Mary McGinnis Rockaway Beach, OR City Councilor

07/28/2026

Thank you to the Rockaway Beach City Staff, City Council, Mayor, and Planning Commission for all your work to make this happen. Visitors with disability needs can now find a place that fits their needs.

Rockaway Beach becomes the first community in the US to complete an accessibility audit for short term rentals. Read here:

https://www.tillamookcountypioneer.net/rockaway-beach-oregon-becomes-first-community-in-u-s-to-complete-destination-wide-accessibility-audit-for-short-term-rentals/

05/29/2026

Working-class kid from St. Helens. Former Appointed State Senator, District 16. Running to represent the best corner of Oregon in 2026.

05/03/2026

FROM ROCKAWAY BEACH
PUBLIC WORKS
Drinking Water Source Protection Award
The City of Rockaway Beach has been awarded a Drinking Water
Source Protection Award from the Oregon Department of Environmental
Quality. This award is a state recognition award given to public drinking
water systems that demonstrate excellence in protecting the sources of
their drinking water before contamination occurs. Award recipients must
demonstrate that they are actively managing risks to their drinking water
sources by doing things like reducing pollution sources within the source
area, acquiring land important to water quality, improving spill prevention
and emergency response, conducting public education and outreach,
and coordinating with upstream landowners to reduce risk. The City of
Rockaway Beach is proud to be 1 of only 15 cities in the entire state that
have received this prestigious award.
In addition to receiving the DEQ Drinking Water Source Protection
Award, the City of Rockaway Beach also holds the designation from
Oregon Health Authority as an Outstanding Performer. Superintendent
Emerson has been pushing our Water Department to obtain this award
simultaneously with the outstanding performer designation. This is an
impressive achievement – as it puts Rockaway Beach as 1 of only 6
other cities in the State that have done so.

03/03/2026

Fun time in Rockaway Beach Saturday celebrating the polar bear plunge in Lake Lytle with Special Olympics. A large crowd attended, and many of us (yes, including me) took the cold plunge for our special needs community members.

The event raised more than $10,000 for the local Special Olympics program.

Thanks to Rockaway Beach Mayor Charles McNeilly, Nehalem Mayor Phil Chick, Neah-Kah-Nie School District, and the local Special Olympics for spearheading this. Thanks to the Rockaway Beach Fire Department for providing safety patrol for the plungers.

Join us next year (last Saturday in February) as this is becoming an annual event!

02/04/2026

Rockaway Beach Fire Department made the cover and the featured article in the January Ruralite Magazine!

02/04/2026

Rockaway Beach Mayor Charles McNeilly's Monthly Report for January 2026 is live on the City website. It is full of news about how the City is working for you. Thank you to the City employees for all the work you do for Rockaway Beach. Check out the Mayor's Report and see what is going on. Read it at the Rockaway Beach City page: https://www.facebook.com/RockawayBeachCityHall/

02/01/2026

Do you know what to do in an emergency? Join the Rockaway Beach Fire and Rescue Department this Wednesday, February 4th at 6:00 PM for a presentation by the Red Cross on tips for handling an emergency or disaster. In the last Red Cross presentation, they taught us to filter water with household items. Their tips are always practical. The presentation will be in the City Council meeting room at City Hall across from the Fire Department. Address: 276 S. Hwy 101, Rockaway Beach. This Red Cross presentation is for everyone, not just Rockaway Beach folks.

01/28/2026

Rockaway Beach is becoming a North Oregon Coast Flavor Town! Rockaway is a culinary destination. In our little beach town, there are 21 food establishments, with two more opening soon. We have Eastern European flare, Indian, and Mexican, plus fresh seafood. We also have two small grocery stores and some specialty food markets for a beach picnic, STR stay, or home dining. Two of our unique restaurants are Grumpy's where you can eat breakfast until 2:00 pm every day and Sand Dollar where you can sit mere feet from the beach as you dine.