Measured
Ballot measures, old and new at the county and city levels, emerge. March Primary is certified; Bonta heads fundraiser for San Leandro council candidate; Berkeley school boardmember runs for council
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COUNTY NEWS
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
—ADU PREEMPTION—Residents and conservationists in East County believe Measure D, an open space initiative approved by voters in 2000 to limit growth and protect agricultural lands, is gospel.
—Even the slightest tweak to Measure D, they contend, should not be made by the Board of Supervisors, but by voters. In fact, voters approved changes to the size of agricultural buildings in East County two years ago.
—However, Measure D proponents may have new front to fight.
—This time against a state law that allows the construction of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) that go beyond the urban growth boundary in East County.
—The issue was raised at Monday’s Board of Supervisors Transportation and Planning Committee meeting.
—Chief Assistant County Counsel Andrea Weddle told the committee that some provisions in Measure D are likely preempted by state law, and could allow more housing units in areas previously off-limits.
—More on the issue is expected at next week’s planning meeting.
—UNDERCOVER DIRECTOR—Alameda County Housing Director Michelle Starratt passed along a recent experience with a local landlord who mistook her for a prospective tenant.
—The landlord in the unincorporated areas told Starratt applicants need not bother to apply if they did not have three times the rent for a deposit.
—Starratt told the Board of Supervisors last week that she didn’t believe the landlord knew she was the county’s housing director.
—Starratt said what the landlord is asking is roughly $10,000, a sum that many renters in the unincorporated areas do not have.
—Several housing providers later pushed back at Starratt’s anecdote, saying the county’s actions, including allowing the Covid-19 eviction moratorium to last three years hastened such behavior by landlords.
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CITY NEWS
OAKLAND
—DEMOCRACY $$ UPDATE—Measure W, the Oakland ballot initiative approved in 2022 to reform campaign finance in a novel way, may be on track for its debut in 2026.
—The “Democracy Dollars” public financing program gives each Oakland voters a $100 voucher that can be given to any candidate of their choice.
—Funding for the program was a victim of last year’s $360 million two-year budget shortfall.
—However, the Democracy Dollars program is facing startup issues related to creating its technology systems from scratch. One vendor capable of doing the job has been identified, according to a report by the Oakland Public Ethics Commission.
—The problem is similar to what the Alameda County Registrar of Voters is facing with building systems from the ground up for 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in Oakland and Berkeley school board elections this fall.
—PEC BALLOT MEASURE—Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission may ask the city council to place a charter amendment on its behalf, in addition to changes to the city’s municipal code.
—Among the proposed changes to be discussed at the Public Ethics Commission’s April 10 meeting:
Power to waive pay increases for the city council, city attorney, and the city auditor during “extreme fiscal necessity or revenue loss.”
Prohibit its commissioners from running for the city council or school board for two years after their term has ended.
Power to appoint its own executive director.
Prohibition against elected officials and their families from accepting gifts from lobbyists.
—TAX & RESCIND—Oakland city leaders will add their opposition to a disputed state constitutional ballot measure amendment that may land on the November ballot.
—A resolution authored by Councilmember Dan Kalb, will register the city’s opposition to the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act, a state ballot measure that would inhibit the ability of local and state to seek new tax measures.
—Whether the constitutional amendment makes it the November ballot is now before the California Supreme Court. A decision is expected sometime this summer.
—The ballot measure seeks to void any new taxes and fee that were approved by voters starting in 2022.
—For Oakland, the ballot measure could greatly affect the city’s ongoing budget woes.
—“This will make it worse and harder to fix,” Kalb said of the proposed ballot measure while acknowledging Oakland’s recently reported $177 million budget shortfall.
—In 2022, Oakland voters approved Measure T, a progressive business tax that has already boosted the city’s coffers with an additional $20 million in new revenues last year.
—Measure Y, a new parcel tax to help bolster the Oakland Zoo’s operations with an estimated $12 million in new revenues, was also approved by voters in 2022.
—If the proposed constitutional amendment appears on the November ballot and is approved by statewide voters, it would mean Oakland officials will have to go back to voters to win reapproval of Measure T and Measure Y.
