City Council & Mayor

The Mayor and six City Councilors are elected by the voters of La Grande. The Mayor position becomes vacant every general election year.

The Mayor is the presiding officer of Council and represents the City at a variety of meetings, conferences, and ceremonial events.

The Council is empowered by the City Charter as the policy-making body of the City, adopting policies and legislation which will affect the City's growth and quality of life in the long-term and the efficient, cost-effective delivery of daily services in the short-term.

Boards, commissions and committees are appointed by the City Council to help advise and provide technical expertise to Council members and proceedings.

The City Council also sits as the URBAN RENEWAL AGENCY. This agency meets as needed.

City/District Manager's Top Priorities for Fiscal Year 2024 - 2025 are:

• Fiscal Management
  • Continue to manage the City’s finances within limited resources to provide highest possible level of service to the City of La Grande. 
• Street and Road Infrastructure
  • Act on the recommendations of the Parking Traffic Safety Street Maintenance Advisory Commission (PTSSMAC) to address the condition of the infrastructure including potential funding options.
• Housing
  • Continue to Implement the Comprehensive Housing Production Strategy (HPS) as adopted by the City Council.
• Economic Development
  • Continue to implement the Urban Renewal Plan and economic development strategy as approved by the City Council/Urban Renewal Agency.
• Staffing
  • Continue to take necessary actions to address critical staffing issues including, but not limited to, hard to fill positions and succession planning for key positions.
• General Fund Capital Improvements
  • Identity funding sources and strategy to address major capital needs.
• Emergency Management Planning
  • In concert with Union County and other agencies, take actions to assure La Grande is prepared in the event of an emergency, including but not limited to major incidents, flooding, wildfire, or other natural disaster. 
    • Update the City’s Emergency Operations Plan
• FEMA Maps and Land Use Code Amendments
  • Take all required actions regarding the FEMA Floodplain Map update submitted, including but not limited to responding to any requirements as needed throughout the process.
  • Complete the revisions and adoption of the City’s Land Use Codes as necessary.

The City Council meets the first Wednesday of each month, with a few exceptions due to holidays, at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall, and reserves Mondays for work sessions. For a schedule of the City Council meeting dates, please see the Calendar or consult the Recent Council Agenda on the City Council page. Wednesday sessions are broadcast on local public-access TV Channel 180, typically starting at 6pm.

The City Council consists of seven positions. Terms for all positions except the Mayor are four-year terms. The Mayor serves a two-year term. The terms of the 2023 - 2024 City Council run as follows: 

• The Term for Mayor (Position 1) expires on 12/31/24;
• Terms for Positions 5, 6 and 7 expire on 12/31/26;
• Terms for Positions 2, 3 and 4 expire on 12/31/24.