My Goals and Desire to Serve
I am a lifelong Oregonian, a proud father and devoted husband. I’ve lived in Canby with my wife and daughter for three years.
I work in commercial real estate investment and asset management and am a licensed real estate broker in Oregon. I’ve served as the Vice Chair of the City of Canby Budget Committee (2026 – present), as a Clackamas County Planning Commissioner (2025-present), and previously served on the City of Salem’s Revenue Task Force (2024), where I successfully fought to defeat a proposed personal income tax and other business-unfriendly proposals. In other community work, I’ve served on the Board of Directors for Blanchet Catholic School since 2016.
My business background and civic experience give me a well-equipped toolbox to serve the citizens of Canby.
I am new to politics, but I am not new to leadership, common sense, and getting results. My desire to serve on the Canby City Council is guided by several aims: (1) maintaining the small-town values that make Canby the great place it is, while making Canby the top choice in our region for residential and economic development; (2) bringing common sense approaches to political problem solving; (3) keeping Canby a place where we can be proud to live, raise our families, and build new businesses; and (4) a desire to promote the principles of stewardship, problem solving, and smart community building, which are sorely missing in Oregon politics!
My Policy Priorities
A number of issues are important to the citizens of Canby – my goal and my job will be to hear all of them. Here are my priorities and what drives my goals as a Canby City Councilor:
SUPPORTING PUBLIC SAFETY AND LIVABILITY | STEWARDSHIP AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR CANBY’S RESOURCES | MAKING CANBY THE FIRST CHOICE FOR SMART AND RESPONSIBLE GROWTH
I believe the values of fiscal discipline, right-sizing government, and pursuing economic and personal prosperity will help keep Canby the great city that it is. With that said, I am also committed to hearing all ideas – the best decisions happen when we listen to one another, operate with respect and dignity, and work for the good of the community.
I know that’s not usual “political speak”, but it’s what I believe, how I work, and what I’m committed to delivering.
Financial Stewardship – for Today and Tomorrow
As Vice-Chair of City of Canby’s Budget Committee, I’ve seen first-hand how Canby responsibly stewards our tax dollars. I commit to supporting responsible stewardship with responsible policy.
Our city staff budget conservatively, with policies to ensure smart and responsible reserves. I will advocate to continue those policies.
I will be a tireless proponent of emphasizing efficiency in service delivery, with stewardship being the guiding philosophy in how your hard-earned tax dollars are used!
My promise: taxpayers’ money will always be treated with respect, and additional revenue (new taxes) will always be the last resort, NEVER the first step.
Local Control – Oregon Cities Know Best!
Local control needs to be a focus point in reimagining how Oregon government works. Cities know best how to manage issues like land use and homelessness in a way that works for their communities, their priorities and their values. I will be a relentless advocate for maintaining and expanding local control.
Returning to a focus on local control that solves problems at the level where they are managed best – locally – will be a step in the right direction for Canby and for Oregon, and something I will champion.
Responsible Residential and Commercial Growth
I want Canby to be top-of-mind and the first choice for residential and commercial developers – bringing much-needed living spaces and economic opportunity to Canby.
By emphasizing smart land use decisions, reasonable development fees, and a cohesive vision, I will advocate for Canby to be a city that grows, and sustains it future along the way by making sure that “growth pays for growth”.
Canby can be a community of growth, while maintaining the small-town values that make it a special place.
PERS Reform
Even though this isn’t a “Canby City Council” issue at first glance, this issue affects every city, county, school district and level of government and needs to be in the spotlight. Through investment mismanagement and misdirection, PERS is one of the single-largest financial liabilities faced by city governments like Canby’s. I will coordinate with our state partners to make this issue front and center – for the sake of Canby!
Effective Partnerships
I believe we should have strong working partnerships with our county, state, and federal partners. A focus for me will be building and maintaining these partnerships to find efficiency where we can and results where we need them – all around the guiding philosophy of stewardship for your hard-earned tax dollars.
Community-Focused Leadership
Canby stands in contrast to the rest of the State of Oregon – we’re growing, financially-sound, and embody what the rest of Oregon should aspire to. We’re very much a part of the Portland metro area, but let’s keep Portland’s problems in Portland!
My commitment: I want to work for the citizens of Canby to keep it that way!
Welcome to Scott Cantonwine for Canby City Council! 