In fact ask him and he will know exactly the number of days left until he will hand in the mayoral chains and fade off into the Invercargill sunset.
Mr Clark started back at work on Monday, after having gone on leave at the end of last year when he had a minor heart attack, which led to double bypass surgery in Dunedin Hospital.
He got back to Invercargill in early January and has been recuperating since. He worked a few hours on Monday and was slowly getting back into the swing of things yesterday.
Mr Clark said his time away did not lead to any urgings to stay longer than he wanted.
"If anything it just made it more certain. I’m definitely not going to do another term," he said.
He was asked to run as mayor in 2022, and ended up winning easily. But even then he was clear he would not do another term.
Now about halfway into term, he was firm in his mind it was not something he would push on with, he said.
"I do not want to do another term. I am pushing 73. And they are looking at going to a four-year term. And if they do that and I stand again then I would be near 80 if I’m still in office. There is no way that should happen.
"I think having a four-year term is a good thing, both nationally and at a local government level."
Politicians in the last year of their term went into survival mode, which was not good for democracy, Mr Clark said.
"We need to have politicians to do some daring, creative things which are not always going to be that popular but need to be done. The longer the term the better."
He said the mayoralty was a busy job — working on weekends, and getting rung at different times. He still enjoyed it and was working his way back into it.
But he had to watch his hours and take rest when needed.
He had full confidence in his deputy Tom Campbell, who took on mayoral duties in Mr Clark’s absence.
Water reform was looming large and the possibility of southern councils combining to share the load.
He was not a supporter of this proposal though.
"Invercargill is totally against this ... We have got something like $14-$15 million of debt. Yet you look at our close neighbour, Queenstown Lakes, and they have got $150million odd of debt.
"Why would we want to go in with them?"
