing to make our government better, it is important to realize that a single person can make an impact.

I encourage you to become more involved with your local government; be it city, or county, or even the school board. Attend a meeting, become more informed about what is happening. And if you see something that you think needs change, remember Hank Grum.

He was just one man and he was able to accomplish a lot.

To find out more about what Hank is doing, visit him on the web at hankfornewberg.org