Newly elected Murray City Councilmember Clark Bullen steps into office with nearly two decades of community involvement behind him—and a deep personal connection to the city he now represents. He takes the oath of office in January for Murray City District 3 for a two-year term.

Bullen first came to Murray as a University of Utah student working for a tech startup near the Sports Mall. He and his wife were expecting their first child and searching for a place that felt like home. “We wanted a house close to a park and found the perfect one that backs up to Murray Park,” he said. “Little did we know how great Murray actually is. We have fallen in love with this community and have loved raising our four boys here over the last 17 years.”

New City Councilmember Clark Bullen has served on various Murray committees and organizations. (Photo courtesy of Clark Bullen)

Professionally, Bullen stayed rooted in Murray as well. After his first startup role, he joined another Murray-based venture, Arches Health Plan, where he worked in business development before shifting into multiple operational roles. He has remained in the health insurance industry ever since and is now the Director of Account Management at CUI Benefits.

Bullen has served on several local boards and organizations—Historic Murray First, the Murray Arts Board and the Murray Rotary Club, among others. He said those collaborative environments shaped how he plans to approach his new role.

“Serving on these boards, committees and clubs is wonderfully collaborative. Everyone is needed and plays an important role,” he said. “I want to learn from my fellow councilmembers and figure out the best ways to collaborate.”

His path into civic engagement began during the community effort to preserve the historic Murray Theater. When the group’s preferred candidate withdrew from a mayoral race, someone suggested Bullen run in his place.

“I thought, how hard could it be? The answer is very hard but I was naive enough to run and find that out,” he said. While he did not win, he said the experience changed him. “It was the hardest thing I had ever done but I loved every minute of it… I told the citizens I wasn't going anywhere. I loved serving the community and advocating for our residents, and I was hooked.”

As Bullen takes the oath of office, he identifies two major focus areas: revitalizing downtown Murray and addressing traffic concerns along key corridors.

New City Councilmember Clark Bullen has served on various Murray committees and organizations. (Photo courtesy of Clark Bullen)

 He plans to start by revisiting the city’s master plan. “I look forward to revisiting our master plan and going through an extensive citizen visioning and feedback process to establish what our residents want for our city,” he said. Bullen also expressed interest in studying effective traffic-mitigation options for the city’s busiest roadways.

His long-term vision for downtown is centered on creating a welcoming and lively gathering place. “I want downtown Murray to be a gathering place where people want to spend time,” he said. He imagines green space, a plaza or town square, unique shops and restaurants, public art, water features and a walkable promenade with street vendors—all while preserving the city’s historic buildings. “They give us a unique sense of place,” he added.

Bullen emphasizes accessibility as a core commitment. “I plan to communicate through various channels frequently and be highly reachable and responsive,” he said. He even shared his personal phone number, encouraging residents to call or text him. He also hopes to host ongoing town halls, meet-and-greets, Q&A sessions and door-to-door visits.

His guiding philosophy on the council is straightforward: “I want to be doing what the citizens want.” He said he plans to seek consistent community feedback on issues as they arise while also focusing on attracting businesses and helping downtown “live up to its potential.”

For those who think Bullen looks familiar, there may be a reason: he appeared as an extra in multiple scenes of “High School Musical,” including some filmed at the Murray High School theater. “I was a visible extra in a handful of scenes,” he said.