City of Oregon City · November 3, 2026

Portland City Council, Mayor

3
Candidates: 1
Seats: Vote for one
Method: Nov 3
Due 8 p.m.

Our readingDraft

Three approaches: parks funded by reworking the current budget; housing, safety and roads with property taxes held flat; and lower permit and fee costs so growth pays for services. Compare each plan’s funding source.

3 candidates, A–Z. Tap any position to read the sentence, how they would deliver it, and the source.

6 more choices, below6 more choices

Where each candidate stands on four issues, in our short reading of their statements. Each position is a button; activate it to read the sentence, how they would deliver it, and the source. Candidates appear alphabetically.
Candidate	2 of 3 documented	3 of 3 documented	3 of 3 documented	2 of 3 documented
Adam MarlCity commissioner; state legislative coordinator	Homes	Safety	Money	Streets
Damon MabeeFormer city commissioner and planning commissioner	Homes	Safety	Money	Streets
Rodney La BarrFacilities safety technician with building-trades experience	Homes	Safety	Money	Streets

What this office decides right now

What’s at stake

Oregon City’s mayor presides over a five-member commission that adopts a two-year budget ($319,019,000 for 2025–27), sets the tax rate within the charter limit and the public-safety fee, sits as the urban renewal agency, and directs the city manager. The next term must close a general fund that runs a deficit every year of the forecast, decide the urban-renewal district’s future and whether to ask voters for a parks bond, and see the Willamette Falls riverwalk built.

Each of this office’s 6 live choices is a board below, with every candidate’s stated position or the gap.

Deficits every year
The 2025–27 budget’s general-fund forecast shows spending exceeding revenue in every year from FY 2026 ($624,400) through FY 2031 ($1.5 million), with the ending balance falling from $15,191,400 to $7,781,800; the Budget Committee heard in April 2025 that the fund was “structurally imbalanced regardless” and that a hiring freeze was in place.
Tax rate and fee
The 2025–27 rate is $4.489 per $1,000, an $0.08 increase worth about $657,000 that paid for one police officer and one code officer, the first increase since 2013; each 10 cents raises about $500,000 a year. The $6.50-a-month Community Safety Advancement Fee brings in about $1.27 million a year, and staff flagged new revenue as a future discussion in February 2026.
46 sworn officers
Police is the general fund’s largest department at $30.0 million, 44% of spending, with 46 sworn and 15 non-sworn positions; the police union told the Budget Committee in April 2025 that no full-time patrol position had been added since 2017.
$12.5 million riverwalk
The city holds a $12.5 million state lottery-bond grant for a riverwalk the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde design and build on their 23-acre former Blue Heron mill site, with the first segment between 3rd and 4th streets under way since a May 28, 2026 groundbreaking; if public access ever lapses and the state claws back money, the city and tribe repay equally.
Urban renewal’s future
The urban-renewal district takes in about $3.2 million a year in tax increment; closing it would return about $900,000 a year to the general fund. Voters rejected $44 million of agency borrowing in May 2023 under Charter Section 59, and in 2025 the agency weighed a new measure, repeal, closure or litigation before settling on a 25% collection rate and property sales.
Caring Place opens
The Homeless Solutions Coalition’s $28 million Caring Place at 1516 Main Street will house The Father’s Heart, LoveOne and county housing access; the city estimated $613,793.75 in development charges, and on May 20, 2026 the commission considered a memorandum to move its Caring Court there. The outcome is not yet in published minutes.

Where they stand · six more choices

Six choices the City of Oregon City faces

One question at a time: every candidate’s answer, A–Z, with its source. Open all to see who has said nothing about what.

Data-center moratoriumAdopt a temporary moratorium on data centers while the city rewrites its code?1 of 3 on recordNot found: Damon Mabee, Rodney La Barr

At the September 8, 2026 work session Commissioner Marl proposed a data-center moratorium and reported unanimous support from colleagues for moving forward; no ordinance has been published and none is on the September 16 or October agendas. State law allows a 120-day moratorium only on a finding of compelling need, and Clackamas County held its own moratorium hearing September 15, 2026. No data center operates in the county.

