Benton County voters will have a contested Democratic race for county commissioner and several local ballot measures among the items of note on the May 19 primary election ballot.
The Democratic primary for the Benton County Board of Commissioners’ Position 1 features two candidates — incumbent Pat Malone of Kings Valley and challenger John Wilson of Adair Village.
Malone, who owns Sunrise Tree Farm, is currently in his second term on the board. His background includes service on the Benton Soil and Water Conservation board, the Linn-Benton Community College Budget Committee, Workforce Development Board and as chief of the Hoskins-Kings Valley Rural Fire Protection District.
Malone holds a bachelor’s degree in history and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in fine arts from the University of Oregon.
Wilson, who retired after 20-plus years in social work, brings a background that includes roles as a children’s services family case manager, disaster case management supervisor and director of disaster preparedness and response. His governmental experience includes serving as an Adair Village councilor since 2025, Benton County planning commissioner since 2023 and prior council and planning roles in Indiana.
Wilson holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Massachusetts Boston and a master’s degree in leadership and ethics from Springhill College.
No Republican candidates filed for the position. The winner of the Democratic primary would be the only major-party candidate in the November general election.
Philomath Fire and Rescue is asking district voters to approve a five-year local operating levy to fund personnel and operations. Measure 2-155, filed by Fire Chief Chancy Ferguson, would authorize the district to levy 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value beginning in the 2027-28 fiscal year through 2031-32.
The district says the levy is needed to maintain current service and staffing levels as personnel and operational costs have increased. An existing bond for buildings and emergency response vehicles, also at 50 cents per $1,000, expires in June 2027.
If approved, the levy would raise approximately $566,292 in its first year, growing to an estimated $637,367 in 2031-32, for a projected five-year total of roughly $3 million. Without the funding, the district warns it may need to reduce staffing and service levels.
Elsewhere on the ballot, Philomath voters will decide whether to ban psilocybin-related businesses within city limits. Measure 2-147, referred by the city, asks: “Shall Philomath prohibit psilocybin-related businesses and psilocybin product manufacturing within Philomath city limits?”
The ballot measure stems from Oregon’s 2020 approval of Ballot Measure 109, which legalized state-regulated psilocybin product manufacturing and service centers. Under state law, local governments may prohibit those facilities within their jurisdictions but the prohibition must be referred to voters.
If the measure in May is approved, it would block the establishment of psilocybin service centers and manufacturers in Philomath. If the measure fails, those establishments could move forward subject to time, place and manner regulations that the city implemented through passage of an ordinance.
Philomath voters will also weigh in on seven separate annexation measures covering six island territories and one public right-of-way. The proposals would bring 10 properties — totaling 15.5 acres — into the city limits.
State law requires each annexation proposal to appear separately on the ballot to prevent voters from having to approve or reject a combination of properties in a single vote. The properties include a mix of zoning designations — low-density residential, medium-density residential, industrial and public right-of-way.
Last fall, reviews by both the Planning Commission and City Council found the proposals to meet applicable land-use laws and island annexation criteria.