Who Wears The Next Crown at City Hall?
November 3, 2026 municipal election opens June 3...
Ask most residents who runs the city, and they’ll probably answer the mayor.
Mayor Charles Maughan is the most visible elected official in Corvallis (or at least is supposed to be), and voters will have the opportunity to decide who occupies that role next. The filing period for the November 3, 2026 municipal election opens June 3, and every seat on the city council, along with the mayor’s office, will be on the ballot this fall.
Maughan took office in January 2023 after winning one of the most unusual elections in city history. It was the first mayoral election here decided using ranked-choice voting, a system that allowed voters to rank candidates in order of preference rather than selecting just one candidate. After several rounds of vote redistribution, Maughan emerged as the winner and began a four-year term that expires at the end of 2026.
Professionally, Maughan works in affordable housing compliance and has often focused on housing, affordability, and community development. The upcoming election gives us an opportunity not only to choose a mayor, but also to elect the nine councilors who represent each ward in town.
Councilors who win elections serve two-year terms and must live in the ward they seek to represent (and yes, there is a small monthly stipend for council members). Candidates for either mayor or council must be registered Corvallis voters and must have lived in the city for at least one year before the election.
Considering a run for office? The city has scheduled an Election Information Session at 6:00pm on Monday, June 8. The meeting will be held in the Madison Avenue Meeting Room at 500 SW Madison Ave. City staff will review filing requirements, deadlines, and nomination paperwork.
Corvallis is divided into nine geographic wards, with each councilor representing a specific section of the city. Candidates interested in running for council must live within the ward they hope to represent.
Ward map: Corvallis Ward Map
The mayor serves as the public face of city government, presiding over council meetings, making appointments to boards and commissions, and representing Corvallis at public events, but the city’s day-to-day operations are managed by City Manager Mark Shepard under our council-manager form of government.
There is a distinctive difference there. The mayor is elected directly by voters and is frequently the most recognizable local official. The city manager oversees city departments, employees, budgets, and municipal operations.
There is a pay difference between the two roles. The mayor receives a modest annual stipend of approximately $6,720 annually for the part-time position… the city manager Mark Shepard oversees the city's day-to-day operations as a full-time executive. In late 2025, the City Council approved a 5% merit raise for Shepard, increasing his salary to roughly $255,000 per year.
Using PayScale to compare other city managers across Oregon, Shepard's salary falls on the higher end of the scale, though not at the top. Statewide, city managers earn an average salary of roughly $118,000 to $122,000 per year. Albany's city manager, for example, earns about $215,879 annually, while larger metropolitan cities pay considerably more. In Eugene, the city's top executive receives a base salary of approximately $306,000 per year.
The 2026 election will determine who guides city policy through the foreseeable future.
More information about candidate filing, nomination packets, deadlines, and election procedures is available from the City of Corvallis elections page (including the ranked voting system): City of Corvallis Elections Information
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