City Council

The Durham City Charter sets forth the powers of the City and vests those powers primarily with the City Council. There are 5 city councilors elected at large from the city. Each City Councilor is elected to serve a four year term, with 2-3 members being elected at each general election. At the first meeting of each year, the Council chooses from its membership a chairperson, who shall hold the office of Mayor for one year.

City Council Members

Joshua Drake was appointed Mayor by City Council in January 2025. He was elected to the City Council in 2022, and served on the Planning Commission for the three years prior.  Josh has lived in Kingsgate since 2016 with his wife and two boys, and is committed to representing the residents of the City to the best of his abilities.  Josh has a degree from Georgia Tech, and is a local commercial banker.  He is highly active in the local community through coaching baseball and soccer and has also volunteered with local non-profit organizations.

Leslie Gifford was appointed Council President by City Council in January 2025. She has been on the Council since 1997 and has been a resident of the City since 1994. Leslie also served on the Planning Commission prior to her election to the Council. Leslie is an accountant in private practice and has a BS in Business Administration/Accounting from Portland State University. Leslie’s professional background as a CPA has made her the acknowledged detail person on the Council.

Gary Paul has been a resident of Durham for more than twenty years and appreciates the unique character of the community. He has served on the Planning Commission since 2018 and Durham Park Committee, as well. Gary enjoys giving back to the community and volunteering with his church and as a youth soccer coach (when his kids were younger). Professionally, he is a licensed land surveyor with over thirty years’ of experience working on the east coast on a Federal Highway Project and locally consulting with developers on condominium and subdivision developments.

David Streicher was elected in November 2024.  He is a lifelong Oregonian who has lived in Durham with his family since 2006.  Now retired, he worked as a lawyer and CPA in Portland for over 30 years.  He has served on the board of directors of several nonprofit organizations and is currently volunteering at Cat Adoption Team. His priorities are to modernize and enhance communications between residents and city hall; protect and improve Durham’s parks, trails and natural areas; and ensure continuity of quality essential services and infrastructure as the city evolves.

Sean Lee moved to Oregon to embrace a better quality of life and is honored to serve on Durham City Council. He brings a fresh perspectives and a strategic approach to addressing the opportunities and challenges facing our growing community. Sean has over 25 years of experience in the technology and media industries and is the CEO of OpenDrives, a tech company dedicated to solving complex data challenges. Sean’s work and life experiences have instilled a commitment to service, collaboration, and thoughtful decision-making. As a council member, Sean’s goal is to listen, learn, and collaborate with residents and fellow council members to build a future that reflects the values and aspirations of Durham.

Calendar of Meetings

The City Council meets at 7:30 p.m. on the following dates:

(All meetings can be accessed and attended remotely by requesting a link for the zoom meeting.  Please email [email protected] by the day before each meeting to request this link.)

  • February 25, 2025
  • March 18, 2025
  • April 29, 2025
  • May 27, 2025
  • June 24, 2025
  • July 22, 2025
  • August 26, 2025
  • September 23, 2025
  • October 28, 2025
  • November 25, 2025
  • December 16, 2025

City Council Agendas

Agendas will stay on the site until the minutes for the meeting have been approved.

City Council Minutes