Mountain View
Councilmember
Chris Clark
Why Re-Elect Chris Clark?
As your City Council Member and Mayor over the last four years, I've led Mountain View through challenges ranging from a deep recession to unprecedented growth and have demonstrated a strong commitment to our city and its residents. Here are some of the reasons you can confidently vote to re-elect me in November:
Proven Leadership & Experience as your Mayor & Councilmember
I am a dedicated public servant with nearly 10 years of combined service as a Mountain View Commissioner, Councilmember, and Mayor. I am frequently described as a consensus builder who solves tough challenges by bringing people together.
I also represent Mountain View on numerous regional boards and commissions where I fight for things like a new underpass at Rengstorff/Central Expressway, better regional transit, and ensure our city gets its fair share of regional funds.
A Fiscally Sound & Sustainable Community
Council has worked diligently to strengthen our financial position over the last 4 years, and Mountain View remains one of the few cities with a AAA credit rating. I will maintain our tradition of fiscal responsibility and invest in our community's future.
I have also chaired the Council's Environmental Sustainability Committee and led efforts to reduce traffic, preserve the environment, and expand parks and green space in Mountain View and throughout the region.
Commitment to Public Safety and Shared Prosperity
During my mayorship, we emphasized bike and pedestrian safety through investments in infrastructure and public awareness, and we achieved zero bike/pedestrian deaths in 2014. Though we suffered tragedies in subsequent years, we remain committed to Vision Zero and are working hard to make 2014 the norm.
I'm also committed to shared prosperity and ensuring Mountain View's diversity remains its greatest strength. I helped lead local and regional efforts to raise the minimum wage, invest in new and affordable housing, and expand youth and senior services.
"Chris is a great champion for Mountain View. He’s a leader of character and solid judgement. I’m proud to endorse him."
-Congresswoman Anna Eshoo
US House of Representatives, 18th District
"[Chris Clark] sees his role as a politician to be consensus builder, working to craft a compromise that might not make everyone happy but at least gets something accomplished. This is more than words - in many council meetings...he fills the role of mediator if the others reach an impasse."
-Mountain View Voice
Priorities for the Next Four Years
Balanced Growth & Housing Affordability
In my first term, we engaged the community in a multi-year effort to balance growth and development with the Mountain View character we all love. We reached consensus on where and how to grow while protecting and preserving our neighborhoods and quality of life, and now it's time to implement those plans.
I will continue balancing the growth needed to sustain our community with the existing neighborhoods we value, and I will promote sound, effective strategies for maintaining diversity and affordability.
Traffic Reduction & Infrastructure Investment
We are all frustrated by the crippling traffic plaguing Mountain View and our region. I have worked with our large employers and regional agencies to prioritize and expedite local infrastructure projects, including:
I have helped forge public/private partnerships to fund these improvements so the companies and developers proposing growth are doing their part to mitigate the impacts of their projects.
Environmental Sustainability & Quality of Life
As Chair of the Council's Environmental Sustainability Committee, I have championed the preservation of environmentally sensitive areas such as the North Bayshore area and the expansion of parks and open space.
As part of our recent planning decisions, new developments are not only highly sustainable, but are shrinking their existing building footprints and putting parking underground so we can turn parking lots and other underutilized space into new public parks and open space.
Fiscal Discipline & Shared Prosperity
I joined Council just as we were exiting the worst recession in recent memory. We made very tough decisions and cuts, but we managed to do so without laying off a single employee. Everyone sacrificed so no one lost their job. As a result, our city is now in a strong fiscal position that we must maintain.
I will continue bringing all parties together to find ways to sustainably grow Mountain View's economy so everyone wins:
Supporters
"Chris is a great champion for Mountain View. He’s a leader of character and solid judgement. I’m proud to endorse him."
-Congresswoman Anna Eshoo
"It’s rare to find someone who has built such a strong record of public service so early in his or her career. As Mayor and Councilmember, Chris has effectively led Mountain View and brought the community together. I’m proud to support him."
-Assembly Member Rich Gordon
"Chris’ steady leadership and comprehensive knowledge of the issues facing our region make him a highly effective policymaker and advocate for Mountain View. He deserves another term.
-Assembly Member Evan Low
"Having worked with Chris during my time as Mayor and Councilmember, I can attest that he is a thoughtful leader who works well with others and gets things done. Mountain View is a better city because of his balanced approach to the issues, and I urge you to reelect him."
-Councilmember & Former Mayor Mike Kasperzak
"As a former Planning Commissioner, I’ve witnessed firsthand Chris’ commitment to making Mountain View a better place for current residents and future generations. He is intelligent, levelheaded, and cares deeply about our city. I urge you to reelect him."
-Former Mountain View Planning Commissioner Rachel Grossman
"As a MVLA High School Board Trustee, I have worked closely with Chris and watched him consistently solve complicated problems and bring order to chaos. When Chris speaks, everyone listens. He is extremely smart, caring, positive, and strives to achieve the best outcome for our community and for future generations."
-Mountain View Los Altos High School District Trustee Susan Sweeley
"As a former Mountain View Mayor, I know how challenging it is to forge consensus and find solutions to difficult problems. Chris has an impressive record of bringing people together to solve tough challenges, and he is a strong advocate for economic development and our local business community."
-Former Mountain View Mayor Matt Pear
"[Chris Clark] sees his role as a politician to be consensus builder, working to craft a compromise that might not make everyone happy but at least gets something accomplished. This is more than words - in many council meetings...he fills the role of mediator if the others reach an impasse."
-Mountain View Voice
Endorsements
Partial list. Titles for identification purposes only.
Local Officials
Organizations
School District Leaders & Educators
Phil Faillace, President, MVLA High School District Board
Women Leaders
Environmental Advocates
Asian Pacific American Community
LGBT Community
Moderates & Independents
About Chris
I was born and raised on a family farm in rural Illinois where I learned the values of hard work, responsibility, community, and environmental protection at an early age. I attended local public schools and caught the bug for public service after being selected to serve as one of a few dozen Pages for the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, DC. I then moved to the Bay Area to attend Stanford University and graduated with a B.A. in Political Science, secondary major in International Relations, and a minor in Economics.
I have broad work experience that spans private and public sectors throughout the world. After working during college to help pay my way through Stanford, I rotated through several assignments at the U.S. State Department in Germany. I then joined AT&T's Leadership Development Program in which I managed union and non-union employees, developed long and short-term corporate strategy, helped launch the iPhone, and led regional community service initiatives across three major cities.
After serving on the Mountain View Human Relations and Environmental Planning Commissions for several years, I was elected to City Council in 2012 and became Mayor in 2014. You can read about my first term accomplishments above, but I believe the last 4 years were some of the most challenging and productive years in recent Mountain View history, and I am proud of our city's progress.
I rented in several Mountain View neighborhoods before recently buying a condo and have experienced firsthand the challenges of Mountain View's high cost of living as both a renter and first-time homebuyer. As an avid runner, you will frequently find me on the Stevens and Permanente Creek trails.
I strive to represent you while sharing my experience, leadership, innovative ideas, and commitment to public service in an effort to make Mountain View an even better place to live, work, and raise our families. I humbly and respectfully request your vote for another term.
How You Can Get Involved
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Paid for by Chris Clark for Council 2016. FPPC ID: 1382606 © 2016