By Mayor Roger Perry

The state of our city is strong! We have had a very challenging but ultimately fruitful year. We started 2022 with a change in local leadership. As Council President, I stepped up to serve as Mayor for the second time since I began serving in City government in 1981. 

As Councilors, we have gone above and beyond the requirements of the City Charter, performing administrative work during the search for a new City Recorder. I responded to calls and checked mail. Our Council President Adina Olivares performed the duties of Recorder for months while we sought a replacement, and we owe her our gratitude for keeping the city functional. 

Your City Councilors perform their duties without pay. We work hard during the good times and the challenging moments not because we are enriching ourselves or seeking adoration. Our passion for service is driven by a desire to strengthen the community we call home.

In order to make Sodaville a more perfect community, this year we have:

• Hired a new City Recorder who helped get your city government back on track, ensuring compliance with current and new laws.

• Placed all city ordinances and resolutions online for citizen ease of access to support our push for transparency. We also began livestreaming Council meetings online to allow for better interaction between the City and our Citizens.

• Instituted an online payment system for water bills.

• Installed new water meters that have provided more accurate data for water management and billing. Our monthly water loss has fallen from double digits to low single digits since installation. Improved detection of water leaks throughout the City helps maintain our water reserves.

• Following a bid process, we procured a competitive local water hauling service to haul water to the City during water restriction periods. Water acquisition costs were drastic in 2021 due to the unpredictable availability of hauling services during fire season.

• Sodaville has improved engagement with regional partners, attending meetings with the League of Oregon Cities and rejoining the Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments. Our City Recorder served on the board of the Oregon Association of Municipal Recorders. We invited every candidate for Congress, State Senate and House, and County Commissioner to meet with City leadership to discuss legislative solutions to Sodaville’s water needs.

• A well test conducted in October revealed a new water source that will be able to service the City’s water needs year-round. An IFA loan from the State of Oregon will allow a municipal well to be constructed within three years, after which the City will no longer need to purchase and haul water from Lebanon. We continue to review additional water sources for our community’s water supply.

As Councilors, we are blessed to serve our neighbors and to help maintain Sodaville’s peaceful, beautiful neighborhood setting. We invite community members to attend City meetings, and to serve on City committees that help shape city policies. Government in a successful republic requires informed citizen participation, and nowhere is this more true or accessible than City Hall.

Mayor Roger Perry

2022 Elections

Election day is here! On November 8th, ballots will be counted and the next Mayor and City Councilors will be elected by City residents.  Ballots must be returned to a ballot collection dropbox by 8PM on November 8th or postmarked on November 8th to be counted. Nearby ballot dropbox locations include the Lebanon Public Library, Lebanon Police Department, and Linn County Sheriff Lebanon Substation.

The Sodaville City Council will vote to certify election results on November 17th at the monthly meeting. The new Mayor and Councilors will be sworn in by me on January 19th, 2023. Under City Ordinance #2 (1953), the Mayor will then make appointments for the offices of City Recorder and Public Works Director for the duration of January 2023 – January 2025.

As always, I welcome your questions, concerns, and comments. Visit me in City Hall, call City Hall at 541-258-8882, or email me at sodaville@cityofsodaville.org.

Best regards,

Alex McHaddad, City Recorder (Personal Cell 541-805-2630)

Yes water restrictions are still in effect.

Vandalism has been increasing at our parks in the past few months. If you are driving by, especially on the weekends or evenings. Please consider taking a glance that way.

November facts: The official flower for the month of November is the chrysanthemum. Meaning ‘golden flower’ the chrysanthemum represents honesty, joy and optimism.

The official birthstone of November is the topaz. This orange-yellow gemstone is said to represent friendship. The Greeks also believed that Topaz had the power to turn you invisible.

- J D Burns, Public Works Director. 541-258-8882. Cell 541-801-1053. sodavillepw@cityofsodaville.org. 

Sodaville residents who need assistance paying water bills may now receive assistance through Community Services Consortium in Albany. The winter application  season for the general public opened December 1st. Individuals who need urgent utility assistance due to emergencies, including service shutoff, may contact CSC at any time.

• Call 541-926-7163

• Visit www.communityservices.us/utility-assistance/