ELECTION 2024
MARCH PRIMARY
—CERTIFIED—The March Primary is officially in the books after the Alameda County Registrar of Voters certified the election on Monday. Voter turnout in Alameda County clocked in at a dismal 35.17 percent.
FREMONT MAYOR
—ENDORSEMENT—Rep. Eric Swalwell endorsed Raj Salwan for Fremont mayor over the weekend.
—In the endorsement, announced in a clip posted on social media, Swalwell said Salwan, a current member of the Fremont City Council, will support funding for law enforcement.
—Public safety could very well be the issue that poses the biggest contrast between Salwan and his opponent, former Fremont Councilmember Vinnie Bacon.
—Bacon is on a very short list of current and former Alameda County officials that has publicly voiced support for Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price amid a likely recall election.
SAN LEANDRO CITY COUNCIL - DISTRICT 2
—BONTA IN THE ‘DRO—Ed Hernandez will kickoff his campaign for the San Leandro City Council seat in District 2 on May 16 with California Attorney General Rob Bonta scheduled to attend, the campaign announced.
—It remains to be seen if Bonta will offer his endorsement to Hernandez’s campaign this fall against incumbent San Leandro Councilmember Bryan Azevedo this November.
—As for Azevedo, it’s certainly going to be very difficult for any Alameda County Democrat to endorse Azevedo after he was critical of the party for not endorsing his campaign for San Leandro mayor in 2022.
—“I don’t like either party,” Azevedo wrote. “I do what the community wants, not the party. Political parties do nothing but divide us!”
BERKELEY CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL ELECTION - DISTRICT 4
—FIELD IS SET—The May 28 special election to take over for District 4 Berkeley Councilmember Kate Harrison is set.
—Four candidates qualified for the special election at last Friday’s filing deadline.
—They include: Igor Tregub, the chair of the Alameda County Democratic Party; Soli Alpert, a Berkeley Rent Board commissioner; Elana Auerbach, a community organizer; and Ruben Hernandez Story, chief of staff for Berkeley Councilmember Terry Taplin.
—Harrison was the second Berkeley councilmember to resign earlier this Primary. However, Harrison is still running for Berkeley mayor this fall.
—The winner of next month’s special election will serve out the remainder of Harrison’s council term, through 2026.
7TH STATE SENATE DISTRICT
—WITH THE FIRST PICK IN THE SD7 DRAFT…—Seventh State Senate District candidate Jovanka Beckles announced the endorsement on Sunday of Sandré Swanson.
—Swanson is the first candidate in the primary field to toss their support to one of the SD7 top two March winners.
—Jesse Arreguin won the primary and will face Beckles, a fellow Democrat, in November.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS - DISTRICT 2
—NO TIME FOR REST—Alameda County Supervisor Elisa Marquez created her 2026 re-election campaign on March 26. Marquez’s victory in the March Primary only covers the last two years of former Supervisor Richard Valle’s term in office.
—STATEMENT OF INTENT—Berkeley school boardmember Ana Vasudeo is running for the open Berkeley City Council in District 5… LeRe Garrett filed to run in Oakland’s District 7 city council race against incumbent Treva Reid… Jatinderpal Sahi filed to run for the Area 1 New Haven USD (Union City) school board seat held by Lance Nishihira.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
—MONEYBALL—Form 497 campaign contributions filed on March 20 through April 1:
STATE LEGISLATURE
STATE SENATE
—Committee to Support the Recall of Aisha Wahab, Mangesh Phadke of Morgan Hill, $7,500; Vivek Walvekar of Morgan Hill, $7,000; Ashish Dharashivkar of San Ramon, $5,000; Sachin Kothawade of Milpitas, $5,000. TOTAL: $24,500.
STATE ASSEMBLY
—Buffy Wicks (14th Assembly District), Strada Investment Group LLC, $2,000. TOTAL: $2,000.
—Mia Bonta (18th Assembly District), California Orthotic & Prosthetic Association PAC, $5,000. TOTAL: $5,000.
—Alex Lee (24th Assembly District), SEIU Local 1021 Candidate PAC Small Contributor Committee, $5,500; California State Council of Laborers PAC Small Contributor Committee, $5,300. TOTAL: $10,800.