Straight answers on housing, homelessness, public safety, the city budget, taxes, jobs and the services Eugene residents depend on every day.
Mike Clark is a candidate for the Eugene City Council in Ward 5, which covers north and northwest Eugene — the Bethel, Trainsong, River Road and Santa Clara areas, the Highway 99 corridor and the neighborhoods around Royal Avenue.
He has represented north Eugene on the council, where he pushed for years to turn the former EWEB building into Eugene's city hall rather than build a new one — a decision supporters credit with saving Eugene taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.
Mike's approach is to remove unnecessary barriers to construction so Eugene can add substantially more housing of all types — apartments, townhomes, starter homes and middle-income housing.
Eugene's housing costs rose faster than incomes because the region did not build enough for years. Fees, permitting delays and code requirements that add cost without adding safety all show up in rent. Mike focuses on the parts of that the city actually controls, and he is endorsed by both the Western Oregon Builders Association and the building trades unions whose members do the work.
Mike treats homelessness as a problem that requires both compassion and measurable results. He asks of every program what it costs, how many people it moves into stable housing, and whether it is working — and supports continuing what does work while ending what does not.
He also believes the city cannot address homelessness in isolation from housing supply and public safety: more housing at every price point reduces how many people fall into homelessness in the first place, and neighborhoods and downtown businesses deserve safe, clean public spaces while that work continues.
Yes. Mike's position is that public safety is a core responsibility of local government and should be funded and treated that way, rather than being the first thing cut when budgets tighten.
He is endorsed by the Lane Professional Firefighters, IAFF Local 851 and by the Eugene Police Employees Association. As Brett Deedon, president of the firefighters' local, put it: “When the public depends on first responders, we depend on Mike.”
Mike's rule for spending is simple: ask what something costs, whether it will actually work, and whether it makes Eugene more or less affordable for the people who live here.
The Lookout Eugene-Springfield Editorial Board wrote that Clark “has offered the most realistic assessment of the budget challenges facing the city, and appears most willing to make hard decisions.” The city hall decision is the clearest example of how he approaches large expenditures — reuse what the city already owns before asking taxpayers for something new.
Mike's position is that Eugene's answer to budget pressure should be a stronger local economy and a broader tax base — more jobs, more businesses and more housing — rather than continually higher taxes on the people already here.
Eugene residents already face a rising cost of living. Mike's test for any new tax or fee is whether the city has first done the work of prioritizing its existing dollars toward core services.
Grow opportunity in Eugene rather than export it. That means making it realistic to build and expand here, supporting the trades and employers already in Ward 5, and treating a stronger tax base as the sustainable way to pay for city services.
The Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce endorsed Mike on exactly that basis, saying they believe he is “the strongest candidate to improve safety, grow opportunity, and strengthen our local economy so life in our community becomes more affordable for everyone.”
Streets, infrastructure, parks, and the basic responsibilities residents depend on every day. Mike's view is that these come first — before newer, more discretionary programs — because they are the services people pay taxes for and notice immediately when they degrade.
Kevin Reed, former chair of the Northeast Neighborhood Association, described Mike as having “fought for our parks, our roads, public safety and our quality of life like no other councilor.”
No. Eugene City Council seats are nonpartisan, and the Ward 5 race appears on the ballot of every registered Ward 5 voter regardless of party registration.
Mike's endorsements reflect that — they include Democratic former State Senator Chris Edwards, Lane County Commissioner Pat Farr, labor unions, first responders and the business community.
Oregon votes entirely by mail. Ballots are mailed to registered Ward 5 voters on October 14, 2026, and must be in an official Lane County drop box by 8:00 p.m. on November 3, 2026 or postmarked by Election Day. The registration deadline is October 13, 2026.
Full details, official links and drop-box information are on the Ward 5 election information page.
You can volunteer, request a yard sign, or sign up for campaign updates through the Get Involved page, and contribute through the donate page. The campaign is run largely by Ward 5 neighbors, and door-knocking help is the single most useful thing a supporter can offer.
More detail on each priority is on the priorities page, voting information is on the Ward 5 election page, and endorsements are listed on the endorsements page.
