🗳️Corvallis charter change and school levy are projected to pass; mayor's race goes to ranked-choice

Corvallis voters look set to approve both local measures. In the Election Night count, the charter change had 59% yes and the school levy renewal 79%. The charter change will replace nine councilors on two-year terms with six on staggered four-year terms, starting with the 2028 election. The levy keeps the rate at $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value for five years.

• Term limit: three consecutive terms; service before January 2027 excluded
• Levy share: 10% of the district's yearly operating budget
• Early count: Adair fire bond 84% yes, North Albany levy 71% yes

Nobody won a majority in the four-way mayor's race, so ranked-choice voting will decide it, along with the Ward 7 council seat. Incumbent Charles Maughan led with 8,097 first-choice votes, or 44.9%, ahead of Andrew Struthers with 6,833. The Haxton and Gatherum ballots, nearly 3,000 combined, will be redistributed. It's the same matchup as 2022, when Maughan edged Struthers by 34 votes.

Turnout stood at 71.03% of registered voters in that count. Results are unofficial, and ballots postmarked by Election Day can still arrive for seven days. We suggest checking the Benton County Elections Office website for updates.