Clackamas County · November 3, 2026
Portland City Council, Commissioner, Position 4
- 2
- Candidates
- 1
- Seats
- Vote for one
- Method
- Nov 3
- Due 8 p.m.
Our readingDraft
Both would limit large data centers, one as a pause while the county writes rules, the other as outright opposition. Beyond that, compare faster permitting against independent fiscal review as the route to affordability.
| Candidate | 2 of 2 documented | 2 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. This seat has been held by appointment since May 2025 and the winner serves the rest of the term through 2028, starting with the levy retry, courthouse payments and the data-center moratorium.
Each of this office’s 5 live choices is a board below, with every candidate’s stated position or the gap.
A seat filled by appointment
Position 4 has been held by appointment since May 19, 2025, when the four sitting commissioners chose Diana Helm from 59 applicants to serve through December 2026; this election fills the rest of the term, January 2027 through December 2028.
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.
The February referral
On February 10, 2026 the Board sent the 53.4-cent levy to the May ballot on Commissioner Helm's motion, with Commissioner Savas saying he supported it and calling the Sheriff's Office's pattern of understaffing problematic; the sheriff said the office could manage inside the levy for five years through vacancy savings.
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.
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 in the General Fund
The FY 2026-27 proposed budget carries a $17.5 million courthouse payment, $17.0 million of it General Fund support and 8.7% of all such support, second only to the Sheriff's Office; county code now requires a 30-year General Fund forecast to show the payments can be met.
Moratorium under way
No data center has been built in unincorporated Clackamas County. Staff told the Board on August 11, 2026 that a moratorium needs 45 days' notice to the state, findings of compelling need and a correction program within 60 days, and that starting one would push other planning work off the two-year program.
Housing tax money
The county expects to spend $78 million of Metro's supportive housing services tax in FY 2026-27 plus $67 million in one-time carryover; through mid-FY 2025-26 the tax had created or sustained 246 shelter beds, helped 9,299 people avoid eviction and placed 3,146 in housing, and the budget flags SHS as an uncertain revenue source.
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.
- Diana HelmCounty commissioner; former Damascus mayorGet out in front
Said: What they said
Told the June 2 policy session after the levy's defeat that there needs to be a real effort right now to get out in front of people before asking again; the rate is unsaid.
- R W SmithEnvironmental consultantLevy plus long-term plan
Said: What they said
Says a five-year levy can stabilize services but is not a complete solution, and any request must come with transparent budgeting, regular reporting and a long-term plan; May 2027 and a rate are unsaid.
Data-center moratoriumAdopt a county moratorium on data centers now, or wait for the 2027 Legislature as staff recommended?2 of 2 on record
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.
- Diana HelmCounty commissioner; former Damascus mayorLed the pause
Said: What they said
Says she led the effort for a moratorium on large data centers after learning the county had no ordinances addressing them, to gather facts, analyze impacts and involve the public before deciding.
- R W SmithEnvironmental consultantKeep them out
Said: What they said
Opposes bringing large-scale data centers into the county at all, citing their electricity, water and land demands and the infrastructure they require; his position is a ban rather than a pause.
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.
- Diana HelmCounty commissioner; former Damascus mayorFollow state law
Said: What they said
Says the county is following state law and defers to County Counsel on whether to adopt a judicial-warrant declaration.
- R W SmithEnvironmental consultantJudicial warrant only
Said: What they said
Says the county should be clear that local agencies do not participate in federal immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant, calling it a clean legal standard that keeps trust in public safety.
Senior tax reliefPush for a property-tax freeze or new relief for older homeowners?1 of 2 on recordNot found: R W Smith
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.
- Diana HelmCounty commissioner; former Damascus mayorFreeze for 65-plus
Said: What they said
Would get ahead of senior homelessness, potentially by freezing property taxes for homeowners 65 and older within a certain income range, paired with senior services.
- R W SmithEnvironmental consultantNot found
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed; a research gap, not a position.
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.
- Diana HelmCounty commissioner; former Damascus mayorOpen it by 2027
Said: What they said
Commits to addressing homelessness through completion and operation of the Recovery Campus by 2027.
- R W SmithEnvironmental consultantTreatment beds, outcomes
Said: What they said
Would expand addiction treatment and mental-health stabilization and add shelter capacity with case management, insisting on measurable outcomes; the Recovery Campus and its bonds are unsaid.
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.