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Mayor highlights Woodburn’s diversity and projected growth
Summary
In a city presentation, Woodburn’s mayor framed the city as a multicultural community of entrepreneurs and families, citing that nearly 60% of residents speak a language other than English at home and that 95% of downtown businesses are Latino‑owned.
The mayor of Woodburn said the city is ‘‘a city of unity’’ shaped by longtime residents and new immigrants and framed that shared identity as central to future growth. The mayor cited the Willamette Valley’s Kalapuya heritage, said nearly 60% of residents speak a language other than English at home, and reported that 95% of downtown businesses are Latino‑owned.
Why it matters: the mayor told attendees Woodburn—about 30,000 residents—was projected to be among Oregon’s fastest‑growing communities over the next five years, a demographic trend the city intends to meet with investment in civic life and trust. "We are the city of unity," the mayor said, linking the statistics to a call for civic engagement and partnerships to support multilingual outreach and small business retention.
