Clackamas County · November 3, 2026
Portland City Council, Commissioner, Position 2
- 2
- Candidates
- 1
- Seats
- Vote for one
- Method
- Nov 3
- Due 8 p.m.
Our readingDraft
Both oppose I-205 tolls and lead with affordability. One case rests on services and capital projects delivered inside the current budget; the other on limiting county government, cutting programs and resisting Metro mandates.
| Candidate | 2 of 2 documented | 1 of 2 documented | 2 of 2 documented | 2 of 2 documented | Save to my ballot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Homes | Safety | Money | Roads | |
 | Homes | Safety | Money | Roads |
What this office decides right now
What’s at stake
Commissioners share a five-member board that adopts the county's roughly $2.0 billion budget, funds the sheriff and courts, sets land-use rules for unincorporated areas and decides what goes to voters. The next term opens with the public safety levy expiring, a May 2027 levy vote to shape, courthouse payments now due every month and a data-center moratorium in motion.
Each of this office’s 5 live choices is a board below, with every candidate’s stated position or the gap.
The adopted budget
On June 17, 2026 the Board adopted the FY 2026-27 county budget 5–0 on Savas's motion, seconded by Helm: $1,528,305,199 in total, $1,401,336,042 appropriated and $198,116,517 in General Fund Support, plus eight district budgets that bring the all-county figure to about $2.0 billion.
Fewer positions, thin margins
The FY 2026-27 budget funds 2,495.3 positions, 20.5 fewer than the adopted FY 2025-26 budget; Health, Housing and Human Services had already cut 38 as federal and state money fell, and the budget message says costs keep outpacing revenue while federal funds and Metro housing-tax dollars remain uncertain.
Levy defeated, expiring
Measure 3-633 failed 62.13% to 37.87% on May 19, 2026 with 44.86% turnout. The levy, renewed every five years since 2006, expires at the end of 2026, and the county's consultant recommended a May 2027 referral with clearer messaging and a defined lead.
What the levy pays for
Measure 3-633 would have set the levy at 53.4 cents per $1,000 and raised about $202.9 million over five years for 84 jail beds, 26 medical and mental-health beds, 36 jail deputies, 34 patrol deputies, five detectives, a drug-enforcement team, body cameras and two internal-affairs investigators; the current levy expires December 31, 2026.
Retry set for May 2027
On July 28, 2026 the Board chose to return to voters in May 2027 rather than November 2026; Chair Craig Roberts said the team is not quite ready, and the county's consultant noted the May electorate skews older and more skeptical of tax increases.
Courthouse payments begin
The $345.1 million courthouse opened May 19, 2025 with 16 courtrooms; the state's share is capped at $139.1 million and the county's is $206 million, paid to Clackamas Progress Partners over 30 years at an average of about $15 million a year, roughly $620 million in all.
Board overrode staff
On August 11, 2026 the Board voted unanimously to direct staff to begin adopting a data-center moratorium and a plan for the issues commissioners raised, rejecting staff's recommendation to wait for the 2027 legislative session; public hearings were on the Board's September 15 agenda.
76 beds by late 2027
The Recovery Campus broke ground July 29, 2026 with 76 beds for detox, residential treatment, medication-assisted treatment, transitional housing and outpatient care, funded with $13.5 million of Metro housing-tax money, $10 million directed by the governor, $5 million in lottery bonds and $2.5 million in congressional spending; completion is set for late 2027.
Where they stand · five more choices
Five choices Clackamas County faces
One question at a time: every candidate’s answer, A–Z, with its source. Open all to see who has said nothing about what.
Public safety levy retryAsk voters again for a public safety levy in May 2027, and at what rate?2 of 2 on record
Measure 3-633, which would have raised the levy from 36 to 53.4 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, failed 62.16% to 37.84% on May 19, 2026. The current levy, which funds 84 jail beds, 26 medical and mental-health beds, 36 jail deputies, 34 patrol deputies, five detectives and body cameras, expires December 31, 2026; on July 28 the Board chose a May 2027 referral over November 2026.
- Mark ShullFormer commissioner; retired officerRenew, no rate hike
Said: What they said
Supports renewing the public safety levy at a responsible level to keep patrol, jail beds and body cameras, and would oppose unnecessary rate increases, funding core needs through disciplined budgeting instead.
- Paul SavasIncumbent county commissionerWork aggressively, retry
Said: What they said
Told the June 2 policy session after the levy's defeat that the county has a lot of work to do and must do it aggressively before returning to voters; the rate is unsaid.
