With almost a month remaining for prospective candidates to file their paperwork, the race for the four open seats on the Canby City Council already looks to feature some lively contests.
As of this week, incumbents Sarah Spoon, Traci Hensley and Tim Dale are seeking reelection, joined by newcomers Jason Padden and James Hieb. A fourth incumbent, Tryg Berge, has not filed to keep his seat, though he previously indicated that he does plan to do so.
Dale, a software engineer, is council president and has served as a councilor since 2011. Spoon is principal broker for a local real estate firm she owns and is seeking a second term on the council.
Both Dale and Spoon are Canby High School graduates. Hensley has served on the council since 2013 and did not list a work history.
Padden is a broker sales representative for McHutchison Horticultural Distributors, and previously served on the Canby City Council from 2009 to 2011, before stepping down due to work commitments (he had a different job at the time, which required frequent travel).
He has also served on and chaired the Canby Budget Committee, as well as the Canby Urban Renewal Board and a street maintenance task force.
Hieb is the director of the Building Blocks Early Learning Center in Wilsonville, and has served as the elected precinct committee person for voter precinct 124 (North Canby) in House District 39 and treasurer for the Young Republicans of Oregon. He also served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2003 to 2007.
Incumbent Mayor Brian Hodson, who is the executive director of an Avamere senior care facility, has also filed to seek a fifth term in office, with no challengers as of yet. The former city councilor has not drawn an opponent since he first won the position from the one-term incumbent Randy Carson in 2012.
Councilors serve four-year terms, with their expiration dates alternating such that three of them normally open every two years. The fourth seat in this election is the result of former Councilor Tracie Heidt’s resignation last year.
Trig Berge was appointed to replace her, but per the city charter, his appointment was only until the next city election — not the full unexpired term.
Councilors are elected at large, meaning the top three vote-getters (or in this case, the top four) will win the open seats. In this case, the candidate with the fourth-most votes will serve only the remaining two years of Heidt’s original term.
The mayor of Canby serves only a two-year term. All city offices are nonpartisan.
Qualified candidates for City Council or mayor must have lived within the city limits of Canby for at least 12 months and be a registered voter. They must not be a city of Canby employee.
Those interested in running should review the candidate packet on the city website, and file the appropriate paperwork with City Recorder Melissa Bisset after filing opens June 3.
Filing will be open until 5 p.m. Aug. 20. For more information or questions, Bisset at 503-266-0733 or bissetm@canbyoregon.gov.
