The Oregon Mayors Association and the City of Philomath invite local youth to take part in the annual "If I Were Mayor..." contest. This contest is open to students enrolled in 4th - 12th grade for the 2025-26 school year. The contest is broken into three categories:
Elementary School (4th & 5th Grade): POSTER Contest (2024-25 State Winner)
- Open to students enrolled in grades 4-5 or being homeschooled at the same grade level for the 2025-26 school year.
- Students are encouraged to be creative and may use any art medium (paint, felt pens, colored pencils, pastels, crayons, 3D art, etc.).
Middle School (6th - 8th Grade): ESSAY Contest (2024-25 State Winner)
- Open to students enrolled in grades 6-8 or being homeschooled at the same grade level for the 2025-26 school year.
- Essays must be typed and submitted in one of the following formats: Word, PDF, PowerPoint, or an online essay format.
- Essays must be 500-1,000 words in length and typed.
High School (9th - 12th Grade): DIGITAL MEDIA Presentations (2024-25 State Winner)
- Open to students enrolled in grades 9-12 or being homeschooled at the same grade level for the 2025-26 school year.
- Presentations must be submitted as a video, either in MP4 format or as an online video link.
- Presentations must be one to three minutes in length and may be submitted via email.
Local winners are selected in each category, with their submissions advancing to the statewide competition.
Local Prize
The City of Philomath will award the winner in each category with an unforgettable day with Mayor McMorran! Winners will receive certificates and special recognition during a spring meeting in the Council Chambers. Additionally, the first-place winners in each category will be entered into the statewide contest for a chance to be recognized on an even larger scale. For more details about the statewide contest, visit the Oregon Mayors Association website.
State Prize
First place statewide winning students in each of the three categories will win $500. Second and third place winning students win $300 and $100 respectively. Each cash prize will be sent to mayors to present to the winners locally.
To ensure a fair and enjoyable experience for everyone, please review the following rules and guidelines carefully. By participating, you agree to adhere to these rules and showcase your creativity within the specified requirements.
- To be considered a valid contestant for the local City of Philomath "If I Were Mayor..." Contest you MUST live within the City of Philomath, or attend a school within the City of Philomath School District.
- All submissions must be accompanied by a completed entry form. All forms for students under the age of 18 must be signed by the student's parent or guardian.
- Only one submission per student and one student per entry will be accepted at the state level.
- Previous statewide winners may participate, but are not eligible to receive a prize in the same category they previously won in. They are eligible to receive a prize in a new category.
- State level submissions become property of the Oregon Mayors Association (OMA).
- The City of Philomath retains the right to publish local entries along with the names and likeness of each student.
- OMA retains the right to publish state-level entries along with the names and likeness of each student.
- League of Oregon Cities (LOC) employees and dependents are not eligible to enter.
Entries are due by 11:59 PM on March 16, 2026.
Submit digital entries to the City Recorder at cityhall [at] philomathoregon.gov (cityhall[at]philomathoregon[dot]gov).
Submit poster entries to the City Recorder at City Hall, 980 Applegate Street, Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 5PM. High resolution photos of the posters will also be accepted by the March 16, 2026 11:59 PM deadline.
