Bend, OR – Bend City Hall was filled with optimism Wednesday night as the City Council swore in new and returning members during a formal ceremony. Municipal Court Judge Pro Tem Erin Zemper administered the oaths of office to returning councilors Megan Perkins and Megan Norris, as well as newcomers Gina Franzosa and Steve Platt.
Franzosa, a professional with a background in housing, engineering, and environmental issues, expressed her enthusiasm for serving the city. “It is my honor to serve the City of Bend, so thank you all for your support,” she said. “I look forward to working with you in the coming four years.”
Platt, a science teacher at Summit High School, also spoke about his motivations for running. “I choose to serve to push back against the sense that the problems in our world are too big for us to impact,” he remarked. “I ran for the opportunity to serve all members of our community, and that’s exactly what I plan to do.”
Returning councilor Megan Perkins, who begins her second term, reflected on the challenges the city has faced over the past four years. “This work is not easy or simple, but I look forward to more of those challenges and decisions these next four years,” she said, before thanking her family and city staff for their support.
Megan Norris, also beginning her second term, spoke about the importance of collaboration during her time on the council. “I look forward to working with new colleagues and old colleagues to transform our city, to do what’s best for our city, and really make sure that we are doing everything we can to be good stewards of our city,” Norris said.
Following the remarks, the council voted unanimously to re-elect Perkins as Mayor Pro Tem.
In closing, Mayor Melanie Kebler addressed the gathered crowd, expressing her confidence in the council’s ability to tackle important issues. “We’re going to get stuff done and we’re going to make government work for the people,” she said. “We had voters overwhelmingly saying, ‘Yes, we want to see things done. We want to see work on housing, homelessness, transportation, and climate.’”
Mayor Kebler emphasized that the council’s goal is not just to discuss these issues, but to take meaningful action. “These are the values of our community that we represent, and we’re here not just to talk about it, but to do things about it,” she said. “Whatever we can do at the local level — that’s where it’s going to be happening, I think, in the next four years and beyond.”
