Questions were raised regarding behavior and accountability within the City of Canby during the May 7 Canby City Council meeting.

During the public comment portion of the night’s meeting, a trio of speakers wondered aloud about the behavior of the city’s finance director (Scott Schlag) and the response to it by City Administrator Eileen Stein.

Greg Perez got the night started by saying that he wasn’t going to sugarcoat things. “I’m speaking on behalf of the citizens of Canby that have contacted me. Once again we are at a point, and the lowest point Canby has been in,” said Perez. “It all begins with the city administrator and the financial director. Both have taken the city into a downward spiral.”

Perez said that the city is in the midst of turmoil, lamented the morale of the city’s workers “from inside out,” and wondered aloud where the city’s support for city personnel has been who have been attacked.

He said that the city was facing a $3 million budget shortfall and should consider heading in another direction, hinting that inaction could result in some consequences come the next council elections.

City employee Ruth Reyes discussed several issues within the city that she felt targeted her specifically, noting that there had been an attempt to demote her, to threaten her current pay level, and she felt she was being treated differently from other employees by the finance director.

She also noted that in weekly team meetings, the finance director had mocked city councilors and others. She also noted that during a meeting with the finance director that the city administrator was attending, she was the victim of verbally aggressive behavior that the city administrator did nothing to curtail or rein in.

She said that out-of-the-blue, the finance director needed a minute-by-minute tracking of her day that was to be sent it to him every day. She said she was required to message him upon arrival at the beginning of the day, at the end of work, and breaks and lunches.

“The finance director has been shown to be verbally aggressive and use intimidation strategies to get their way,” Reyes said.

Union President Chris Goetz said he was on the scene to express a “deep concern regarding our ongoing lack of confidence in leadership of our city administrator. There has been little change in direction since we first came before you with a request for better leadership, a process to share concerns with the council, and better guidance for the city, among other things.”

Goetz made note of a meeting where a union employee of the city, himself, the city administrator and finance director gathered.

“I was verbally assaulted by the finance director,” he noted. “The city administrator took no action during the meeting to have the abuse stopped, or after the meeting.”

Goetz said he filed a formal complaint with the interim HR director, who happens to be City Administrator Stein, which he thought was a conflict of interest. Goetz said that Stein admitted that the finance director was overly aggressive, but proceeded to do nothing.

In the end, Goetz said “we are left with no option but to come before you with a vote of no confidence on the city administrator.”

At the end of the meeting, Stein told the council that an offer has been made to a candidate to fill the HR opening and she was hopeful that would come to fruition soon. Additionally, there was repeated mention of there being a $3 million budget shortfall within the city, which Canby Mayor Brian Hodson later noted is inaccurate.

Hodson was not in attendance at the meeting, but watched the live feed while on a trip and shared his thoughts in the aftermath of the meeting.

“Regarding the staff issues raised by our finance team member, union shop steward, and Mr. Perez, I cannot speak to those. It is not in the scope of the council duties to handle these concerns. This is a city administrator function,” Hodson noted. “Mr. Perez and I have been friends for a very long time. He is, as is any citizen, entitled to his opportunity to address the mayor and council.

“The comments about a budget shortfall are not accurate. During our mid-year budget review our city administrator and finance director explained that there was an entry error,” Hodson added. “This made it appear that there was a $1.5 million budget shortfall, not the $3 million that was mentioned. As explained by both the city administrator and finance director to the entire budget committee, there is no budget shortfall.”

In terms of the HR position being filled, Hodson noted that it has not been for lack of trying and that with an offer having just been made, the hope is that position will be filled soon.

“After completing the first round of interviews, there was not a candidate that the interview committee wanted to extend an offer to,” Hodson explained. “The city reposted the position and interviewed additional candidates. The committee recommended one of these candidates to extend an offer.

“Our city is not immune to challenges,” Hodson continued. “We are tackling these issues while maintaining a great quality of service to the citizens and continuing to make Canby a great city. We have passionate city team members that want Canby to be the best. I encourage citizens to take the time to come and make comments to the council. It is the engagement process that keeps balance at all levels.”