Data-center moratoriumAdopt a county moratorium on data centers now, or wait for the 2027 Legislature as staff recommended?1 of 2 on recordNot found: Mark Shull
No data center has been built in unincorporated Clackamas County, where industrial and business-park zones allow them. On August 11, 2026 staff recommended waiting for the 2027 session; the Board voted unanimously to start a moratorium instead, which state law limits to 120 days plus one six-month extension after 45 days' notice to the state and a public hearing.
- Mark ShullFormer commissioner; retired officerNot found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.
- Paul SavasIncumbent county commissionerHelped advance pause
Said: What they said
Says he supported and helped advance a proactive approach, with the Board unanimously directing staff to begin establishing a moratorium on new data-center applications, doing the homework now rather than reacting later.
Judicial-warrant ruleDeclare that county agencies will not help federal immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant?2 of 2 on record
Oregon's 1987 sanctuary law and the 2021 Sanctuary Promise Act already bar public resources for immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant. In May 2026 OPB asked every Clackamas commission candidate whether the county should adopt its own declaration, as some Oregon counties have; the sheriff is separately elected and runs the jail.
- Mark ShullFormer commissioner; retired officerNo county declaration
Said: What they said
Opposes a county sanctuary declaration or judicial-warrant rule, supports repealing Oregon's sanctuary law, and would encourage the Sheriff's Office to honor lawful federal detainers where possible.
- Paul SavasIncumbent county commissionerFollow both laws
Said: What they said
Says the county should follow both state and federal law while sanctuary cases play out in court, noting the Sheriff's Office responds to judicial warrants after losing a past detainer lawsuit; a county declaration is not endorsed.
Senior tax reliefPush for a property-tax freeze or new relief for older homeowners?2 of 2 on record
The state's Senior and Disabled Property Tax Deferral program pays qualifying homeowners' county taxes each November 15 as a 6% lien, with a $70,000 household income limit for 2026; the county itself keeps about 18 cents of each property-tax dollar raised locally, and Oregon sets property-tax exemptions and deferrals in state law.
- Mark ShullFormer commissioner; retired officerPush for relief
Said: What they said
Would push for property-tax relief for seniors to offset annual increases so they can afford to stay in their homes.
- Paul SavasIncumbent county commissionerDeferral, not county cuts
Said: What they said
Says the state does not allow counties to reduce property taxes for seniors on their own; would keep advocating for relief and steer struggling households to the state deferral program.
Recovery CampusBack the Recovery Campus with county-issued bonds and operating money so it opens in fall 2027?2 of 2 on record
The 76-bed Recovery Campus at 15301 SE 92nd Avenue broke ground July 29, 2026 for completion in late 2027, funded with $13.5 million from Metro's supportive housing services tax, $10 million directed by the governor, $5 million in state lottery bonds and $2.5 million in congressional spending. On September 17, 2026 the Board held the hearing on up to $10.3 million in tax-exempt bonds for two buildings that nonprofit Fora Health will operate.
- Mark ShullFormer commissioner; retired officerBuild on Stabilization Center
Said: What they said
Would pair permanent supportive housing with better coordination of mental-health and addiction services, building on the Stabilization Center and Clackamas Village; the Recovery Campus and its bonds are unsaid.
- Paul SavasIncumbent county commissionerDeal for $10 million
Said: What they said
Says the county reached a deal with Governor Kotek for $10 million in state resources to move the Recovery Campus forward so it can deliver treatment, stabilization and transitional housing under one system of care.
About this race
What this office can do
Commissioners adopt county budgets and policies. They share authority as a board; one commissioner cannot enact a proposal alone.
How this list was made
Same questions for everyone, A–Z. Each chip is our short reading of a sourced statement; we do not endorse, rank or score.
Reviewed September 18, 2026 · lines 2026-09-19.1 · AI-assisted, human review pending
Terms explained
- Amendment
- A proposed change to a measure before the final vote. Voting for an amendment is not the same as voting for the whole measure.
- Supplemental budget
- A mid-year change to the city budget after the main budget is adopted.
- Appropriation
- Permission to spend money on something. It does not mean the money has been spent or the result achieved.
- PCEF
- The Portland Clean Energy Fund: a tax on large retailers that pays for climate projects. Council has debated using its interest for other services.
- Term sheet
- Starting terms for a negotiation. Approving one is not a final contract.
- Housing owned by the public or a nonprofit and rented at controlled prices.
- CEI Hub
- The fuel-storage area along the Willamette in Northwest Portland, where Zenith Energy operates.
- Ranked choice
- You rank candidates in order. If your first choice is eliminated or already elected, your vote counts toward your next choice.