Rory Bialostosky Appointed Interim Mayor, Other Council Changes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 4, 2023

RORY BIALOSTOSKY APPOINTED INTERIM MAYOR, OTHER COUNCIL CHANGES

WEST LINN, OR – Following former mayor Jules Walters’ resignation in December, the West Linn City Council appointed Council President Rory Bialostosky to serve as interim mayor at their Tuesday, January 3rd meeting. Mayor Bialostosky will serve in this new role until a special mayoral election can be held on May 16th, 2023.

In a statement, Mayor Bialostosky described himself as “deeply honored” to serve the city he grew up in, and expressed his commitment to West Linn’s future:

“I am looking forward to working with my colleagues to address the pressing issues that the city faces this coming year. Those issues include balancing a budget during difficult financial times, finding funding to pay for the I-205 water line replacement project mandated by ODOT that is financially constraining our ability to do routine water maintenance, fighting to protect our livability as I-205 tolling diversion traffic becomes a reality, and continuing our work to make sure all residents feel safe and welcome in our city among many other priorities. I know from being raised here that West Linn is an outstanding place to live. Having the opportunity to lead the City that raised me means the world to me.”

Mayor Bialostosky was first elected to the City Council in 2020. At age 23, he is the youngest mayor in West Linn history. The public can reach Mayor Bialostosky by email at RBialostosky@westlinnoregon.gov.

At the same meeting, City Council voted to appoint Mary Baumgardner the new Council President. Councilor Bill Relyea will graciously continue to serve until the special council race scheduled for March. Council declared one vacant seat due to Councilor Todd Jones’ term having ended this past December, and thanked Councilor Jones for his dedication to the community and positive impact he has had across the city. Given the limited timeframe until the special election in March, Council decided not to appoint an interim councilor to fill Mr. Jones’ vacancy. West Linn residents will elect two new councilors during the March 14th election, then a new mayor during the May 16th mayoral election. 

The public can watch a recording of the January 3rd meeting at westlinnoregon.gov/meetings. Previous press releases are available at westlinnoregon.gov/news. Interested parties can follow elections updates at westlinnoregon.gov/communications/important-city-elections-announcement, or on social media.