How Canby is run
Who runs Canby, what it costs, and where your money goes
The city manager, council pay, the budget, your property tax bill and who provides each service, from Canby's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Canby
A City Administrator appointed by the council runs the city day to day. The City Council, an elected mayor and six members, appoints the City Administrator and adopts the budget.
What they are paid
Canby city staff
104 full-time-equivalent positions, including Police 36, Other general fund 26, Sewer 12, Library 10, Other funds 21. FY2026-27 budget. City of Canby · Jun 17, 2026
The budget posts salary schedules by job class. It does not list the City Administrator's pay, and we found no list of pay by employee. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Canby in the red?
Cities must pass a balanced budget, so "profit" and "deficit" mean something different here. The useful questions: does the city's everyday money (the general fund) cover its everyday costs, how much does it keep in savings compared with its own target, and how big are its pension and debt bills.
The city's own outlook
The FY2026-27 budget message calls the budget balanced and projects a general fund ending balance of 21% of operating revenue on June 30, 2027, down from 44% in FY2024-25. It says about $4 million in COVID-related dollars are moving off the books. City of Canby · Jun 17, 2026
Savings against the city's own target
Unassigned general fund balance: $5.2M (2025-06-30). The city's own target: The city strives to keep unrestricted general fund balance between 20% and 25% of annual operating revenue, If the balance falls below 30% of annual operating revenue, a plan will be created to replenish it. City of Canby · Mar 31, 2026
Why we skip the "budgeted deficit": many cities plan to dip into savings, then spend less than planned. The audited result tells you what really happened.
Where the money comes from and goes
The general fund only: the city's everyday money for FY2026-27.
Comes from
- Property taxes (current year)$8.7M · 43%
- Beginning balance carried in$3.7M · 18%
- Transfers in and other sources$2.2M · 11%
- Canby Utility payment in lieu of taxes$1.2M · 6%
- Police fees and charges$615,772 · 3%
- Parks fees and charges$586,200 · 3%
- Municipal court$506,000 · 3%
- Other (franchise fees, state shared revenue, licenses, interest, planning and building fees)$2.6M · 13%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police$9.9M · 49%
- Reserves and unspent balance$2.9M · 14%
- Parks$1.2M · 6%
- HR and risk management$1.2M · 6%
- Administration$1.1M · 6%
- Finance$948,598 · 5%
- Planning$939,100 · 5%
- Other (court, building, cemetery, economic development, library transfer, contingency)$2M · 10%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Canby is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityCanby Police DepartmentCity of Canby · Jun 17, 2026
- FireSeparate districtCanby Fire DistrictCity of Canby · Jun 17, 2026
- WaterAnother agencyCanby Utility BoardA component unit of the City with its own board.City of Canby · Jun 17, 2026
- ElectricityAnother agencyCanby Utility BoardA component unit of the City with its own board.City of Canby · Jun 17, 2026
- Sewer and wastewater treatmentThe cityCity of CanbyCity of Canby · Jun 17, 2026
- TrashPrivate companyPrivate businessesCity of Canby · Jun 17, 2026
- LibraryThe cityCanby Public Library (City of Canby)City of Canby · Jun 17, 2026
- Streets and parksThe cityCity of CanbyCity of Canby · Jun 17, 2026
- TransitContractorContracted transit service provider, overseen by the City's Transit DepartmentCity of Canby · Jun 17, 2026
Compared with similar cities
The cities in this state closest in population that we cover. Read it for scale, not as a ranking: cities provide different services.
| Per city | CanbyOR | Central PointOR | LebanonOR | AshlandOR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 18,004 | 19,139 | 20,267 | 20,889 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | $2,700 | Not current (2023) |
| General fund per resident | $1,116 | $1,686 | $830 | $2,276 |
| Debt per resident | $217 | $570 | $2,546 | $1,166 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $841 | $607 | $715 | $1,754 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 5.8 | 4.8 | 5.8 | 13.0 |
Figures as shown in each city's section, divided by its population. Years differ by state, and pension figures are measured differently in each state (each city page says how). Canby and Central Point and Lebanon pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Canby publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe adopted FY2026-27 budget is posted as a PDF on the city's website. City of Canby · Jun 17, 2026
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineRandy Ealy serves as interim City Administrator. We found no contract or stated pay on the city's site or in council minutes. City of Canby
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentWe found no document stating council or mayor pay. The budget lists $15,000 for Mayor and City Council expenses. City of Canby · Jun 17, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay published City of Canby · Jun 17, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- The general fund spent $5.54 million more than it took in during FY2024-25 before transfers, and its balance fell $2.40 million. What changes keep that from happening again?
- The budget projects the general fund ending balance at 21% of operating revenue on June 30, 2027, down from 44% two years earlier. How does the city plan to keep reserves at that level?
- Police make up $9.88 million of the $20.1 million general fund budget for FY2026-27. How will the Blue Ribbon committee weigh public safety against other services?
- The city's share of the Oregon PERS unfunded liability was $15.1 million in the FY2025 audit. How much will rising PERS rates add to costs in the next few years?
Help decide what comes next
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