Tate4Canby

Canby is again without a City Administrator.

Our now immediate past City Administrator made a serious error in judgement in May by presenting the City Budget committee a budget that did not follow the City Councils’ recommendation on unassigned reserves. It was obvious at the May 15th Budget meeting that this came as a surprise to the mayor and members of the City Council.

My question is why was this a surprise?

From a 1950’s ‘the boss is always right’ management perspective, she made the mistake, and she needs to be punished. This attitude seems especially popular with elected officials that have little to no respect for government employees. You hire them for their knowledge and experience, then ignore their counsel and blame them when things go wrong. This management style leads to mistrust, low morale, and high employee turnover. Canby seems to excel at this management style from our Mayor and City Council.

The Mayor and City Council are equally to blame for this budget fiasco. Good leadership focuses on high priority items. The budget is a high priority item and should be the number one priority of the Mayor and the Council. Good leaders don’t just assume everything is going fine. Strong leaders don’t sit and wait for employees to make mistakes, especially when the task is important. Effective leaders have regular and ongoing communication with employees on high priority projects. I see no evidence of this with our City Administrator in the preparation of the 2025-26 budget.

Based on my leadership and experience, I would suggest the following:

* The mayor takes an active interest in the preparation of the annual budget and includes an update on the budget development process on every City Council agenda beginning in January each year. It can easily be included in the City Administrator report to the Council.
* The mayor prioritizes keeping the positions on the Budget Committee full in accordance with ORS 294.414. Leaving Budget Committee positions unfilled gives too much control of the budget to the city council and restricts community input in the process.
* The Budget Committee should meet at least quarterly. Most of the city’s boards, commissions and committees meet monthly. More regular meetings allow for more active participation in the process by members of the budget committee and better communication to the public.
* Finally, I encourage the Mayor and City Council members to be more respectful to the city officers they hire. They have the education and experience and are the professionals when it comes to running a city. Seek their advice and respect their counsel. Foster regular and open communication, especially on high priority items like a budget.

Our reputation for chewing up and spitting out City administrators won’t help us hire the best and brightest. The citizens of Canby deserve better.

David Tate
Canby Budget Committee
Canby Urban Renewal Budget Committee

If this is your first visit to the website, welcome! Thank you for taking the time to be informed about your vote. I think you will find I’m the best candidate to bring leadership to the City of Canby in the coming years.

Over the months I’ve been campaigning, the question I seem to get the most is, “What is your vision for the future of Canby?”

The Mayor shouldn’t decide Canby's future. I’m running to prevent outside major party influence from determining our community's future and using the Mayor to make that happen. The people who live in Canby should decide on our future.

My vision of Canby isn’t about housing, roads, parks, or transportation. While those are all critical projects, you manage projects, not lead them. Leaders lead people, and my vision is about the leadership of our city council.

As Mayor, I can’t control how city council members vote, but I can ensure they have heard every side of the issue before voting. Three things must be considered before any policy is adopted.

Quality. Canby is a great city, and we are all committed to keeping it that way. We don’t deserve poor services or cheap fixes. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing it right the first time.

Affordability. Before any new tax or fee is added or increased, the city council must consider that many of our citizens struggle to pay for housing, food, and healthcare. Those voices need to be represented before any vote is taken.

Equity and Equality. Both are important in the City of Canby. More than inviting everyone to participate is required; everyone must feel welcome and be encouraged to participate. Our city council, committees and commissions, and city staff must represent the diversity of our community and feel safe and heard when they advocate for members of our community.

Balancing these three things isn’t easy—ask any parent raising a couple of kids. But governing shouldn’t be easy, and spending other people’s money shouldn’t be easy. The city council needs strong leadership to help make the most informed decisions that benefit all of us.

I’m not asking to be the Mayor because it’s easy. I’m the best qualified because I know it is hard, and I have the professional, volunteer, and political leadership experience to do it without outside political interference.

I’m counting on your vote!

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Yard Signs and Volunteers!!!

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David Tate for Mayor - Canby, Oregon Official campaign website for David Tate for Mayor of Canby, Oregon.

They're here!!!

Yard Sign Update!
This is the final week of the yard sign campaign.
Every $10 is one more opportunity to tell our neighbors about new leadership for Canby.

David Tate for Mayor - Canby, Oregon Official campaign website for David Tate for Mayor of Canby, Oregon.

CAMPAIGN UPDATE - Yard Sign Fundraiser

We have a goal to put 300 yard signs in Canby, but I need your help to make that happen! Please make a contribution TODAY to help us reach our goal. Every $10 is another yard sign.

David Tate for Mayor - Canby, Oregon Official campaign website for David Tate for Mayor of Canby, Oregon.

The campaign made the Canby Herald.

Canby Elections: 5 candidates for 4 council seats, mayor gets a challenger It won’t be long before the Nov. 5 General Election is at voter’s doorsteps with not only national elections to choose from, but plenty local candidates as well.

Here are my remarks from today's "Candidate’s Forum" at the Canby Area Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber Candidates Forum 9 3 24 The September 3rd Canby Area Chamber of Commerce "Candidates Forum" was a member-only event. There was no live feed or recording.But I want the people of Can...

As we kick off the official election season, I remember this is not my first experience campaigning in Canby.

I'm looking for opportunities to get out in the community. If you have any group (friends, family, informal groups) that I can meet with, please contact me.
I'm not looking to speak as much as I'm hoping to listen and learn about what people want to say.

It's official! I've signed the paperwork with the City Recorder. My name will appear on the ballot in November.