Milton-Freewater Mayor Lewis Key delivers a speech Sept. 11, 2020, prior to raising the American flag at the city of Milton-Freewater’s new flag pole. Key, 81, is running again for mayor in the May 2024 primary but faces a challenge from Michael Odman.

MILTON-FREEWATER — For the first time in recent memory the Milton-Freewater mayoral race is contested.

Political newcomer Michael Odman is seeking the seat that Lewis Key has held for almost 32 years, while the incumbent is running for another term in office.

Milton-Freewater’s charter calls for a “weak mayoral system,” meaning the role of mayor is subordinate to city council members who have responsibilities such as approving budgets and appointing department heads.

A mayor in such a system usually has little power but plays nonpartisan, traditional roles, such as representing the city at state and local events, appointing committee members and overseeing city council meetings.

The mayor does not vote in council decisions except in the case of a tied vote.

In Milton-Freewater, the mayor is elected for a four-year term. The next term begins January 2025, after the successful candidate swears their oath of office.

The position is unpaid other than a fixed stipend of $3,163 annually.

Lewis Key

Key, 81, comes from a pioneering Milton-Freewater farming family. A graduate of McLoughlin High School and Oregon State University, Key is the principal Realtor of the local John L. Scott real estate office. He’s owned businesses, including a U-Haul dealership and Key Lock Security Storage, as well as apartment rentals.

In addition to his own farming, Key has served as the Oregon chair of the federal Farm Service Agency. Members of the FSA oversee farm programs and county committee operations, acting as a liaison between farmers and industry stakeholders. Key also was on the board of the now-defunct Pendleton Grain Growers for two terms.

Lewis and Patty Key raised their son and daughter in Milton-Freewater.

Key said he first ran for mayor when he was encouraged to help the city get organized. City council meetings were chaotic at the time and leadership at city hall was undergoing abrupt changes, he recalled.

Key said he convinced newly retired city manager Linda Hall to apply for that position in 2007. Now a new city manager, Chad Morris, is relocating to Milton-Freewater from Florida, and Key said his decision to again run for mayor is to help Morris learn about and acclimate to his new community.

The city must pay attention to its water infrastructure and to the need for more housing, Key said.

“Then we can get other businesses here that can take advantage of that,” he said. “You have to have people to support those.”

Milton-Freewater also will benefit if more Latino residents get involved with “the workings of the city,” Key said.

The most recent census of the town indicates Latino families make up roughly half of the population of just more than 7,000 people.

The small, rural city struggles with issues such as graffiti and zone code violations, Key added, but there is plenty of good to say, as well.

“In Milton-Freewater, if we need something, the town steps up and they get it done. I think it is unique, that strong sense of community.”

Michael Odman

Odman, 52, came to Milton-Freewater at the age of 1 when his father, Merl Odman, took a position with the Bank of Commerce.

The family would later run the local Farmers Insurance office. His dad hoped his youngest son would join the business, but he only got as far as helping clean the office, Odman said.

He is the co-owner of JM Legacy Builders contracting and construction company. He and wife Dalia Odman raised their son and daughter here.

After graduating from McLoughlin High School in 1990, Odman attended college before enlisting in the U.S. Navy. There he served four years as a petty officer maintaining electronic systems in military aircraft. He returned home to manage an afterschool learning program for several years before working in wind technology.

He appreciates that his parents stressed the importance of giving to their community, and taught their children to do so.

Including running for elected office, Odman said.

“I’ve always felt that following in my father’s footsteps, I could offer my experience and leadership,” he said. “I think I can serve my community in an impactful way that allows Milton-Freewater to continue to grow and thrive.”

The city deserves to have its significant agricultural value recognized, he said.

“I think we’ve struggled with our identity a bit. We’re more than Muddy Frogwater,” Odman said. “We have a beautiful valley, lots of fresh fruit and veggies, which my wife loves. For the most part it is a safe, family-oriented community.”

Odman said he is eager to address the challenges the town faces, even in a system that doesn’t give a mayor much power. His list includes more housing, crime prevention, public safety and programs for youth.

“I think there is an opportunity to bring some collaboration and help the new city manager use resources outside our community,” he said.

He mentioned economic development, and said Milton-Freewater is in a good position to collaborate with neighboring communities and Umatilla County.

“The knowledge is out there, the experience is out there,” Odman said. “We just need to ask for help.”

Primary election information

The primary election is May 21. Tuesday, April 30, is the deadline to register to vote in the primary. Elections offices mail ballots starting May 1. For more election information, visit the Oregon Secretary of State’s election website at shorturl.at/hkAB0.