District 4 candidate · Portland City Council · November 3, 2026
Olivia Clark
Incumbent councilor; former TriMet public-affairs director and gubernatorial policy adviser.
Reach the campaign
- oliviaforportland.com (opens in a new tab)
- onclark@gmail.com
- Instagram (opens in a new tab)
- Facebook (opens in a new tab)
As published in their pamphlet statement and campaign site.
Campaign finance: sources, amounts and timing ↓
In their words
Said: It has been a privilege to serve as your City Councilor these last two years.
Pamphlet p. 62
Candidate statement · November 2026 edition; extracted September 20, 2026
Multnomah County voters’ pamphlet · PDF page 62 ↗Verbatim opening of the candidate's own statement; publication by the county does not verify the claims. The heading “VOTE OLIVIA CLARK #1” and the salutation “Dear Neighbors:” are skipped.
The verbatim opening of their voters’ pamphlet statement, the same rule for every candidate. We chose nothing.
What they say they would do
Our summary of their platform, in our wordsEmphasizes public safety, infrastructure maintenance, business recovery and removing barriers to housing.
- Improve 911 response and end street camping and open-air drug use.
- Protect police and fire funding and support local businesses.
- Maintain public assets and improve sidewalks and pavement.
Our reading
Our interpretation, not their wordsShe pairs removing camping and public drug use with shelter and treatment. Implementation depends on actual placement capacity; restoring services also requires choosing between reserves, recurring revenue and other spending.
Where they stand
Rent and homes
Faster permits; lower affordable-housing fees- What
Would speed up permits, lower development fees for affordable housing and seek federal funding.
Full position and context
Would expedite permits, reduce development fees for affordable housing and seek federal resources.
- How
- Not found in the reviewed sources
- Measured by
- Not found in the reviewed sources
Camps, crime and who responds
Remove camps; add shelter and treatment- What
Supports removing street camping and public drug use while adding shelter, treatment and sobering services. Wants 911 calls matched to the appropriate responder.
Full position and context
Pairs removing street camping and public drug use with more shelter, treatment and sobering capacity. Supports matching 911 calls to EMTs, Street Response or police.
- How
- Not found in the reviewed sources
- Measured by
- Said: Names improved 9-1-1 response times as the visible result; no target time or date is given.
Your bills and taxes
Support businesses; fund police and fire- What
Prioritizes small businesses and economic development, and cites her work protecting police and fire funding and supporting storefront businesses.
Full position and context
Lists support for small business and economic development as a priority, and cites protecting police and fire funding and passing a Storefront Support Program for small business.
- How
- Not found in the reviewed sources
- Measured by
- Not found in the reviewed sources
Streets, buses and air
Prepare water and streets for extreme weather- What
Wants water, sewer and street systems ready for hotter temperatures, drought and extreme weather.
Full position and context
Prioritizes water, sewer and street systems able to withstand heat, drought and extreme weather.
- How
- Said: Points to the citywide asset-management (maintenance) strategy she passed as the vehicle for keeping water, sewer and street systems maintained; no climate-specific funding is named.
- Measured by
- Not found in the reviewed sources
The choices this office faces
Every candidate in this race is asked the same 9 questions. Olivia Clark is on record on 8, with 1 still open. A question without an answer is a research gap, not a position.
No answer we could findRestrict new AI data centers in the city?
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.
Rezone the inner east side to allow apartment buildings off the main streets (the Inner Eastside Zoning Project)?
Said: Answered yes; elsewhere in the questionnaire she says she has supported Council’s work on inner east side zoning, permit streamlining and the three-year waiver of system development charges.
Public money and terms for renovating the Moda Center?
Olivia Clark: YesVoted yes on Approve the Moda negotiating framework
No statement beyond the recorded vote.
When, if ever, would they raise taxes or fees?
Said: Given the general fund shortfall, points to land banking, self-help housing and lobbying the state and federal government, and says that with an agreed dedicated revenue stream the City could sell bonds for affordable housing; she names no tax.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid.
Add police officers, expand non-police responders, or both?
Said: Says the Police Bureau is one of the nation’s most understaffed and calls that unacceptable; her site says she acted to protect core police funding against proposed cuts.
Keep funding camp removals at current levels?
Olivia Clark: AbsentAbsent for the vote on Shift funding away from homeless-camp removals
Said: Would make the city safe by removing street camping and public drug use while adding shelter beds, sobering stations and treatment; the page does not say whether to keep removal funding at current levels.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid.
Expand Portland Street Response to a full 24/7 role?
Olivia Clark: NoVoted no on Expand Portland Street Response’s role
No statement beyond the recorded vote.
Keep the monthly street repair fee?
Olivia Clark: YesVoted yes on Create a monthly transportation utility fee
No statement beyond the recorded vote.
Raise water bills to pay for the Bull Run filtration plant and system repairs?
Olivia Clark: YesVoted yes on Raise annual water rates
No statement beyond the recorded vote.
Council votes
Recorded vote · then our reading of the recordRaise water bills by about $5 a month?
YesOur reading: Supported water-project borrowing and the annual utility charges
What Council decided
This increase would bring in more money for the water system. A typical monthly water charge would rise from about $66 to $71, before sewer and stormwater charges.
The typical-bill estimate assumes five hundred cubic feet of monthly water use. Actual bills depend on use, billing period and applicable assistance; this is not the total combined utility bill.
Add a monthly fee to help repair streets?
YesOur reading: Supported a steady source of money for street repairs
What Council decided
The fee is $12 for a typical house or $8.40 per apartment. Most of the money goes to street repairs; the rest goes to safety improvements.
Approving a revenue source does not show that every promised repair has happened. The ordinance includes review of business charges and assistance for residents.
Use expected savings to help fund police and firefighters?
YesOur reading: Favored police and fire services, using expected police-oversight savings
What Council decided
The city expected the office that checks police conduct to have money left over. This proposal would use those expected savings for police and fire services. The savings were not guaranteed.
The tradeoff concerned using money allocated to the new oversight office. The proposal did not abolish that office, and expected underspending was a forecast.
Back these starting terms for renovating Moda Center?
YesOur reading: Supported the arena terms while opposing the higher proposed rent
What Council decided
The city proposed $120 million for renovations and $275 million for future building needs over 20 years. This vote approved terms for negotiations, not a final contract.
A negotiating framework, not a final construction contract. Support or opposition to this package is not a complete position on retaining the Trail Blazers.
A Term sheet. Starting terms for a negotiation. Approving one is not a final contract., not a final contract.
A question the evidence leaves open
What shelter and treatment capacity would make the camping policy workable?
Sources (4)
- Multnomah County voters’ pamphlet · PDF page 62Candidate statement · November 2026 edition; reviewed September 18, 2026Written by the candidate or campaign. Publication by the county does not verify the claims.
- Portland: Neighbors Welcome 2026 endorsement questionnaire · Olivia Clark’s responsesCandidate statement · Responses posted September 22, 2026; reviewed October 14, 2026The candidate’s own written answers, published by a group that endorses in this race. Campaign position; claimed results have not been independently verified.
- Council Lab · current-term record and official-source linksReporting · Current-term research indexIndependent, unofficial research aid. Follow the linked City records for authoritative votes. Automated transcript excerpts require recording verification before quotation.
- Clark · prioritiesCandidate statement · Website reviewed September 18, 2026Campaign position. Claimed results and numerical premises have not automatically been independently verified.