Adam MarlCity commissioner; state legislative coordinator
Proposed the moratorium
Said: What they said
Proposed a data-center moratorium at the September 8, 2026 work session to protect the city’s remaining employment land for living-wage jobs; his site says the commission agreed to move forward, though no ordinance has yet been published.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.
Damon MabeeFormer city commissioner and planning commissioner
Not found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.
Rodney La BarrFacilities safety technician with building-trades experience
Not found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.

Budget and tax rateClose the general fund’s structural gap by raising the property-tax rate or the $6.50-a-month public-safety fee, or by cutting?3 of 3 on record

The 2025–27 budget ($319,019,000) was adopted June 4, 2025 with the tax rate raised 8 cents to $4.489 per $1,000, the first increase since 2013, worth about $657,000 for a police officer and a code officer. The general-fund forecast still shows spending outrunning revenue every year through 2031, with the ending balance falling from $15.2 million to $7.8 million; the Community Safety Advancement Fee is $6.50 a month, about $1.27 million a year, and the commission reviewed restructuring it in February 2026.

Adam MarlCity commissioner; state legislative coordinator
Moved budget, opposed rate
What they did
Proposed a May 2025 framework to keep the tax rate flat by trimming DEI, adaptive-reuse and business-promotion budgets, then moved adoption of the budget at the higher $4.489 rate on June 4, 2025; his campaign says he opposed the increase.
A recorded action; our summary of the official record.
Damon MabeeFormer city commissioner and planning commissioner
Find savings first
Said: What they said
Says he feels tax and fee changes as a retiree on a fixed income and would take a hard look at the budget to find money for parks; raising the rate or fee, or what to cut, is unsaid.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid. Our paraphrase.
Rodney La BarrFacilities safety technician with building-trades experience
No tax increase
Said: What they said
Would cut permits, fees and regulations and fund parks from new growth revenue “without raising taxes”; the $6.50 public-safety fee is unsaid.
Our paraphrase of the candidate’s statement.

Caring Place and exclusionsMove the city’s Caring Court into the Caring Place services hub, and keep the downtown civil-exclusion zone?3 of 3 on record

The Homeless Solutions Coalition’s Caring Place at 1516 Main Street, a $28–30 million hub for The Father’s Heart, LoveOne and county housing services, broke ground September 8, 2025; on May 20, 2026 the commission took up a memorandum to co-locate the city’s Caring Court there. On December 3, 2025 the commission adopted Ordinance 25-1016 creating a downtown civil exclusion zone, 5–0. The police budget holds 46 sworn officers.

Adam MarlCity commissioner; state legislative coordinator
Exclusion zone yes
What they did
Voted yes December 3, 2025 on the downtown civil exclusion zone; in September 2025 said the Caring Place had made no formal request and he had “a hard time” with it seeking collaboration so late. Caring Court move unsaid.
A recorded action; our summary of the official record.
Damon MabeeFormer city commissioner and planning commissioner
Active parks, no camps
Said: What they said
Says safe parks are active parks that do not become homeless camps or places where drug users congregate; the Caring Court move and the exclusion zone are unsaid.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid. Our paraphrase.
Rodney La BarrFacilities safety technician with building-trades experience
Growth funds services
Said: What they said
Says economic growth funds the services and transitional housing needed to reduce homelessness; the Caring Court move and the exclusion zone are unsaid.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid. Our paraphrase.

Urban renewal’s futureKeep the urban-renewal district (about $3.2 million a year in tax increment) and try again to loosen the charter’s voter-approval rule, or wind it down?1 of 3 on recordNot found: Damon Mabee, Rodney La Barr

Charter Section 59, adopted by voters in 2012, requires voter approval before the urban renewal agency borrows; voters rejected $44 million of borrowing in May 2023. In 2025 the agency, chaired by Commissioner Marl, weighed a new measure, repeal, closing the district (about $900,000 a year to the general fund) or a lawsuit, then set a 25% collection rate for 2026–27 and began selling agency-owned houses. A citizen petition for a charter office of city attorney got a ballot title in February 2026 but is not on this ballot.

