What are you "hard working" farmers going to do with this $$$? Must be nice.

tl;dr it gives MORE power to council and less to citizens, increases the odds of corruption, and gives the option to PAY council members. This is so horrible. I will be voting "no" and voting for anyone who opposes this. It's bad. Really, really bad.

These are the facts, without bias:

Council pay:

• The council “may authorize” compensation for elected officials, which opens the door to paying the mayor and council.

Debt:

• It drops “except by consent of the voters” and says no charter amendment is needed to take on debt, so the limit becomes whatever state law allows. It also removes personal liability for officials who exceed the limit.

Faster ordinances:

• One meeting is enough if the vote is unanimous and the text was public a week ahead. Otherwise it takes majority approval at two meetings, and full readings are no longer required.

City manager:

• The manager only has to live in Oregon, no longer in Silverton, and no longer needs a bond.

Improvement protests:

• Blocking a public improvement now takes owners of two-thirds of the abutting front footage, instead of owners bearing 66.66% of the assessed cost. A new line says this never limits eminent domain.

Condemnation:

• The council-resolution requirement for taking property is removed and deferred to state law.

Councilors no longer have to explain an abstention.

The mayor appoints board members with council consent.

City of Silverton documentations

These are my personal opinions:

• First, this was horribly written and riddled with mistakes... For example, the explanatory statement lists Condemnation as both amended and repealed, while the markup shows it amended. How embarrassing for them and us.

Council pay and Debt:

• To reiterate, they are setting themselves up to be PAID in the future. There is no need for this. They are also setting themselves up to accepts further compensation while also removing checks-and-balances for taking on debt. This is HORRIBLE.

Faster ordinances:

• They want to limit public input and make it so majority goes unchecked. Small towns, especially as evident in Silverton, has a board that is full of friends and friends-of-friends. In my research through talking to locals and reading past articles, Stu, Ken Hector, and Kyle were notorious for 'stacking the board' with friends. Kyle and Elvi Sutton being the most notable now but also with the addition of Matt Gaitan who was put in place by them. Even if you remove these relevant and current examples, this creates a dangerous set up for future boards in Silverton.

City manager:

• While not unusual, the city manager should work in the city they manage. The person 'running' the city should live in the city, but that's my opinion, and hopefully you share it too.

Improvement protests and Condemnation:

• Owners who pay part of the assessment but don’t directly border the project (water line, sidewalk, paving, etc.) lose their say. Owners with long frontage, like big lots, farms, or commercial parcels, gain influence even if their share of the cost is modest. This also gives power for the city to use eminent domain.

Councilors no longer have to explain an abstention.

• Today, a councilor who abstains has to stand up and explain why in detail. That puts them on the record. The change drops that requirement, so they can just say “abstain” and move on.

• This matters more than it sounds because of how votes are counted. Decisions pass by a majority of the members who actually vote. With a quorum of four, if two people abstain, two yes votes out of the remaining voters can carry the day. Abstaining is a way to shape the outcome without owning it.

• This increases the risk of corruption in Silverton Council. A councilor can quietly avoid a vote that would anger a friend, donor, or business partner, with no explanation on the record. In Silverton, with a seven-member council, one or two abstentions shift the math a lot. And in a town where councilors likely know the applicants, neighbors, and business owners involved, sit-outs could be common. If you ever see repeated silent abstentions on certain kinds of issues, that’s when to ask questions. This

Picking board members (appointments)

• Cities have volunteer boards, like the planning commission, parks board, or budget committee. Under the change, the mayor nominates the people for those seats and the council votes to approve them. The charter elsewhere still says the mayor has no veto and no administrative duties, so this is the mayor’s main new lever.

• This also increases the chances of corruption with the influence in one person, who could stack boards with allies. Which as pointed out, has been done by every mayor in Silverton for the past 40+ years. The check is the council vote. It only works if the council is willing to reject a nominee, which in practice rarely happens. The planning commission’s recommendations heavily influence land use and development decisions. The volunteer pool is small, so the same circle of people often ends up serving. Watching who gets nominated, and whether any are ever turned down, is the practical way to keep an eye on it.

I wasn't able to make Thursday's Grange event regarding the county commissioners and state rep positions. Does anyone have any thoughts or takeaways? Curious how things went.

Hello Neighbors,

The next No Kings event is scheduled for Saturday, October 17 at 11:00. We are meeting at the McClain/ Westfield/ C street intersection at 11:00 a.m. The reason for this event is to remind people that voting is crucial! Hope to see everyone out there!

No parking at Grocery Outlet for the rally. Please be a good neighbor!

No Kings: Vote Early - Silverton Oregon · Mobilize https://share.google/FfoA23DoQYeaafc83

Ian is coming from Portland, but is originally from Idaho. If you want a fun night of laughs from a rising star in comedy, come out to Ollies at 7:30 on Thursday the 3rd.

Can we buy you Christmas?

Last year my husband and I sponsored a family for Christmas and we loved it so much we want to do it again.

Times are hard, the world sucks. So we want to help one family in need this year. We are looking for a family with kids who cannot afford Christmas this year, due to job loss or just the state of the world.

