Council pay raises: Hayward is next up
Alameda renters poised for big win; Oakland businesses with historic ties to slavery are not filling out city's disclosure report; Ro Khanna makes pick for Fremont mayor. Plus, campaign finance data
CITY NEWS
HAYWARD
—COUNCIL PAY RAISE DEBATE—Hayward officials may give themselves a hefty pay raise on Tuesday.
—Among a number of proposed changes to the Hayward City Council’s Handbook is a suggestion to raise the mayor’s annual pay up to $69,288, which would make Mark Salinas one of the highest-paid mayors in Alameda County.
—Under the same proposal, Hayward councilmembers pay would increase to $43,305 a year.
—The increases include wage hikes allowed in the Hayward City Charter that have not been consistently applied over the past 20 years, according to a staff report.
—An alternate recommendation is to shorten the range of years from 2016 to today. Under this scenario the mayor would earn $52,782 a year, and councilmembers would earn $32,989 annually.
—Hayward’s mayor earns about $40,000 a year. Hayward councilmembers earn around $25,000 annual.
—One reason the Hayward City Council and several other local governmental bodies have long eschewed giving themselves raises because of the political risks. But something has changed in recent years.
—Elected officials this year in Oakland, San Leandro, Alameda, and Fremont have approved wage hikes of various amounts without much political blowback. The lone exception being Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s raise earlier this year.
ALAMEDA
—SEE YA CIP—After several months of retooling, a provision in Alameda’s Rent Control Program that allows property owners the ability to pass-through the cost of Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) to their tenants may be eliminated for properties with 25 or more units.
—The Alameda City Council will discuss the item at a special meeting scheduled for Wednesday night.
—Last May, the Alameda City Council adopted an emergency moratorium after the owners of the South Shore Apartments, a 451-unit apartment complex, petitioned to pass-through more than $20 million in costs related to recent building upgrades.
—The controversy appears to have rekindled Alameda’s once-potent rental housing advocacy groups. Strong opposition from tenants toward the CIP pass-through provision also greatly influenced the council.
—Although the CIP provision has been on the city’s books for several years, it had been rarely used by local property owners until the petition for the South Shore Apartments.
OAKLAND
—BLACK NEW DEAL DISCLOSURE—In 2020, Oakland rekindled a city ordinance, first approved in 2005, that identifies local businesses that may have historical ties to the legacy of slavery in this country.
—Through the renamed Black New Deal Fund, the city identified 154 companies that may have had ties to slavery, and asked them to report them in a disclosure.
—But just 11 companies have complied with the disclosure requirement since last May, according to a city staff report. Among them is JP Morgan Chase and Citicorp.
—The item comes before this morning’s Oakland City Council Finance and Management Committee.
—In addition, a fund set up to help economically underserved areas in Oakland has not received any donations from the companies.
—KALB GUN ORDINANCE—Oakland Councilmember Dan Kalb’s proposed ordinance requiring the city to procure firearms and ammunition only from dealers that are certified to be in compliance with local, state and federal gun laws comes to the Oakland City Council Public Safety Committee on Tuesday night.
—We can generally assume Oakland is probably not buying guns and ammo from disreputable sources, but authoring an ordinance like this is great for someone like Kalb, who is running for the state Senate.
—PROJECT HOMEKEY—Oakland, and other jurisdictions, are ramping up for a possible fourth round of state Project Homekey grants in coming months or early next year.
—The successful state program enacted during the pandemic provides cities and counties state matching funds to, for example, purchase underused hotels in order to quickly provide housing units for the chronically homeless.
LIVERMORE
—FIVE ON IT—Neighboring Pleasanton has yet to fully attain labor peace with its police officers union. Meanwhile, Livermore officials are readying a five percent increase for its rank-and-file police officers, management, and police chief, effective Jan. 1, 2024.
D.C. NEWS
17TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
—DIRECTOR RESIGNS—Rep. Ro Khanna’s political director resigned last week in protest of the Silicon Valley congressmember declined to support a resolution calling for a cease fire in Israel-Gaza conflict.
—Adam Ramer, the political director, had only served in Khanna’s office for two weeks before his resignation.
—In addition, Khanna’s refusal to sign-on to the resolution authored by progressive Reps. Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib led to activists protesting outside Khanna’s congressional office last Friday.
ELECTION 2024
FREMONT MAYOR
—RO FOR RAJ—Raj Salwan’s campaign for Fremont mayor received the endorsement of the city’s congressmember and long-time resident last week.
—Rep. Ro Khanna gave an effusive endorsement of Salwan in a video posted on social media last Thursday.
—Khanna’s decision to back Salwan for mayor over former Fremont Councilmember Vinnie Bacon includes a smidge of controversy.
—Bacon recently served as Khanna’s representative to the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee.
—As the matchup between Salwan and Bacon became apparent last summer, Khanna removed Bacon as his rep.
—Bacon, as you would imagine, was livid about the chain of events leading to his opponent bagging Khanna’s valuable support.
PRICE RECALL
—MO’ MONEY—Large contributions by an Independent Expenditure committee named Reviving the Bay Area to the campaign to recall Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price was actually larger.
—An amendment to the filing posted last Friday added another $60,000 to Safe Alameda For Everyone (SAFE), the committee to recall Price. The new total contribution is $207,305.
—(A side note: Alameda County DA Pamela Price’s appearance on Thursday with the San Leandro Democratic Club is free, but requires you to register. You can do so HERE.)
CAMPAIGN FINANCE DATA
—MONEYBALL—Below is Form 497 campaign contributions ($5,000 or more) filed Oct. 20 through Oct. 23.
ALAMEDA COUNTY
PRICE RECALL
—Save Alameda For Everyone: Recall DA Price, Reviving the Bay Area, $90,000; $60,000; $48,000; $8,150; $1,155. (Oct. 20). Total: $207,305
STATE LEGISLATURE
STATE ASSEMBLY
—Mia Bonta (18th Assembly District), Roslyn Meyer of Guilford, CT, $5,678 (Mar. 18); Meyer of Guilford, CT, $5,678 (Mar. 18).
STATE SENATE
—Sandre Swanson (7th Senate District), California African American PAC, $5,500 (Oct. 23).
—Dan Kalb (7th Senate District), Sunrun Inc., $1,000 (Aug. 2).
—Rhodesia Ransom (5th Senate District), California African American PAC, $5,500 (Oct. 20).
STATEWIDE
—Nancy Skinner for State Treasurer 2026, Patty Quillin of Santa Cruz, $5,500 (Oct. 18); Elizabeth D. Simons of Atherton, $5,500 (Oct. 18).
