Derek Bratton

Silverton voters will decide Nov. 3 whether the city manager must live inside city limits. Until then, City Manager Cory Misley is staying with his parents after leaving a Silverton home at the end of July, while a charter amendment sits on the ballot. City Charter Section 22 requires that the manager, within one year of appointment, “shall become, and remain during tenure, a resident of the city of Silverton.” Misley started Oct. 16, 2023. The one-year window closed in 2024. The residency...

INDEPENDENCE, Ore. — City parks in Independence began closing this week after a citizen referendum petition qualified a proposed fee ordinance for the November ballot, preventing the city from collecting revenue budgeted for parks, library and museum operations. The Polk County Clerk’s Office certified the signatures Aug. 20, placing the measure on the Nov. 3 ballot, according to city officials. The City Council adopted the Community Services & Parks Fee ordinance June 23 as part of the...

Drone Shot of City Hall, Silverton Oregon. By Derek Bratton The City of Silverton is advancing its Main Street Redevelopment and Downtown Plaza Park projects, releasing a 60% design update outlining infrastructure upgrades, pedestrian improvements, and a new public gathering space. Jason Gottgetreu, the city’s community development director, detailed the plans in a recent video presentation. The Main Street work will focus on the corridor between North Water Street and North First Street,...