Norris to Seek District 39 Nomination

Oregon City Mayor Alice Norris announced today she will seek the Democratic nomination for the District 39 State Representative seat being vacated by Toby Forsberg. Norris is completing 8 successful years as Oregon City’s Mayor. She said she felt compelled to enter the race because of the critical issues facing Oregon in the next legislative session.

“During my time as Mayor, Oregon City faced many of the same problems the state is facing today. Oregon City was on the verge of bankruptcy and economically depressed. We had no new parks for 23 years, no new police for 8 years and we had one of the highest traffic accident rates in the state. Even worse, we had no economic strategy to attract new businesses and new jobs to our city,” said Norris.

“We faced this economic crisis head-on and we challenged the conventional wisdom that we could not prosper,” Mayor Norris continued. “Through neighbors coming together and a major focus on job creation and fiscal responsibility, we’ve made remarkable strides in the past 8 years. Now, I want to take the Oregon City experience to Salem and see if we can get our state moving in the right direction.”

Part of Oregon City’s financial solution was a major commitment to fiscal accountability on the part of City leaders. Mayor Norris and the City Commission made a promise to the taxpayers NOT to levy the full tax rate for 5 years, putting in place an unprecedented limit on property taxes.  

“We kept our promise to the people of Oregon City and kept a lid on property taxes,” Norris stated. That strong fiscal discipline and controls on spending have led to a revitalization of a city once considered Clackamas County’s “poor cousin.” 

“We were able to accomplish a turnaround in our community by setting the right priorities,“ Mayor Norris said.  “We created a climate for economic success, stabilized our city finances, increased public safety, opened new parks, restructured city government, improved communication with citizens and updated city facilities.”

From 14 new businesses on Main Street in the past year and a falling crime rate to a new 15-acre park and 3 free trolleys traveling the downtown corridor, Norris said the people of Oregon City have joined together to create their city’s own economic recovery.

Alice Norris is a fifth-generation Oregonian who grew up on a dairy farm in Junction City. Her husband, Dr. Michael Norris, is a longtime family physician in Oregon City and Canby. Together, they raised 3 children during the 36 years they have lived and worked in Oregon City. They have 5 grandchildren. 

“Oregon needs new leaders who will put our neighborhoods and our communities first,” Mayor Norris concluded. “We need to focus on positive solutions and work together to find the best ideas from both sides of the aisle . I have a proven track record of delivering results without worrying about partisan battles. That’s exactly what I’ll do in Salem.”

Democratic precinct committee members are expected to choose a replacement for Forsberg within the next week.