Damascus, Oregon

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Coordinates: °′N °′W
Damascus, Oregon
County	Clackamas County
Incorporated	2004
Mayor	Dee Wescott
Area
- City	km²
Elevation	161.54 m (530 ft)
Population
- City (2000)	12,851
	Clackamas County figures
Time zone	Pacific (UTC-8)
- Summer (DST)	Pacific (UTC-7)
Website: http://www.ci.damascus.or.us

Damascus (IPA: də ˈmæs kɪs) is a city located in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. According to the county ^[1], the city had a population in 2000 of 12,851.

The city is located east of Happy Valley and Interstate 205 and west of Boring; its northern boundary is the Multnomah County line.

According to Oregon Geographic Names, Damascus can date its existence as a community back to 1867, when a post office by that name was established. That post office was closed in 1904. The original heart of the community is along Oregon Highway 212, which as of 2004 serves as part of the city's southern boundary.

It is part of the North Clackamas School District and the Gresham-Barlow School District.

[edit] Incorporation

A 2000 decision by Metro to expand Portland's urban growth boundary into the area prompted some citizens of the community to submit Measure 3-138, a measure on the ballot for the 2004 general election. The initiative's passage resulted in the incorporation of the former unincorporated communities of Damascus and Carver into the City of Damascus, a step which prevents nearby cities from annexing the community.

The city was the first new city in Oregon since the early 1980s^[2].

In a special election on September 21, 2005 ^[3], a city charter was approved by 88% of its voters. Voters in eleven parcels of land between Damascus and Happy Valley were given the chance to vote on annexation to Damascus: six of the areas voted for annexation, four voted against, and in the eleventh no votes were cast.

The current members of the Damascus city council are Dee Wescott (mayor), Barbara Ledbury, Jim Wright, Randy Shannon, and John Hartsock.