West Linn, ORVoter Guide 2026 · not a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

West Linn City Council Election 2026

2 of 5

council seats up

Vote for up to 2

3 candidates

Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

City Council · Vote for up to 2

Voters choose up to two of three candidates for two at-large council seats; the top two finishers serve four-year terms from January 1, 2027.

2 notes on these statements

Councilor Leo Groner's term runs through December 31, 2026. City of West Linn

Candidates Kevin J. Bonnington, Kate Nelson and Michael Kapigian filed for the two council seats. City of West Linn

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Mary BaumgardnerCouncil President; term ends December 20283sourcedRory BialostoskyMayor; term ends December 20284sourcedCarol BryckCouncilor; term ends December 20283sourced

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

Start here

Match quiz4 questions · answers stay on your phoneSeat the CouncilPick winners, see the councilWhat council decidesTannler Drive appeal and who decides land-use appeals, Operations center and city debt, City funding and feesKey datesDeadlines and vote centers

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Next date

Last day to register to vote

Tue, Oct 13, 2026

All key dates

What the next council decides

Tannler Drive appeal and who decides land-use appeals

Where it standsThe Planning Commission denied the Tannler Drive housing application, the developer appealed, and on Sept. 22 the council voted 4-1 to send the appeal to a hearings officer.

What's on the tableThe next council will set whether it hears quasi-judicial land-use appeals itself or delegates them to a hearings officer.

Operations center and city debt

Where it standsThe council authorized up to $45 million in full faith and credit obligations in December 2025 and approved early work in April 2026 while a permit appeal went to a hearings officer.

What's on the tableThe next council will oversee the project's construction and the repayment of the debt from utility rates and general funds.

  • Resolution 2025-18 authorized full faith and credit obligations of up to $45 million to finance a centralized operations center. City of West Linn · Dec 9, 2025
  • Staff said the debt would be repaid over 25 years from existing city revenue such as utility rates and the general fund, and that it differs from general obligation bonds that voters must approve. City of West Linn · Dec 9, 2025
  • On April 14, 2026 the council voted 5-0 to approve the early work package contract amendment for the operations complex. City of West Linn · Apr 14, 2026

City funding and fees

Where it standsStaff told the council in December 2025 that the general fund outlook is weak, and the council directed staff to return with a possible $5 parks fee increase.

What's on the tableThe next council will weigh fee increases and the city's longer-term funding model.

Housing, Highway 43 and the Waterfront

Where it standsState housing law changes now shape how the city reviews applications, and the council adopted a Waterfront Community Vision Plan in 2025.

What's on the tableThe next council will guide housing and redevelopment decisions along Highway 43 and the Willamette River waterfront.

  • The mayor wrote that significant changes to state housing law affected how the city reviews applications. City of West Linn · Sep 23, 2026
  • In November 2025 the council unanimously adopted the Waterfront Community Vision Plan, a roadmap for the city's 275-acre Willamette River waterfront area. City of West Linn

Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. Who should decide appeals of land-use decisions when the city is the applicant or public contact is heavy?

  2. 2. How should West Linn pay for large projects like the operations center?

  3. 3. How should West Linn approach new housing?

  4. 4. How should the city cover rising costs of city services?

Seat the Council →

Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.

Key dates

The seat math

3 stay (not up this year): Mary Baumgardner, Rory Bialostosky, Carol Bryck2 on this ballot

5 council seats. The council decides by a 3-vote majority.

  • The city has a mayor and four councilors; the mayor and councilors all voted in the council's recorded roll calls. City of West Linn · Apr 14, 2026
  • Councilors are elected citywide; the two top finishers on this ballot serve four-year terms from January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2030. City of West Linn

Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works →

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