Madras is set to have stable city leadership again after a period of transition. The Madras City Council identified Brenda Fahey as its preferred candidate for City Administrator and directed staff to prepare an employment agreement for consideration at the June 23, 2026, City Council meeting — a significant step toward restoring long-term leadership at City Hall.

The selection of Fahey comes after the city spent several months under interim leadership, with David Clyne serving as Interim City Administrator. The position carries responsibility for overseeing day-to-day city operations, managing staff, and implementing council policy across all municipal departments.

A City in Transition

Madras has seen notable turnover in city leadership over the past year. Along with the search for a permanent administrator, the city has navigated other departures among its leadership team. Stability in the top administrative role is seen as essential for ongoing municipal projects and long-term planning.

Clyne, who served in the interim role, made headlines earlier this year when he stated that the city is not entertaining any proposal to build a data center in Jefferson County — a pointed response to growing regional interest in attracting data center development to Eastern and Central Oregon.

Looking Ahead

With a permanent administrator in place, Madras city officials can turn attention to ongoing priorities including infrastructure improvements, housing and homelessness response, and economic development. The council updated its camping code earlier this year to allow faster removal of encampments in cases involving safety hazards, blocked roadways, or criminal activity — a sign that public safety and livability issues remain top of mind for city leaders.

The Jefferson County region also continues to track COCC Madras campus growth, the Jefferson County Librarys planned expansion, and broader Central Oregon trends in housing and homelessness. New homelessness data released in May showed some improvement regionally, though Jefferson Countys numbers remained a challenge, with 80 unsheltered individuals counted compared to 23 sheltered.

Residents seeking updates on city business can attend Madras City Council meetings or visit madras.gov for agendas, minutes, and announcements.