Mayor and City Council

The Columbia City Council meets the first and third Thursdays of the month at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the City Hall, 1840 Second Street, Columbia City. City Council agendas are prepared and posted one week prior to meetings and are available at City Hall. Public comments are taken at City Council meetings. Questions or comments may be submitted by calling (503) 397-4010, or in writing to PO Box 189, Columbia City, Oregon 97018. City Council meeting minutes are usually available one week following the meeting date.

The City has operated under a mayor-council form of government since 1926. Policymaking and legislative authority are vested in the City Council, which consists of a Mayor and a four-member City Council. The City Council is responsible, among other things, for passing ordinances, adopting the budget, appointing committees and hiring the City's administrator and other employees. The Mayor and Council are elected on a non-partisan basis. Council members are elected to four-year staggered terms with two Council members elected every two years. The Mayor is elected to a four-year term. The Mayor and the Council members are elected at large.

CHERYL A. YOUNG - Mayor. Elected as Mayor in November, 1986 and took office on January 2, 1987. Re-elected in November of 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010. Present term expires December 31, 2014. Previously elected to serve on the City Council by write-in vote in November, 1982, and served a full four-year term as Councilor beginning in January, 1983. She currently works as Manager of the St. Helens Senior Center; she previously worked as a Secretary and Program Assistant for the Veterans Administration Medical Center, Psychiatry Service and as a daycare provider for her two grandchildren.

SALLY ANN MARSON - Councilor. Appointed to the City Council on April 19, 2007, and re-appointed to the City Council on January 8, 2009. Present term expires December 31, 2012. Serves as Council President, Sewer Committee Chair, and Library Liaison. Previously she served on the Budget Committee and Planning Commission. Retired from US Bancorp and the St. Helens Community Federal Credit Union.

JOSHUA D. FROMM - Councilor. Elected in November, 2008 and took office on January 8, 2009. Present term expires December 31, 2012. Serves as Chair of the Water Source and Development Committee, and he previously served on the Planning Commission. He works as a carpenter.

CASEY WHEELER - Councilor. Elected in November 2010. Present term expires December 31, 2014. Serves as Chairman of the Streets Committee, member of the Audit Committee, and as the Council’s representative to the Columbia County Economic Team where he serves on the Executive Committee. Previously he served on the Budget Committee and Planning Commission. He has a consulting business focusing on small businesses, non-profits and associations. He is on the board of the United Way of Columbia County, is active in Columbia County Rotary, and serves on the Community Development Policy Committee for the League of Oregon Cities.

SHANNON FITZGIBBONS - Councilor. Elected in November 2010 and took office on January 6, 2011. Present term expires December 31, 2014. Serves as Chair of the Parks Committee and is a member of the Hazard Mitigation Planning Group. She is the treasurer for the St. Helens Garden Club and for seven years originated and chaired the car show for the Scappoose Historical Society. She and her horse, Susie, enjoy trail riding and are currently looking into joining a Civil War re-enactment group, The 10th New York Cavalry.