Alameda County focuses on tax-defaulted properties, helping small non-profits build housing
East Bay's Tony Thurmond is running for governor; Four people really love the Bontas
COUNTY NEWS
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
—HOUSING INNOVATION—Alameda County officials are planning to allocate $10 million in Measure A1 affordable housing innovation funds to help pave the way for developing housing projects on tax-defaulted properties, while aiding small “emerging” non-profits with start-up costs that could lead to new housing units.
—“We feel like it meets a critical needs in the moment,” said Michelle Starratt, Alameda County’s housing director.
—Under a proposal, $3 million will help snap up tax-defaulted properties, and $7 million will aid “emerging developers” and faith-based organizations hurdle over early costs that often scuttle small housing projects from moving forward.
—There is roughly 800-900 tax-defaulted properties in county, said Hank Levy, Alameda County’s treasurer/controller, but only around 200 properties are currently available.
—Despite exuberance voiced by some county supervisors on Tuesday, Levy said tax-defaulted properties are not a solution for the county’s housing shortage “because there just aren’t that many.”
—Why the properties are available in the first place is because they often have some type of pre-existing issue, for example, a need for costly toxic waste remediation. In addition, most of these properties are vacant lots, Levy said.
—If the property includes some type of housing, the county would attempt to find ways to keep the owner or tenant in the unit, despite their tax liabilities, Levy added.
—The remaining $7 million in proposed funding would provide non-profits and faith-based organizations with initial development costs, not construction costs, and with a focus on residents with special needs.
—For example, the allocations, which could be up to $700,000 per project, could help a church build affordable housing on their property.
—“The number one thing they are telling us is they need initial development costs. Essentially getting them credit-ready to take on debt and to meet bank requirements,” Starratt said.
—In 2019, emerging developers were not ready for regional bond money, Starrat said. “Our goal right now is to get started and assist with those initial Measure A1 funds so next year, if the [regional housing] bonds passes, those developers are ready-to-go and hit the ground running.”
—COMMISSION ADDICTION—It’s been three decades since the Alameda County Board of Supervisors reviewed its boards, commissions, and committees structure.
—As the years have gone by, the number has ballooned from 62 boards, commissions, and committees in 1992 to 112 today, an 81 percent increase.
—In addition, 743 of the 984 total seats are currently filled, a 32 percent vacancy rate.
—It’s a huge hidden bureaucracy that in recent years has taxed dwindling county staff, who are often required to attend each meeting.
—But a review of the county’s boards, commissions, and committees at a special meeting on Tuesday revealed how difficult it may be to consolidate or even eliminate some of these appointed governmental bodies.
—That’s because some are mandated by the Board of Supervisors, and by partnerships with outside jurisdictions.
—It also became apparent on Tuesday that a factor leading to the number of boards, commissions, and committees growing so large over the years is the urge to reflexively create even more groups.
—Just this year, the Board of Supervisors have created three significant commissions—the county’s Reparations Commission, Elections Commission to oversee the Registrar of Voters’ handling of elections, and Sheriff’s Oversight Commission.
—On Tuesday, Supervisor Nate Miley said he’s interested in creating a Bike and Pedestrian Commission for unincorporated Alameda County.
—At the same meeting, Supervisor Lena Tam suggested some type of body, perhaps an advisory board, to focus on climate change with a multi-jurisdictional county lens.
—CAPITOL MEETINGS—Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson and Alameda County Administrator Susan Muranishi visited Capitol Hill last week and met with the county’s four-member congressional delegation and California U.S. senators.
—WE’RE WAITING—Tuesday’s special meeting was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., but county supervisors emerged from closed session 3 1/2 hours later at 1:30 p.m.
UNINCORPORATED ALAMEDA COUNTY
—HOME SWEET HOME—There will soon be a there there in parts of unincorporated Alameda County, but it will take a little more time to get there.
—The Alameda County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution last week to make individual unincorporated area names the default for the U.S. Postal Service. Some addresses in places such as Ashland and Cherryland can use San Leandro and Hayward as their city name.
—Over the years, this has led to some confusion among unincorporated area residents about where they actually live and undermines a sense of place.
—The change, however, will take around six months for the U.S. Postal Service to finalize the change. The cost to the county is $40,000.
ELECTION 2024
GOVERNOR
—TONY TONY TONY—Two of the first three candidates for California governor in 2026 are from the East Bay after state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond officially joined the race on Tuesday.
—Thurmond, a former Richmond school boardmember and assemblymember, introduced his gubernatorial campaign with a Netflix-like video that includes numerous actors reenacting moments in his life.
—The biographical video has to be one of the most expensive you will ever see, including numerous sets and vintage clothing.
—What does the video say about Thurmond’s early campaign strategy?
—“I didn’t come from money, power, or influence,” Thurmond says in the video, which could be a slight aimed at state Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, who joined the race earlier this year and who grew up with a much more privileged background.
—Thurmond plans to highlights his difficult upbringing—losing his parents and being raised in poverty by a cousin—and tie it to the struggles facing many Californians.
—Kounalakis and former state Controller Betty Yee, an Alameda resident, declared their candidacies earlier this year. State Attorney General Rob Bonta is expected to eventually be the third East Bay resident to run for governor in 2026.
ATTORNEY GENERAL/18TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT
—The Meyer Family and William Resnik of Berkeley really love the Bontas.
—Last week James, Rebecca, and Michael Meyer contributed $5,500 apiece to East Bay Assemblymember Mia Bonta’s re-election campaign, in addition to another $5,500 from Resnik.
—James Meyer and Resnik are listed on the filing on Sept. 20 as “not employed.”
—On Tuesday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s re-election campaign posted the exact same quartet of donors in a filing, dated Sept. 20. However, each donor contributed $7,500 to his campaign.
—That’s $52,000 to the Bontas in one day.
—Is anything illegal here? Probably not. But it renews criticism the power couple faced two years ago after Calmatters investigated allegations that Rob Bonta steered his donors to contribute to Mia Bonta’s non-profit.
—The perception being a donor could potentially seek to curry favor with Rob Bonta by also giving to his wife’s assembly campaign.
—When Janani Ramachandran, then Mia Bonta’s assembly special election opponent, made a similar charge in 2021, Rob Bonta called the criticism “sexist.” Ramachandran is now an Oakland councilmember.