Standing on the same stage where exactly one year earlier he was sworn in as Philomath’s mayor, Christopher McMorran seemed at ease chatting in front of a room of approximately 60 people during a State of the City event Wednesday night.
It was not a stiff, dry speech that had been rehearsed multiple times but rather a collection of high points delivered in a manner that showcased the mayor’s playful sense of humor and ability to relate to community members. In fact, he admitted afterward that he had finished putting together his thoughts for the presentation only 90 minutes before the doors to Philomath Museum’s Moreland Gallery opened.
“We have made it a point to meet our neighbors where you are, rather than constantly waiting for you to come to us,” McMorran said, mentioning various public events where local government leaders have met with citizens. “It’s these personal connections that power us — talking outside of City Hall, meeting people on their doorstep or at the park. It’s what pushes us forward.”
As can be expected, a lot of positive vibes emanated from the podium with an emphasis on themes that included citizen engagement, community progress, strategic planning, public safety and projects on the horizon. However, the common thread of his comments during the evening often circled back to “potential.”
“Philomath is filled to the brim with potential and it’s our job to unlock it,” he said. “I see a town that blends its future and its heritage and builds an abundant, innovative community.”
At the same time, the mayor acknowledged that the city is facing unusual economic pressures because both residents and the city government are financially strained simultaneously. Unlike typical budget cycles where the city can make revenue adjustments to balance things out, the current situation is more difficult because raising revenues would further burden residents who are already struggling economically, creating what the mayor called a “double-layer challenge.”
“The city has been incredibly fiscally responsible over the last several decades and we’re in a much better spot than a lot of cities are, but costs are going way up and our revenue is not going way up,” he said afterward during an interview with Philomath News. “I think that’s the biggest challenge we’re facing this year in sort of a structural way. I mean, even with our police officers, trying to make sure that we’re keeping their wages competitive with other local jurisdictions.”
Utility rate increases have been a topic of discussion over the past several weeks in what appears to be a necessary evil to try to fund needed improvements. A current proposal on the table would increase base water rates through phases over the next two years.
“I’ll be honest with you, that’s the thing that keeps me up at night the most of anything we’re doing because that has the most direct impact on people’s bank accounts of anything we do,” McMorran said. “I still don’t know what I’m going to do about that but I guess we’ll start talking about it. … I think we are going to have to do some amount of increase but we’re still figuring it out.”
The long-awaited water treatment plant has not yet been built, a project that’s been talked about for years.
“The water treatment plant is its own separate thing that’s going to happen,” McMorran said. “We have to do that — that’s critical infrastructure that has just been massively delayed by engineering and paperwork delays.”
But will the water treatment plant’s construction happen in 2026?
“I’m going to say it will and you can put that in the paper,” McMorran said.
When asked about other projects that he mentioned a year ago, such as a new skate park and library expansion, the mayor said, “Like everyone else in town, I wish things moved a little faster. I am really pleased with how quickly the priorities that we identified in our strategic plan this year have been moving along.”
Future infrastructure will certainly be a topic of discussion in the coming weeks as the city moves forward with its Philomath Community Vision 2050 project, a 10-month initiative designed to bring together local organizations, residents and community leaders to chart the city’s future over the next 25 years. In fact, a kickoff celebration for those efforts will arrive next week with a Jan. 15 event at the Philomath Scout Lodge.
Over the first year of his term, the mayor said most of the issues that residents bring up with him relate to livability.
“I hear a lot about affordability and being able to make ends meet,” he said. “I hear a lot about public safety. I hear a lot about having jobs for young people. I think what it all comes back to is people want to live here — this is a desirable place to live. There’s just some of those roadblocks that make it hard to do that.”
McMorran’s first speech as mayor featured a blank canvas on the stage to represent the “opportunity to paint the vision of our town’s future,” he said at the time. During Wednesday’s presentation, he brought back the canvas — perhaps it would include visuals of downtown improvements, the new veterans park, fresh-painted bicycle lanes in school zones or a number of other goals that had been achieved over the past 12 months.
Instead, when it was unveiled, the audience could see that the canvas remained blank.
“We have not painted our canvas yet,” he said. “This year, I’d like to say, we have been focusing on getting our tools ready, on setting the stage. … Everyone who makes up a part of the Philomath community needs to pick up a brush and help paint our future together.”
Paintbrushes were even passed out to those in attendance.
“As I talk about the future of our city tonight, I want you to hold that paintbrush … I want you to think about how you want to paint the future of Philomath,” he said.
McMorran will give another State of the City address during the Philomath Area Chamber of Commerce’s monthly luncheon on Jan. 15.