I, for one, am grateful for Kitty Piercy's tenure as Mayor. It is an underfunded and weird position in this weak Mayor, strong City Manager type of city government. But she has consistently put in millions of hours speaking and listening to the community (barely an exaggeration), giving many of us a sense that we belong and matter. 
The Mayor of Eugene needs to be a cheerleader for the city, of course, but even more importantly, she/he needs to be able to unite an economically diverse population.
I think she has done a remarkable job and I wish her well. I doubt  she will be successful in retirement, in that retirement means, you know, slowing down.
The RG endorsed her Republican rival previously, as I remember. If Mike Clark does "rise" to Mayor, I hope he understands the simple fact that many in Eugene are marginalized, that income inequality is the greatest danger the City faces, and reaches out to the poor and the powerless. 
Hugh Massengill, Eugene