Your City Charter is Up For Review | |
One of the most important parts of local government is listening, especially before making decisions that shape the future of our city.
Hermiston’s City Charter is essentially our city’s constitution. It defines how our government is structured, the roles of elected officials and city staff, election processes, and how local laws are made. Because the Charter guides how our city operates, any changes to it must be approved by Hermiston voters.
That’s why I want to personally invite you to attend our upcoming City Charter Town Hall as we review potential updates to the charter.
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During the meeting, we’ll provide an overview of the Charter Review Committee’s recommendations, explain why these changes are being considered, and most importantly, open the floor for your questions, thoughts, and feedback.
Hermiston’s Charter has not been updated in 10 years, and these are meaningful decisions. Before the City Council determines which proposals, if any, should be referred to voters, it’s essential that we hear directly from you.
Whether you have specific concerns, general feedback, or simply want to better understand how these changes could impact our city, your voice matters. Strong local government depends on engaged residents, and your participation helps shape the future of Hermiston.
If you’re unable to attend but would still like to share your thoughts, please email meetings@hermiston.gov and include your name and mailing address.
I hope you’ll join us this evening. I look forward to the conversation.
Byron Smith,
Hermiston City Manager
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What's With the Wards in Hermiston?
The Hermiston City Council is made up of eight councilors elected by Hermiston residents. There are four at-large councilors, who may live anywhere in the city and are elected by voters citywide, and four ward councilors, who must live in the specific ward they represent.
This year's election is for ward councilors, and although the candidates are required to live in their respective wards, they appear on every Hermiston voter's ballot.
Over time, Hermiston’s growth and development has shifted the city’s population distribution. As neighborhoods expand, the number of residents in each ward has become unbalanced. This can create imbalances in representation, with some councilors representing significantly more residents than others.
To address this issue, the City Charter Review Committee has proposed:
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Adjusting ward boundaries to more evenly distribute the population across the four wards.
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Changing the voting structure so that only voters living within a ward would vote for that ward’s councilor.
Under the proposed system, ward councilors would still be required to live in their ward, but they would also be elected solely by the residents of that ward. If the Charter amendments are placed on the ballot and approved by voters in November, the new wards would be created and take effect before the next Ward councilor election cycle in 2030.
The filing deadline for the 2026 Hermiston City Council Election is March 10, and Election Day is May 19.
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HES Implements Phase II Rate Adjustments
Hermiston Energy Services (HES) is moving forward with Phase II of the rate adjustment plan approved by the Hermiston City Council in December 2024. The phased adjustments address rising wholesale electricity and material costs while supporting critical infrastructure investments to ensure the continued reliability and safety of Hermiston’s electrical system.
The three-step approach includes adjustments of 7.84% (effective March 1, 2025), 6.49% (March 1, 2026), and 5.19% (Oct. 1, 2026). Even after the phased increases, the average monthly HES bill is projected to be about $150 — roughly $85 less than the Oregon average.
HES will continue offering energy efficiency programs and resources to help customers manage costs.
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Hermiston Advances 2040 Vision with 2025 Accomplishments
What does progress toward Hermiston's 2040 Vision look like? Annual goals and steady development. Each year the City Council and city staff review the vision cast by the community in 2022 and set annual goals to keep Hermiston on track. We're pleased to share the goals completed in 2025.
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Chat it Up with City Leaders
Bring your comments, questions, ideas and concerns to the spring City Chat on March 17 at Hacienda West Community Room at 515 SW 13th Place from 10 a.m. until noon. These quarterly meetings are held at various locations and times to ensure everyone who wants to attend can find at least one opportunity to participate.
In the News
| | UMATILLA COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT #1 UPDATE | | |
Emergency Call Data for 2025
In 2025, UCFD#1 responded to 6,192 calls for service, averaging 17 emergency responses per day. Of those, 5,043 calls, or 81.5% of total responses, were for paramedic or Emergency Medical Services, requiring a paramedic or EMT. This underscores the District’s primary role as an advanced life support provider.
Additional responses included 439 good-intent calls (responses initiated out of genuine concern even though no emergency ultimately existed), 270 fire calls, 221 service calls (requests for assistance that did not involve an active fire or immediate life-threatening emergency), 172 false alarms (responses to alarm activations where crews determined no actual hazard was present), and 43 hazardous-condition incidents.
Notably, approximately 70% of calls occur while crews are already committed to another emergency, requiring mutual aid partners to respond to the District when UCFD#1 resources are fully engaged. To ensure paramedics and firefighters are prepared to respond to a wide range of incidents, District members completed more than 14,000 hours of fire and EMS training in 2025.
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Council Seeks Safety, Equity with Mobile Vendor Rules
Following public testimony at its Feb. 23 meeting, the Hermiston City Council unanimously approved an ordinance classifying unlicensed mobile vendors as a nuisance under city code, allowing stronger code enforcement action.
Hermiston’s mobile vendor regulations establish clear standards for food trucks and other mobile businesses, including permitting, approved locations, hours of operation, and health and safety compliance. The goal is to support entrepreneurs while maintaining safe streets, adequate parking, and fair competition for local businesses.
