Who Is Cannon Beach Together?

Cannon Beach Together is made up of the people who keep our town running.

We are small business owners, restaurant workers, independent craftspeople, innkeepers, artists, realtors, volunteers and more.

We are not industries. 

We are your neighbors.

We count folks in their 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's among our ranks. We go from boomers to zoomers.

We are democrats, conservatives and unafiliated. We are environmentalists, LGBTQ-friendly and entrepreneurs to boot.

We are renters and we are owners. We are contractors, employees and we run payroll. We are thriving and we are striving just to make ends meet.

Some 90% of Cannon Beach Together members are part of the local workforce. We see things not only at a policy level or from 10,000 feet, but from the ground floor.

We are a healthy and representative cross-section of this community, from the bottom to the top.

And that's why we're here, engaged, pushing Cannon Beach to move forward not just responsibly, but together.

We see the challenges our little town faces alongside the priorities of our government officials, and we're committed to and investing in democratic oversight.

To be clear: why would anyone be frightened of a vote?

How does a vote not strengthen our resolve?

If the argument is: "Citizens can't understand these complex issues." We disagree. Our community is full of smart, capable individuals.

If the argument for big spending is: "Well, we can afford it, and it won't cost you anything (we hope)." We say we do more with less. We say extravagance is not only reckless but counter to our village character. We'd prefer to focus on what matters most, what we all agree on.

And when some suggest: "City council was elected to make decisions," we respond that community oversight and debate are features of a healthy society, not bugs. Questions on historic spending packages deserve to clear the highest levels of scrutiny. In other words: five people need not decide when 1,400 can vote.

And when it comes to those questions we have--about needs and wants and extravagance--we'll there’s plenty about that coming. (In the meantime, you'll find all kinds of answers already at CannonBeachTogether.com/FAQ.)

But when you think of Cannon Beach Together, remember that we are rooted in this community. We're making the hotel beds, expediting the food from the kitchen to restaurant tables, waking up each morning to run our small businesses, searching for creativity, showing up at community meetings, volunteering, talking to and caring for our neighbors.

We're doing our civic duty. We’re engaged.

To put this all in some perspective: in terms of financial gains or backroom deals, we stand to gain little should we succeed.

To the contrary: getting this issue to a vote of the people has cost plenty, and we're thankful for those with the means who were generous enough to support this cause.

We did it because we believe in democracy. We believe that in our little town, when it comes to big projects, everyone deserves a voice. 

Like you, we care deeply about this community and are concerned about its direction. We hope you'll join us in not only believing in but pushing for better outcomes, more responsible spending and representative governance.

November is our change to turn the tide--away from recklessness and dismissiveness, away from consultants and towards consensus in our community.