Benton County Commissioner Gabe Shepherd has announced a series of summer town halls throughout Benton County, including a stop in Philomath next month.
The Philomath session is scheduled for Saturday, July 25, at 3:30 p.m. at Philomath Museum. The meeting is open to the public and is expected to last approximately one hour.
Shepherd has scheduled eight total town halls across the county this summer. Mayors and other local elected officials are expected to participate in several of the sessions.
The town halls are intended to give residents a chance to hear about county progress over the past year and to ask questions or raise concerns directly with the commissioner.
“The best way to find out what folks in Benton County need is to go to where people live, work, and play and listen to them,” Shepherd said in a news release. “During my campaign I made a commitment to hold town halls around the county every year. Pressing needs and urgent concerns are always changing. It’s important to keep open, two-way communication.”
Shepherd is in his second year as county commissioner. Before taking office in January 2025, he served two terms on the Corvallis City Council.
The county noted that Shepherd represents only himself at town hall meetings, not the full board of commissioners, and will not comment on any open land use cases.
The full schedule:
- Wednesday, July 1, 5 p.m. at Corvallis Community Center
- Saturday, July 11, 11:30 a.m. at Alsea Community Library
- Saturday, July 25, 11:30 a.m. at Summit Grange Hall
- Saturday, July 25, 3:30 p.m. at Philomath Museum
- Sunday, July 26, 11:30 a.m. at Adair County Park
- Sunday, July 26, 3:30 p.m. at North Albany Park
- Saturday, Aug. 8, 11:30 a.m. at Kepi Nak-Nak Café in Monroe
- Saturday, Aug. 8, 3:30 p.m. at Alpine Community Center