PLEASANTON – This November’s elections could see the Tri-Valley region’s mayors removed, taxes raised and the difficulty of fresh air debated.
In Pleasanton, Mayor Karla Brown is vying with Councilman Jack Balch for town's top seat, with each receiving the backing of an Alameda County councilman.
Brown, a former real estate agent who’s now entering her second term as mayor after 12 years on the City Council, has announced that she’s going to reject money from business developers. She said she worked to secure thousands and thousands of dollars in state and federal grants during her tenure.
Brown said her major focus is finding additional clean drinking water after town disclosed that residents had been exposed to contaminated soil for many years, and addressing looming budget shortfalls estimated at $13 million annually over the following eight years. She has also championed Measure PP, the proposed half-cent sales tax that was on the ballot on Nov. 5. If passed, town's first sales tax measure would raise $10 million annually over the following decade.
Brown, who served on the Alameda County Transportation Commission and the Livermore Amador Valley Transportation Authority board, said she “brought millions back to the city” for a “job that pays a salary.”
“I believe I am a leader with integrity. I work long and hard, it's my day job and it's the best job in town,” she said in an interview.
Balch, an accountant by trade, hopes to depart his current job on the City Council and oust Brown. He is already ahead in fundraising: He has raised $66,000 to Brown's $30,700, in response to campaign finance filings. Balch was the one City Council member to vote against putting a half-cent sales tax on the ballot. He said town should find other ways to tighten its belt, but he’ll support the voters' decision.
“In my opinion, the current leadership of Pleasanton has moved away from the goal of our city's planned progress. I think we need to get back there and try to restore our reputation as a well-run city by addressing the challenges we have,” Balch said in an interview.
He added: “I respect Mayor Brown's leadership and commitment … but I just have a different vision of what Pleasanton should be doing. I think we should be more focused on actually delivering results.”
Planning Commissioners Matt Gaidos, a senior prosecutor within the Alameda County District Attorney's Office, and Vivek Mohan, a former businessman, are vying for the 4th District council seat. In the 2nd District, Council Member Valerie Arkin is running against Craig Eicher, a retired Pleasanton police captain who also served as interim chief.
Dublin's mayoralty can be up for grabs, as current interim mayor Michael McCorriston is leaving his post as expected, leaving the sphere open for 4 candidates. Current council members Sherry Hu and Jean Josey, in addition to retired civil engineer Tom Evans and Dublin Human Services Commissioner Shawn Costello are all running for the post previously held by Melissa Hernandez. McCorriston stepped in after Hernandez left to fill a emptiness on the BART board.
District elections are also being held in Dublin. This yr, the seats in Districts 1 and three are on the ballot. McCorriston is running unopposed for the seat in District 1.
“Dublin needs leaders who listen, have experience and vision to lead our diverse city. My wife and I have lived in Dublin for 30 years and raised our two daughters here. I have had a successful 40-year career managing the financial resources of major multinational corporations,” McCorriston said in his candidate statement.
His most vital issues in office include investments in public safety, economic development, reasonably priced housing solutions and a sustainable environment, he wrote. Small business owner Razi Hasni and computer scientist John Morada are running in District 3.
Also up for a vote are Measure II, called the “Dublin Traffic Relief, Clean Air/Open Space Preservations Measure,” and Measure JJ, called the “Government Accountability Act Ballot Measure.”
Measure II would allow Dublin to simply accept a land donation “to connect Dublin Boulevard 1.5 miles east to North Canyons Parkway, including bike lanes, pedestrian access, improved emergency response/traffic flow, preservation of 40 acres of open space,” in exchange for a possible adjoining 32-acre business site, in response to the ballot text.
Measure JJ would “prohibit council members and commission members from accepting gifts from lobbyists and city contractors; prohibit lobbyists from serving on city commissions; establish a total term limit of 12 years for the mayor and/or members of the city council while maintaining existing term limits for the current mayor and members of the city council; and require the posting of all city contracts on the city's website for public inspection,” the measure states.
Livermore will keep its mayor. Incumbent John Marchand is running unopposed.
“I am proud of my track record of keeping Livermore fiscally strong and protecting the character of our beloved community by preserving open space and creating more parks. Public safety will continue to be my top priority as it is critical to our quality of life,” Marchand wrote in his candidate statement. “Ensuring these goals are met will require experienced leadership and strategic investments.”
Marchand, a water quality chemist, was first elected to town council in 2005 and first took office as mayor in 2011.
Steven Dunbar, an engineering manager, David Farley, a physicist, and Jeff Kaskey, an engineer with experience as a historic preservation officer, are all running for the Third District City Council seat.
Two candidates are running for District 4: Thomas Soules, a retired physicist, and Kristie Wang, a trustee of the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District Board.
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