A recall doubleheader in November?
Where's Thao's budget? Hayward eyes sales tax renewal; Castro Valley MAC member criticizes school superintendent; Three new fire stations on the way in the unincorporateds; Campaign finance data!
CITY NEWS
OAKLAND
—THAO RECALL—Brenda Harbin-Forte, the former Alameda County Superior Court judge leading the recall effort against Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, is still perturbed about the mayor’s description of her group earlier this year as “losers.”
—“She says we’re a bunch of losers, but look at what these losers have done,” Harbin-Forte said at a press conference on Monday morning before announcing the campaign has collected 30,000 signatures to recall Thao.
—“The message is clear. The people are sick with you and what you have done to Oakland,” Harbin-Forte said outside Agave Uptown, a restaurant in downtown Oakland that has been burglarized nearly two dozen times, according to its owners.
—Harbin-Forte expects to eventually garner 40,000 signatures before the July 22 deadline.
—“We may well turn them in early. The message is very clear: Sheng Thao must go,” Harbin-Forte added.
—The recall needs 25,??? valid signatures from Oakland voters to qualify for a recall election.
—If the recall petition qualifies, the most likely date for the Thao recall election is Nov. 5 general election ballot.
—Last week, the Alameda County registrar of voters set the recall of Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price for Nov. 5.
—GIRL YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE—The main target for Monday’s press conference was actually Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s tardy fiscal year budget proposal and things got a bit cheeky.
—An organizer of the event criticized the administration for blaming a large looming budget deficit on small business owners that have not paid their business license fees.
—Instead, he blamed Thao while making reference to the 1980s lip-synchers Milli Vanilli song, below.
(Recall organizer leads “Blame it on the Sheng” chant on Monday morning in downtown Oakland.) [Runtime: 41 seconds]
—Thao’s budget is about two weeks late, further compressing an already tight window to balance an estimated $177 million deficit for the 2024-25 fiscal year budget before the June 30 deadline.
—By comparison, Thao released last year’s budget proposal to balance a $360 million biannual budget shortfall on May 2.
—Unlike every city in Alameda County, Oakland’s budget process kicks off with the mayor’s proposal.
—Typically, the Oakland City Council’s president offers their own proposal. Sometimes, there is a competing budget proposal from a faction of councilmembers.
HAYWARD
—SALES TAX RENEWAL—In 2014, Hayward voters approved Measure C, a 20-year half-cent sales tax increase. Halfway through, the city has essentially successfully acted on all the projects it promised residents a decade ago,
—But more work is to be done, according to a city staff report that will ask the Hayward City Council to contemplate on Tuesday placing a renewal of Measure C on the November ballot.
—Measure C creates an extra $22 million annually in additional revenues. The proposed ballot language asks voters to renew the same half-cent sales tax for another 20 years.
—There was some discussion at the city to ask voters to renew Measure C for 30 years. Both extension lengths received positive polling numbers, according to the city.
COUNTY NEWS
CASTRO VALLEY
—ANOTHER STEP UP THE LADDER—Following the extremely narrow passage of Measure X in 2020, a $90 million general obligation bond, the construction of three new fire stations in unincorporated Alameda County are nearing fruition.
—Proposed fire stations in Castro Valley (Station 7 on Villarreal Road in Palomares Hills and Station 25 on San Miguel Avenue), and another San Lorenzo (Station 22 on Paseo Grande) are currently seeking environmental review and requests for proposals over the next few months.
—County Fire hopes to begin awarding contracts to design-builders in October, Alameda County Deputy Chief Eric Moore told the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council on Monday evening.
—Earlier this year, there was some question about where Alameda County firefighters at Station 25 would be relocated while the firehouse is rebuilt. One possibility was using a portion of the parking lot at the old Castro Valley Library.
—Instead, a deal was struck between Alameda County Fire and the Castro Valley Sanitary District to use the utility’s property on Marshall Street, Moore said.,
—THOMAS GUIDE—Castro Valley MAC member Tojo Thomas has expressed concerns about dangerous activities and drug use at Castro Valley High School for several months.
—He has linked the anecdotal rise to the school board’s decision prior to the pandemic to eliminate Student Resource Officers from its schools.
