City of Eugene Mayor Choose 1
Mayors chair the City Council. The members of a City Council supervise the city departments, either directly or through a city manager or administrator. City Councils pass laws, set policy, decide which services will be provided, and develop budgets; they negotiate work contracts and make hiring and firing decisions. An elective city officer must be a qualified elector under the state constitution who has resided in the city for at least 1 year before being elected.Term: 4 years. The position is nonpartisan.
Biographical Information
Web Site (leave blank if not applicable)
http://kaarinformayor.com
Town Where You Live
EUGENE
Your Experience/Qualifications
Kaarin is an architect, educator, small business owner, and nonprofit leader with over 20 years of experience in Eugene. She has been a leader on housing policy solutions since founding Better Housing together in 2017, and she teaches at the University of Oregon with a focus on Sustainable Urban Design. Her community volunteerism includes Eugene’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, LTD Community Steering Council, NAACP Eugene Springfield, 4J Schools, and as President of the City Club of Eugene.
County
OR
Term
4 years
Term Expires
2029
What are the main challenges facing the city, and how would you address them?
Housing, homelessness, climate, safety, and racial justice are challenges we face. I can see a bright future in which we are more resilient, prosperous, and better connected to each other. Together, we will increase housing affordability with new housing solutions, address homelessness with shelter and services, reinvest in our underserved communities, and partner with business and workforce leaders to support living-wage jobs and opportunity.
As a long-time community leader and architect, I’ll help Eugene create compact, mixed-income, and affordable housing that meets our climate and equity goals. We’ll work to ensure our public spaces are welcoming, safe, beautiful and resilient, and that our public investments are equitable and just.
What qualities and experience make you the best candidate for the position?
Since founding my small business and the nonprofit Better Housing Together, my work has focused on sustainable urban design, housing advocacy, and coalition building. As a business and nonprofit leader, I have direct experience supporting real solutions to our housing crisis. As an educator, I teach about how to design cities that are livable and resilient. This work offers relevant experience, but my proven ability to bring people together around a shared vision may be the most important qualification. One example is my work to start Eugene’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which has already created $44 million in new affordable housing. My experience, integrity, and effectiveness are why +200 leaders have endorsed me to be our next Mayor.
How will you promote public accountability and transparency in city government?
As our only city-wide elected official, the Mayor has a unique responsibility to support civic engagement and care for the public trust. I will be accessible and proactive in this work, using traditional outreach modes, but also partnerships and weekly updates to share information and gather feedback.
I will also continue to champion equitable engagement, which supports accountability and transparency. In my housing advocacy work, I’ve helped pilot equitable outreach strategies to engage a truly representative cross-section of Eugene. This more inclusive approach provides a clearer picture of our needs. As Mayor, I will be a strong bridge for our city – supporting genuine conversations and solutions that build trust and deliver results.