The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners unanimously rejected a proposal for a new city at a meeting Wednesday.
The petition to incorporate Mountain View — some 265 square miles of rural, mostly federally-owned land between Bend and Burns — came from the mind of Deschutes County resident Andrew Aasen. He argued city status would improve first responder services to nearly 200 people and provide more opportunities for home building.
But county staff found Aasen’s plan was full of holes and inaccuracies, while neighbors questioned his motives and tactics.
Deschutes County resident Andrew Aasen presents a map of his proposed city of Mountain View, located east of Bend, on September 18, 2023. The Deschutes County Commission ultimately rejected his proposal.
Joni Land / OPB
Deschutes County Senior Planner Nicole Mardell said in a staff report that Aasen had grossly overstated the tax revenue Mountain View could collect and that its actual revenue would pale in comparison to expenses. Mardell also noted that Aasen’s plan involved hiring one employee to essentially run the day-to-day operations of the entire city.
Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Chang said he wanted to see a business plan and raised concerns about the city’s ability to obtain new water rights or receive grants, as Aasen had proposed.
The vast majority of people at Wednesday’s meeting spoke against the new city, with some wondering how essential services like water and sewers would be funded and delivered. Some written comments were even more critical.
“In no way is this proposal helping the longtime residents who love and call Bend their home,” property owner Arachana Anand said in one comment submitted to county planners. “This is to benefit one man and one man only, Mr. Aasen.”
Aasen currently serves on the Deschutes County Soil and Water Conservation District and the county’s Cannabis Advisory Panel. He said he plans to run as an independent for Oregon’s 5th Congressional District next year.
In order to get a hearing about the new city, Aasen had to collect signatures from 20% of the registered voters in the area. Multiple people have since accused him of misleading them about the contents of that petition, with some saying he trespassed on their property.
John Hamilton, a resident in the proposed city limits, told OPB on Tuesday that Aasen climbed over the fence to his home while attempting to get Hamilton’s wife to sign the petition.
Aasen denied these allegations.
He has also sent letters to some residents critical of his efforts, telling them to “cease and desist,” county records show.
As for next steps, Aasen could appeal the county’s decision. But that seems unlikely. In an interview, he expressed a sense of relief.
“I’m glad this is over and I don’t think I would do it again,” Aasen said.
The incorporation of a new city is exceedingly rare in Oregon. The last one in Deschutes County was La Pine in 2006, a process that took several years and multiple votes to complete.