—Two months ago, Thomas asked for a joint meeting with the school board that did not materialize, although he addressed the school board on the matter last month.
—At Monday night’s Castro Valley MAC meeting, Thomas again criticized the school board, in addition to its Superintendent Parvin Ahmadi.
—“I’m embarrassed that the superintendent doesn’t care about students,” Thomas said.
—CVMAC VACANCIES—There are now two openings on the Castro Valley Municipal Council (MAC) after long-time member Ken Carbone announced his resignation earlier this month.
—The move follows the resignation of Al Padro in March.
—Members of the Castro Valley MAC are appointed by Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley and serve only in an advisory role.
ELECTION 2024
SAN LEANDRO - DISTRICT 2
—NACHO CHEESE LIBRE—Here comes another bizarre video featuring San Leandro Councilmember Bryan Azevedo. A Reel posted over the weekend raises several questions.
—Among them:
Why is Azevedo holding a little dog?
Why is the supporter masked?
Why is the supporter named “Oakland, California”?
Does Azevedo know that Oakland residents can’t vote for San Leandro candidates?
INTENT TO RUN
—PULLING PAPERS—Erin Armstrong, a senior policy adviser for Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley filed an intent to run for Oakland’s at-large city council seat. The campaign now has nine potential candidates.
—Rachel Latta, a parent of children in Oakland schools, pulled papers to challenge Oakland school board Trustee Sam Davis in District 1.
—Patrice Berry, a co-funder of AssistHUB and an adviser to former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, filed an intent to run for the Oakland school board seat in District 5 held by Trustee Jorge Lerma.
—In Livermore, Steven Dunbar and Jeffrey Kaskey pulled papers to run for the District 3 council seat.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
—ONE WEEK TO GO—Berkeley’s District 4 Special Election Day is next Tuesday. Vote-by-mail ballots have been in the hands of District 4 voters since late April.
—The four candidates seeking to take over for former Councilmember Kate Harrison have done quite well on the fundraising front. At least, for campaigns created in short order.
—Keep in mind that each candidate is subject to Berkeley’s public financing rules, which limits individual contributions to $60. However, Berkeley matches each contribution six-fold.
—Below are the latest campaign finance reports for each candidate:
BERKELEY
District 4 Special Election
IGOR TREGUB—April 14-May 11
Cash IN $34,265
Cash OUT $21,052
Loans/Debts $0
Cash on Hand $19,530
SOLI ALPERT—April 14-May 11
Cash IN $5,289
Cash OUT $12,468
Loans/Debts $0
Cash on Hand $29,658
RUBEN HERNANDEZ STORY—April 14-May 11
Cash IN $4,543
Cash OUT $13,459
Debts $0
Cash on Hand $36,559
ELANA AUERBACH—April 14-May 11
Cash IN $3,382
Cash OUT $12,029
Debts $0
Cash on Hand $13,407
—MONEYBALL—Form 497 large campaign contributions filed on May 14 through May 20.
CITIES
OAKLAND
—Oaklanders Together-For A Safer Oakland (Supporting proposed Measure Z renewal), East Bay Asian Youth Center, $10,000 (April 15). TOTAL: $10,000.
STATE LEGISLATURE
STATE ASSEMBLY
—Buffy Wicks (14th Assembly District), California New Car Dealers Association PAC, $5,500. TOTAL: $5,500.
—Liz Ortega (20th Assembly District), California Nurses Association PAC Small Contributor Committee, $10,900. TOTAL: $10,900.
STATE SENATE
—Jesse Arreguin (7th Senate District), I.B.E.W. Local Union 302 PAC, $10,900. TOTAL: $10,900.
—Jovanka Beckles (7th Senate District), Dina Ezzeddine of Berkeley, $5,500. TOTAL: $5,500.
—Kathryn Lybarger Democrat for State Senate 2024, AFSCME Local 3299 Small Contributor Committee, $10,900. TOTAL: $10,900.
STATEWIDE
—Libby Schaaf for Treasurer 2026, Michelle Boyers of Woodside, $18,200; Eileen Ruby of Piedmont, $9,100, $9,100. TOTAL: $36,400.