The ordinance was developed at the request of the local business community, after reviewing existing rules and practices in other cities. It enables code enforcement officers to educate violators and issue fines for repeat offenses.
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City Council Meeting for Feb. 23 (Watch the meeting)
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Approved a $308,288 bid to replace an undersized sewer main in Evelyn Avenue as part of a sewer main capacity expansion project. (Visit the project page)
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Adopted a supplemental budget of $787,750 for projects that were not known about at the time the 2025-26 budget was approved. (Read the staff report and summary)
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Authorized an interfund loan of $160,000 from the Utilities Fund to the Reserve Park Fund to purchase a mower. The mower has a 16-foot cutting width and can mow 20 acres in an hour.
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Initiated the renaming process of East Airport Road, which is the access road for the Eastern Oregon Trade & Event Center, and is often confused with the nearby Airport Way, which connects to the Hermiston Municipal Airport. (Read the report)
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Received the January 2026 financial report. (Read the report)
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Appointed Paul Wolverton to the Budget Committee and Jacobo Gutierrez to the Hispanic Advisory Committee.
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Approved the final plat for Diamond Run housing development phases 2 and 3 as well as a private property on West Division Avenue and West Johns Avenue.
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Approved the a liquor license for full on-premesis sales for 2xbrew (Main Street Keg and Kork)
City Council Meeting for Feb. 9 (Watch the meeting)
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Approved an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Umatilla and Umatilla County for the support and design of a Umatilla River bridge from Punkin Center Road. (Read the staff report)
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Awarded a construction contract to Banlin Construction for the Agape House storage facility as funded by a Community Development Block Grant. (Read the staff report)
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Received the January 2026 Quarterly Investment Report (Read the report)
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MARCH 2026 MEETINGS
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Airport Advisory Committee, Wednesday March 4, 4 p.m. at the Hermiston Municipal Airport
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Charter Review Committee, Wednesday March 4, 5:30 p.m. at City Hall
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City Council, Monday, March 9, 6 p.m. at City Hall
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Planning Commission, Wednesday, March 11, 7 p.m. at City Hall
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Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee, Thursday, March 12, 5:30 p.m. at the Community Center
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Hispanic Advisory Committee, Tuesday March 17, 6 p.m. at City Hall.
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City Council, Monday, March 23, 6 p.m. at City Hall
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Library Board, Wednesday, March 25, 5 p.m. at the Hermiston Public Library
The City of Hermiston is currently seeking members for the Budget Committee, Planning Commission, Airport Advisory Committee, and Hispanic Advisory Committee. Learn more and apply to join.
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| Looking for something to do in Hermiston? Check out the March calendar on Hermiston Live! Want to invite the community to your event? Post it for free on Hermiston Live! | |
Coming up in March:
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Adult Book Club on "The Story of the Forest," March 10
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Hermiston School District Resource Fair, March 11
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Swim Lesson Registration, March 14
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City Chat, March 17
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Learn to Grow Micro-Greens, March 20
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Puzzle-Palooza, March 21
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Daddy-Daughter Dance, March 21
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Hermiston Spring Market, March 28, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Discover unique, handcrafted items, home décor, gifts, and treasures from talented local crafters and vendors. Free admission and parking.
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Children's Story Time, Fridays all month long
For times, locations and details, visit Hermiston Live!
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Heads up for the first weekend of April
Egg Dash and Easter Carnival at Butte Park - April 3
A fun evening of carnival games and activities plus multiple egg dashes, all starting at 4:30 p.m. Don't forget your basket or bag to collect your eggs to redeem for prizes!
- Accessible Egg Hunt 4:30-5:30 p.m.: Sensory friendly for all ages, including adults)
- Egg Dash #1 6-6:20 p.m.: Recommended 4yrs and under
- Egg Dash #2 6:20-6:30 p.m.: All kids, all ages.
- Egg Dash #3 6:30-6:40 p.m.: All kids, all ages.
- Egg Dash #4 6:40-6:50 p.m.: All kids, all ages.
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Arbor Day Tree Giveaway at the Community Center - April 4
Hermiston Parks & Recreation and Hermiston Rotary will be giving away bare root seedling trees at the annual Arbor Day Tree Giveaway on Saturday, April 4. Find more details, including tree varieties, at Hermiston Live!
NEW EVENT: Adult Easter Egg Hunt at Butte Park - April 4
Join us for a fun night out from 6-9 p.m. featuring great food and drinks, a live DJ, and tons of prizes! The hunt begins at 8:30 p.m., and each egg you find equals one raffle ticket.
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How Are You Enjoying Inside Hermiston?
We launched the Inside Hermiston newsletter in May 2025 to share city news and relevant information with residents, as well as receive feedback. Your answers in this short survey will help us continue to refine and develop the newsletter to meet your needs. Thanks for reading and for sharing your thoughts.
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Are you still getting paper utility bills in the mail? When life gets busy, paying your bill shouldn't be one more thing to remember.
With Text-to-Pay from the City of Hermiston and Xpress Bill Pay, your bill is paid automatically, on time, every month. Set it once, receive a notification, and relax all year. That’s the Autopay Advantage.
Sign up today or learn more about autopay options.
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