Canby Accepting Applications to Fill Vacant City Council Seat

The City of Canby is now accepting applications to fill the remaining term of former Councilor Jordan Tibbals, who abruptly resigned Sept. 1 due to moving out of state.

The seat has been through quite the journey. Tibbals was elected in a hotly contested race last November, one that saw him snatch victory from the jaws of seeming defeat after trailing former Councilor Jason Padden in early returns on Election Night.

Unusually, Tibbals’ term was for only two years, because it was meant to fill the unexpired term of former Councilor Tracie Heidt, who had actually been elected to hold it in November 2018.

Heidt relinquished the position barely seven months into her second term, citing family and work commitments. A crowded field of candidates threw their hats into the ring to replace her, with Trygve “Trig” Berge, a vice president of a commercial construction firm, emerging the victor.

Of course, Berge himself stepped down in August 2020, also due to moving outside city limits, and the council opted to leave the position vacant until the election two and a half months later.

So, that means the seat Heidt originally won in 2018 will have been resigned three times, and held by at least four different people, within the span of its four-year term.

Meanwhile, all other elective positions in Canby, including the mayor, have seen zero resignations in that span, though former Council President Tim Dale declined to seek reelection when his term expired last year.

Per the city charter, those interested in serving the remainder of Tibbals’ term will be interviewed by the mayor and remaining council members, and the successful candidate will be appointed to serve until Dec. 31, 2022.

Qualified applicants must have resided within Canby city limits for at least 12 months and be a current registered Oregon voter.

Applications are available on the city’s website or can be picked up at City Hall, 222 NE 2nd Ave. between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Applications may be returned to the City of Canby, Attn: City Recorder, P.O. Box 930, Canby, OR 97013. For further information, contact City Recorder Melissa Bisset at 503-266-0733.

The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. Sept. 30. All qualified applications will be forward to the mayor and council Oct. 1 and interviews will be held in open session on Oct. 6.

The new city councilor will be sworn in at the following meeting Oct. 20.

Tibbals’ resignation is expected to shift the balance of power in favor of the council’s progressive bloc for the first time in years, with councilors Sarah Spoon, Chris Bangs and Greg Parker poised to have the majority vote in appointing his replacement.

Spoon and Bangs, however, are also facing a recall effort, which was initiated the same week Tibbals announced his resignation. Petitioners must collect at least 1,151 verified signatures from Canby residents by 5 p.m. Nov. 29 to trigger a recall election.

The city is also seeking qualified applicants to serve on a number of important committees, including the Canby Planning Commission. See the city’s website for details.

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