5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Vote for Leah Silber
Updated: Oct 24
1. Councilor Silber doesn’t collaborate with others or represent the city in good faith
In March 2025, Councilor Silber went to the Oregon Government Ethics Committee (OGEC) for information on meeting notice requirements. When she received the requirements and saw the city was missing required meeting notice information on its website, she filed an OGEC grievance on March 27 against the entire council, including herself, instead of bringing it to the next council meeting on April 14 for the council to address. Silber notified the city of her OGEC grievance on April 2... only after she filed it to OGEC on March 27.
The website was fixed in April 2025.
Silber disagreed with wording on the April 14, 2025, council meeting minutes. She filed an OGEC grievance despite the council saying they would address the wording at the next council meeting. OGEC Investigator Lian Gallaver dismissed the grievance without a hearing.
Later that year, Silber filed an OGEC grievance against Mayor Barhyte for assigning the city attorney (after council lawfully approved it) to address complaints concerning alleged Public Meetings Law violations. OGEC Commissioner Thompson moved that the Commission dismiss the case against Barhyte. Motion passed 7-0 Sept 12, 2025.
View OGEC documentation and search "Silber."
The OGEC grievances cost the city $10,000 in city attorney fees.
In Oct. 2025, Silber sent her concerns about the Canal Road paving project
to Oregon Senate President Rob Wagner rather than discussing them with the city council. In emails she sent to Wagner and which were passed to the city, she accused Mayor Barhyte of knowingly providing false information about the project and asked that Wagner tell Metro not to support Canal Road funding.
It's okay to disagree with other councilors. Different viewpoints are critical to a democracy. What's not okay is actively working to sabotage a city project lawfully approved in a council vote. Silber doesn't act with integrity or good faith.
2. Councilor Silber wastes city resources and drains city funds
The city’s annual operating budget is about $50,000 a year.
The 2025 OGEC grievances cost the city $10,000 in city attorney fees.
Also in 2025, Silber submitted 21 lines of redline changes on a records request form to the city attorney without city manager or council approval. It was stopped before her action would have incurred 5 to 15 hours in additional legal fees for the city.
On Sept. 26, 2025, Councilor Silber signed a petition that required the city to spend $20,000 in unanticipated costs on a state audit. The audit generated suggestions that the city manager was already working to correct. It produced no insights into how to improve the city’s budget position or ways it could better spend its revenues.
3. Councilor Silber regularly obstructs city council meetings and interrupts councilor discussion
Here's just one example from the Oct. 13, 2025, council meeting.
Councilor Silber interrupts another councilor yet again, this time citing Robert’s Rules of Order. “When there is something that is false on the record, I am supposed to interrupt you," she says. "Look up Robert's Rules of Order.”
Here are Robert's Rules:
Motions that can interrupt a speaker who is speaking and that don’t require a second:
Call for the Orders of the Day
Point of Order/Call a member to order
Call for a separate vote on a series of independent resolutions or main motions dealing with different subjects that have been offered under one main motion
Requests (or motions to grant another member’s request)
Parliamentary Inquiry
Request for Information (sometimes called Point of Information)
Call for Division of the Assembly
Raise a Question of Privilege
These are tied to rule violations or personal affront, not validity of a statement.
Letting someone finish speaking is common courtesy we learn in preschool. Wait for someone to finish. Then it's your turn.
In that same meeting, resident Sharon Wiser commented on Silber: {1:30:03} "I see you argue with every single person that you're with. You have to have a comeback. For every time Mayor Chris says something, you have a comeback. You have a comeback every time City Manager Analeis tries to explain something. I totally respect you, but you know, it's getting to the point where I can't get people to come to the meeting because nobody wants to listen to you argue with every single person."
Rivergrove needs councilors who get things done and collaborate with others. Endlessly interrupting and arguing with others achieves nothing for the city.
4. Councilor Silber doesn’t do the most basic function of a city councilor
Councilor Silber has voted no or abstained on the most basic responsibility of a city councilor's job: reviewing council meeting minutes.
For example, between February 2025 and July 2026, Silber voted no or abstained 16 times on council meeting minutes.
She says she doesn't have enough time to review them. Yet she finds the time to file lengthy ethics complaints, grievances and opposition statements against the city and its initiatives to other agencies and government entities. Her fellow councilors make the time. Why can't she? We need city councilors who do their jobs.
5. Councilor Silber has done nothing to move the city forward during her tenure
She abstains or votes against anything that will make a tangible improvement to the city, its budget management and its processes. Here’s her voting record.
Parks Protections Charter Amendment June 2024 Councilor Shafer moved to refer it to the voters as the City Attorney recommended (Resolution 06-2024), Councilor McLean seconded the motion. The motion passed 4-0-1 with Councilor Silber abstaining.
Parks Protection Ballot measure / Resolution 06-2024 — July 2024 The Council considered the ballot title and related documents, and the minutes explicitly say the proposal was sent to voters “as the City Attorney recommended.” Silber abstained from that vote (4-0-1).
April 14, 2025: Canal Road Project Motion to authorize the City Manager and/or City Attorney to initiate a request to Lake Oswego to transfer any property within the project area that is currently not within the City of Rivergrove. The motion passed 4-1 with Councilor Silber voting no
July 2025 council meeting -- Council votes on cable franchise renewal to continue revenue source. Councilor Silber abstains saying she didn't read it.
Nov 10, 2025: A motion that all communication with the city attorney will go through the city manager to implement cost controls for the city budget. Motion passes 4-1 with Councilor Silber voting no.
Nov 10, 2025: William TUTTLE III - Councilor: I would make a motion to authorize the City Manager to secure grant money for the Stark Boat Ramp Restoration Project and updating the city Land Development Organization and Comp Plan. Leah Silber - Councilor: Votes no.
March 16 and March 26, 2026: Planning Commission gives tentative approval of Boat Ramp restoration with revised conditions and findings. Vote to approve the Planning Commission’s findings and move ahead with the project. Councilor Silber votes no at both March meetings
July 2026 council meeting: Council votes on a $93,000 Metro planning grant to fix city development code. Councilor Silber votes no.
July 2026 council meeting: Council votes to move forward on a new city website. Councilor Silber votes no.
August 2026 council meeting: Council votes to authorize the city manager and the mayor to sign the IGA with Metro for the planning grant. Councilor Silber votes no.
Say NO THANK YOU to Leah Silber.
Vote Brett Egusa and Curt Taylor.