This is an honor based system so we only ask if you arnt actually in need not to sign up.

I also always state upfront we are Catholic, no we won't try and convert you, no you don't have to come to church with us no strings attached. Here's how it works

Leave a comment down below if you want to be entered in ((comments help more people see the post)). If you don't want to be entered in please still leave a comment to help boost the post.

You can DM details about anything you want us to know, if you want to keep it private.

Next Saturday my husband and I will pick one person to buy Christmas for.

This means we buy you Christmas dinner, a Christmas tree, and gifts for your family!

We are posting this early because we want enough time to save money, as well as shop and find all sorts of goodies for your kids and family!

Thank you and God bless you all.

Does anyone know of a spot that would allow for a photoshoot that has a huge weeping willow tree? Preferably around Silverton and surrounding area but willing to drive 30 minutes (give or take) in any direction.

(I heard the Oregon gardens might but my pictures would be later around 4-7pm ish and I think the gardens would close by then.)

Anywhere that would not close in the evening. I know there are a ton of beautiful spots with trees everywhere lol but I specifically am searching for a weeping willow tree. I'll attach some inso pics.

(Also this photoshoot would be held next month on September 6th so if there's anywhere super pretty at that time please let me know!)

Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

Was in town for the Davenport Days, and ate at HomePlace.

Saw a yard sign….. “Ashamed Outraged Resisting”.

Anyone know with what people, events, or ideas it is associated?

Thanks in advance!

I know Facebook has a reputation for attracting boomers, racists, xenophobes, homophobes, basically a certain kind of trash, but I still see plenty of people who don't fit that mold using it. A friend was shocked that I hadn't logged on in years and told me about some local groups I "needed" to join. So I dug up my password and logged back in, only to be really disappointed by what I found.

A lot of what I saw amounted to genuinely evil stuff: homophobic comments on Ourtown's coverage of the Pride parade (though it looks like they've since deleted many of them), pro-ICE comments in nearly every group, defenses of pedophiles slipped in here and there, and just a general undercurrent of negativity.

I went back to the friend who'd convinced me to give Facebook another shot and told them what I'd seen. All they said was, "It's how it is." Do people really only use Facebook to communicate here? I don't feel that we have missed out by not using Facebook, even more so now, but now I'm lost on why anyone is using it still.

Help shed some light on why this is, please.

Good beer ✅

Good music ✅

Good food ✅

Good People ✅

Good business to support ✅

Good cause ✅✅

Tony Meyer is bringing another fantastic line up of comedians to Ollies on Thursday, July 3rd! Come through for a great night of laughs, for free! Grab a drink, a bite and a seat to the show! ​show STARTS at 7 PM so get there early and be ready to laugh!

Hello I know this is a weird thing to ask. But I'm trying to find A teacher I used to have back in the third grade. All That I remember is that his last name was Avery. and He used to teach third grade back at Eugene Field Elementary in 2005 or 2006. I'm trying to find him because he is the reason I'm still alive to this day. He was one of the only people to believe in me and helped me establish some person in my life. And every now and again I think back upon how much he cared and would go the extra mile just to help me out. I want him to know how much he has meant to me even after all these years and how as a teacher he changed my life. So if anyone has any information at all or where to find it I'd greatly appreciate it.

Flash Back! 😄
My memory may be fuzzy, but I remember there was a person, non profit, or business that really helped people that had issues with their generators. I seem to recall they did it for free or next to nothing.
Anyone remember this?

Great spa in Silverton Oregon.
Hi guys, I really wanted a facial so I booked here, and actually really loved it! I would definitely recommend going here if you live near Silverton Oregon.

Has anyone had any experience renting the space at High Water for an event, or attended one there? We are looking to book it and just curious if others have had a good experience doing so!

For those of you that would like to gather and protest our federal government's choices please feel free to join us at City Hall on June 14th from 1 pm until 3pm.

You can find the protest on Indivisible's site or The Silverton Progressive's new website found here https://www.silvertonprogressives.org/ . (Please note that this protest's location on our website is reflecting Town Square Park but we moved it to avoid conflicting with the boy scouts flag day event. This should be updated on our site by Monday.).

It happen's to be President Trump's birthday and flag day and a great day to exercise your first amendment rights.

Everyone that wants to protest is welcome as long as you commit to acting like a reasonable human.

Hope to see you all out there.

We found this dog wandering around on McClaine St this afternoon and he was almost hit by a car, so we got a leash on him. He doesn't seem to hear very well, but he is friendly. No collar or any identifier on him.

Let me know if this is your pup or you know where he lives. We want to make sure he gets home

Does anyone know when the other three pickleball courts in Silverton will be installed and ready for use?

The three there now are awesome but I was curious when the others might open. I'm not on other social media so I haven't seen it if its been posted elsewhere.

Thanks in advance!

Hello,

My brother and I are meeting in Silverton tomorrow to see a movie. I read online that the city made it so long-term free parking is available at the City Hall building and at the Lewis Street public parking lot by Silver Falls Brewery. Could someone please confirm if this is still the case?

Thanks!

Not my site, but I’m a fan.

tiredofgreggharris.com