Miley to Bas: 'If you start meddling in my district, there could be repercussions'

Supervisor Miley lashed out after Supervisor Bas interjected her office into a bike/ped project in his district; Alameda County Dems make pick for Oakland mayor; Bonta is not running for governor

☕️MORNING BUZZ

—In just the past four years, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors has witnessed unprecedented change among its ranks. Supervisor Nate Miley is the only holdover from the group that presided on the board prior to the pandemic. Two supervisors passed away, and two have retired.

The Board of Supervisors have long been steeped in a specific process for how its conducts the county’s business. Some are unwritten courtesies, such as allowing supervisors to pull an item at any time, and for any reason.

Over the past years, Supervisor Elisa Márquez, appointed in 2023, and elected last year, has been slowly pushing the county’s norms, and some of its unwritten courtesies and collegiality.

Marquez, for instance, a voiced great discontent with the board’s lethargic process when it came to tenants protections. Later, when a supervisor moved to continue an item on the board’s agenda, which is any supervisor’s prerogative under its rules, Marquez unsuccessfully attempted to override the request.

The board’s senior members have largely avoided comment about Marquez’s bending of the rules.

—But the issue erupted on Tuesday when Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, the board’s newest member, was accused by Miley of interfering in a bicycle and pedestrian improvement project in his district.

A supervisor unilaterally interjecting themselves into another supervisor’s realm is a significant breach of protocol, not only at the Board of Supervisors, but with any district-based council.

Bas said her chief of staff visited the corridor on Somerset Avenue in Castro Valley, and observed the area during a typically busy time of the day.

Bas also emphasized that feedback from the county’s bike and pedestrian advisory commission come back directly to the board.

Miley’s comments to Bas were stern. “If you start meddling in my district, there could be repercussions, not just from me, but the community,” Miley said.

“I think I know the needs of the community. They have elected me in seven elections. There have been other supervisors that have butted into my district on occasion, which I don’t like,” he continued.

“I’m just letting you know. I’m letting you know. Respectfully, letting you know if you start jumping into the unincorporated area and not respecting the supervisor, or supervisors that represent the unincorporated area, there could be ramifications.”

—Bas apologized to Miley. “My intention is not to butt in, but to start to learn the issues that I am voting on.” She added, “I did not mean to be disrespectful.”

—More inside:

• Bonta is not running for governor in 2026. Some reasons are obvious, some are not.

• Alameda County Democrats made one endorsement, and avoided another in Oakland’s special election contests.

• Alameda County Fire is planning for another new fire station in Castro Valley.

• Call them the Bay Area Air District. Maybe avoid the acronym

• H.A.R.D. has some suggestions for Valentine’s Day.

• Elon Musk tells Rep. Ro Khanna, “Don’t be a dick.”

• Daily campaign finance data from Oakland’s special election

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