Pendleton Mayor Highlights City's Progress and Challenges in State of the City Address

Mayor McKennon McDonald focuses on collaboration, communication, and balancing priorities in her keynote speech at the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce event.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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During a luncheon hosted by the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce, Mayor McKennon McDonald spoke to a group of about 60 community members at the Pendleton Center for the Arts. She highlighted the city's efforts on key issues like homelessness, economic development, public safety, and infrastructure maintenance, while also acknowledging the ongoing challenges Pendleton faces. McDonald emphasized the importance of collaboration, communication, and balancing priorities as the city works to address these complex problems.

Why it matters

The mayor's State of the City address provides insight into the current state of Pendleton and the priorities of city leadership. By addressing both the progress made and the challenges that remain, the mayor aims to foster greater understanding and engagement between the community and local government.

The details

In her presentation, Mayor McDonald discussed the city's strategic plan for 2025-2028, which focuses on four key areas: homelessness, economic development, public safety, and infrastructure maintenance. She highlighted efforts to address homelessness through a task force led by the Pendleton Public Library director, as well as the ongoing Goad Road housing development project that will open up 250 acres for new single-family and multi-family homes. The mayor also touted the success of the Pendleton UAS Range, which has seen over 67,000 unmanned aircraft system operations since opening. Regarding public safety, McDonald mentioned the fire department's modernization plans and a proposed five-year operational levy to increase personnel. The city is also working on flood mitigation projects and a new community connector road to improve traffic flow.

  • Mayor McKennon McDonald gave her State of the City address on February 25, 2026 during a luncheon hosted by the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce.
  • The city's new city attorney, Nancy Kerns, is set to retire on April 1, 2026, and the city will likely contract with an external attorney moving forward.

The players

Mayor McKennon McDonald

The mayor of Pendleton, Oregon, who delivered the State of the City address at the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce event.

Cheryl Viola

The CEO of the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce, who introduced Mayor McDonald at the event.

Nancy Kerns

The retiring city attorney of Pendleton, whose position will likely be contracted out to an external attorney starting April 1, 2026.

Charles Byram

The current police chief of Pendleton, who will be promoted to assistant city manager starting April 1, 2026.

Tony Nelson

The current operations lieutenant in the Pendleton Police Department, who will be promoted to police chief starting April 1, 2026.

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What they’re saying

“There are still challenges that we're navigating and we're trying to figure out how to address as a city, but (challenges and successes) can exist at the same time, and we're continually looking forward.”

— Mayor McKennon McDonald

“It really is that balancing act. I think the mayor knocked it out of the park, and I really hope that people come away with a little bit more compassion and understanding and will take the initiative to actually seek to talk to these public officials to get the answers instead of just making negative comments on social media.”

— Cheryl Viola, CEO, Pendleton Chamber of Commerce

What’s next

The city will hold a vote in May 2026 on a proposed five-year operational levy to increase fire department personnel.

The takeaway

Pendleton's mayor highlighted the city's efforts to address complex challenges like homelessness, economic development, and infrastructure, while emphasizing the importance of collaboration, communication, and balancing priorities. This approach aims to foster greater understanding and engagement between the community and local government.