Adam MarlCity commissioner; state legislative coordinator
Sell agency houses
What they did
Chairs the Urban Renewal Commission and voted January 7, 2026 to rezone two agency-owned houses so they can be sold; his site describes the agency’s focus as redeveloping underused public property. Charter Section 59 and closing the district are unsaid.
A recorded action; our summary of the official record.
Damon MabeeFormer city commissioner and planning commissioner
Not found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.
Rodney La BarrFacilities safety technician with building-trades experience
Not found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.

Abernethy Bridge and tollsGive ODOT five more years, to 2031, to stage I-205 bridge work in two riverfront parks, and keep pressing the state to strike tolling from statute?2 of 3 on recordNot found: Damon Mabee

Voters approved four years of temporary ODOT use of parts of Jon Storm Park and Sportcraft Landing in November 2018 (over 78% yes); that expires in September 2026, and ODOT asked in March for an extension to September 15, 2031, which the commission weighed May 20, 2026 with a letter of agreement on quarterly check-ins and local projects. On January 7, 2026 the commission voted 5–0 that tolling language should be permanently stricken from state statute.

Adam MarlCity commissioner; state legislative coordinator
Strike tolling, leverage ODOT
What they did
Moved the January 7, 2026 motion that tolling language be permanently stricken from statute, passed 5–0; says that when ODOT sought five more years in the parks he made local projects relying on ODOT a condition.
A recorded action; our summary of the official record.
Damon MabeeFormer city commissioner and planning commissioner
Not found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.
Rodney La BarrFacilities safety technician with building-trades experience
Against tolling nonsense
Said: What they said
Says everyone on both ends of I-5, in Oregon or Washington, should be against “any I-205 tolling nonsense”; the five-year park extension is unsaid.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid. Our paraphrase.

Pool and parks bondAsk voters for a parks bond to build a new aquatic center and rebuild the End of the Oregon Trail center?3 of 3 on record

On February 18, 2026 the commission approved a $399,932 architecture contract for concept plans for both facilities, drawing $99,932 from an $8.6 million parks system-development-charge contingency; open houses ran in June 2026, and the 2027 community survey will ask which funding methods residents support. The commission’s budget chair listed a potential parks bond as a coming-biennium topic in May 2025; the pool is about 60 years old.

Adam MarlCity commissioner; state legislative coordinator
Community-led pool plan
Said: What they said
Says he will champion community involvement as the city decides upgrades to the pool and the End of the Oregon Trail center; his May 2025 budget framework listed a potential parks bond as a coming topic, without endorsing one.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid. Our paraphrase.
Damon MabeeFormer city commissioner and planning commissioner
Parks top priority
Said: What they said
Calls parks his top priority and recalls helping keep the pool open in 2004 through budget savings; whether to ask voters for a parks bond is unsaid.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid. Our paraphrase.
Rodney La BarrFacilities safety technician with building-trades experience
Fund parks, no taxes
Said: What they said
Would create funding to reinvigorate city parks from growth revenue without raising taxes; a parks bond is unsaid.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid. Our paraphrase.

About this race

How to vote

You vote for one candidate. How it works

Ballots mail Oct 14 · return by 8 p.m. Nov 3

What this office can do

The mayor and council set city policy, adopt the budget and oversee the city manager. One member cannot enact a proposal alone. Schools, transit and county health services involve separate governing bodies.

How this list was made

Same questions for everyone, A–Z. Each chip is our short reading of a sourced statement; we do not endorse, rank or score.

Reviewed September 18, 2026 · lines 2026-09-19.1 · AI-assisted, human review pending

Terms explained

Amendment: A proposed change to a measure before the final vote. Voting for an amendment is not the same as voting for the whole measure.
Supplemental budget: A mid-year change to the city budget after the main budget is adopted.
Appropriation: Permission to spend money on something. It does not mean the money has been spent or the result achieved.
PCEF: The Portland Clean Energy Fund: a tax on large retailers that pays for climate projects. Council has debated using its interest for other services.
Term sheet: Starting terms for a negotiation. Approving one is not a final contract.
Social housing: Housing owned by the public or a nonprofit and rented at controlled prices.
CEI Hub: The fuel-storage area along the Willamette in Northwest Portland, where Zenith Energy operates.
Ranked choice: You rank candidates in order. If your first choice is eliminated or already elected, your vote counts toward your next choice.