Mayor Rory Bialostosky gave the 2025 state of the city address at the West Linn Public Library Tuesday, May 6. (Holly Bartholomew/West Linn Tidings)

In addition to updates about various city projects and initiatives, West Linn Mayor Rory Bialostosky used his 2025 state of the city address Tuesday, May 6 to remind the community of its responsibility to make sure West Linn is a welcoming city where everyone feels like they belong.

This responsibility bears particular importance in these times of political, economic and social uncertainty, Bialostosky said in his address before community members and public officials from around the region.

“There are many in and around our community, from the immigrant community and others, who are feeling unsafe and scared. And the tone of public discourse can be harsh, divisive and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or discouraged by things happening far beyond our control — and I feel that way a lot of the time,” Bialostosky said. “But here in West Linn we have an opportunity and a responsibility to focus on what we can control and we, each of you, still have immense power to make a difference in our city and society. We can continue to make our city a welcoming one, which we work hard at all the time, and work to ensure that every person feels like they belong in our community.”

The mayor urged residents to look out for one another, check in on their neighbors and engage with the community to help shape the city. Bialostosky said being a good neighbor was about more than just civic pride.

“It’s about mental and emotional well-being and fostering connection in a time when isolation, loneliness and partisanship divide are all on the rise across our country, state and community,” he said. “It’s about remembering that while we can’t solve everything and so much right now is beyond our control and ever changing, we can make things better one interaction, one relationship and one neighborhood at a time.”

This ethos is seen at City Hall, Bialostosky said, where officials show up to solve the city’s problems and plan for a better future.

“When we focus on what we can build together and we choose connection and progress over division, we create a West Linn that is not just a wonderful place to live but a place where people feel like they belong. And that’s the spirit behind everything we do at city hall,” he said.

The mayor also shared how some of that work is taking place in the shape of projects like Vision43, the Waterfront Vision Project and exploration of ways to bring a community recreation center to West Linn.

Vision43 and the Waterfront Vision Project are the city’s two biggest planning projects, designed to incentivize development and bring new life to the Highway 43 corridor and Willamette River waterfront area. Though last year the city ultimately decided to not move forward with a bond for construction of a new recreation center due to the cost, the city is working on creative ways to bring a community facility to the city. One strategy the city is exploring is a partnership with the YMCA.

Bialostosky also spoke about some of the more practical work being done by the city right now, such as upgrades to the city’s water system and exploration of ways to fund pedestrian safety projects.

As the city prepares to adopt its budget for the next two fiscal years, Bialostosky also mentioned the city’s financial constraints. With one of the lowest property tax rates in the Portland metro area, Bialostosky said the city of West Linn runs on a very lean budget, but staff have worked hard to make the city’s limited resources stretch as far as possible.

Still, Bialostosky said the city will continue looking at creative ways for funding all of its needs without overburdening taxpayers.

“We know we can’t do it all at once but we also know that we as a city cannot stand still,” he said.