Season finales
The last council day of the year brings a conclusion to an eventful year in Alameda County politics.
COUNTY NEWS
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
—END OF AN ERA—Alameda County will draw the curtain closed on Supervisor Keith Carson’s 32-year run representing District 5 this afternoon.
—Carson began his political career as an aide to Rep. Ron Dellums before joining the Alameda County Board of Supervisors in 1992. Carson announced last December that he would not run for re-election in the March Primary.
—Oakland Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas will succeed Carson in the Oakland, Berkeley, and Albany supervisorial district.
—Over the years, Carson earned the distinction of being the dean of the board and its expert on budgetary matters. Along the way, it was Carson who often strove to uphold the board’s ideals and collegiality.
—Without a doubt Carson leaves the dais as a consequential figure in the history of Alameda County politics.
—SECOND READINGS—Two agenda items that created consternation for Supervisor Keith Carson because of its torpid pace returns on Tuesday for second and final readings.
—The long-overdue Alameda County housing element is set to be approved on Tuesday afternoon and submitted quickly to the state for approval. The county faced a Dec. 31 deadline set by the state.
—But if last Thursday’s first hearing is any indication, expect more pushback on the housing element from housing providers in the unincorporated areas and from Fairview residents who believe they are taking the brunt of the county’s proposed rezoning for new housing units.
—Meanwhile, the long road to Just Cause protections for the unincorporated areas hopefully comes to a conclusion on Tuesday,
—After several years of debate and delay, a watered down version of Just Cause comes to the board for a second reading. The proposed ordinance essentially codifies the state’s Just Cause rules in the county’s municipal code.
—BLAME TIM—Often embattled Alameda County Registrar of Voters Tim Dupuis delivered a fall election without issue.
—However, recall that Dupuis’ bumbling of the ranked choice voting algorithm in 2022 was discovered after the vote was certified. The mistake led Dupuis to certifying the wrong winner in an Oakland school board election.
—But, so far, so good this time around.
—But Dupuis’ overall record will again come under fire this morning with a rally outside the county building calling for his ouster.
—APPOINTMENTS—Supervisor Nate Miley is appointing Dan Davini to the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council. Lori Cox, the former Alameda County Social Services Agency director, has resigned from the Reparations Commission.
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CITY NEWS
OAKLAND
—CLIFFHANGERS—The Oakland City Council winds up its legislative year with some heady agenda items. In each case, they serve as cliffhangers to be resolved in early 2025.
—Among the big discussions and votes:
Oakland’s estimated $129 million budget shortfall will be balanced on Tuesday with a series of transfers and other cuts, which includes $25 million from the police department’s overtime budget.
First reading of a proposed sales tax increase to be placed on the April 15 special election ballot, in addition to a proposed parcel tax. In both cases, the possible second and final reading of each ordinance will be made next January by a new set of councilmembers.
Certification of the November election, which includes the successful recall of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and her official removal from office.
—CARJACKED BUT DEFIANT—Catherine Lew, a prominent Oakland political consultant was robbed in Oakland while seated in her car on early Friday afternoon. The carjacking occurred in front of Lew’s office.
—Without question, Lew was shaken by the brazen assault, but she reemerged surprisingly hopeful about Oakland’s future.
—On Sunday, Lew wrote on Facebook:
—“Sadly, while I am not the first and won't be the last who will experience this (or worse) I have to admit on Friday I felt defeated. I called someone who had left Oakland and told her I felt like giving up. While she had made the right choice for herself, surprisingly—she told me not to make the same choice.
—“It is true I decided years ago to put my stake in Oakland, to love and yes, fight for this amazing community. There are important decisions Oaklanders need to make next year in who our next leaders will be. When the shouting and voting subside, let us rally around one another and our community's chosen leaders, and work together with every ounce of what we have to make Oakland stronger and safer. Oakland is worth the fighting for!”
SAN LEANDRO
—BOLDT STATEMENT FOR LABOR—New District 6 San Leandro Councilmember Dylan Boldt was sworn in on Monday night.
—During the last election cycle, Boldt emerged on the scene with unprecedented campaign finance dollars (by San Leandro’s standards) fueled by his strong ties to labor. Boldt is a business manager for Steamfitters Local 483.
—He made his labor chops clearly known on Monday saying, “I represent labor and will continue to represent labor.”
—Councilmember Sbeydeh Viveros-Walton was sworn in on Monday to finish the last two years of Celina Reynes’ term. Viveros-Walton was appointed to the District 1 seat in February. She received the oath of office from Assemblymember Liz Ortega.
—BALLEW WEATHERS SNUB—San Leandro Councilmember Pete Ballew, the man Dylan Boldt is replacing in Distict 6, was praised on Monday night by the mayor and some councilmembers for his eight-years of service.
—Residual resentment from the pair of censures delivered last month to Councilmembers Fred Simon and Victor Aguilar, Jr. led each to vote against the normal perfunctory approval of Ballew’s proclamation of appreciation.
—Councilmember Bryan Azevedo, who was also sworn in for a second term on Monday and who often votes with Simon and Aguilar, also voted no. Ballew abstained, which meant the motion failed, 3-3, with one abstention.
—When the vote tally appeared on the screens inside the council chambers, a staff member seated in the back gasped at the discourteous move by Simon, Aguilar, and Azevedo.
—The proclamation succeeded after Ballew switched his vote from abstain to yes after a motion to reconsider was granted.
—Earlier, Aguilar offered congratulatory words to Ballew, but peppered some of his comments with passive aggressive slights, such as mostly disagreeing with Ballew, who is a former San Leandro police officer. In his remarks, Aguilar acknowledged that he’s “anti-cop.”
—For his part, Ballew thanked his counterparts by name during a brief address, but omitted any verbal reference to Simon, Aguilar, and Azevedo.
—“I have some disappointments about how some councilmembers have acted in the past—and that’s all eight years,” Ballew said in his farewell address before adding he hopes the council will soon approve a code of ethics.
ALAMEDA
—NEXT UP—Two new members will join the five-person Alameda City Council on Tuesday night. Michele Pryor, who will instantly become the council’s most progressive councilmember, and Greg Boller, the Alameda County prosecutor who won the second at-large seat last November.
—They replace termed out Councilemember Malia Vella and Trish Herrera Spencer, who lost re-election last month.
—TRISH WATCH—Speaking of Councilmember Trish Herrera Spencer, she has been absent from the past four council meetings following reports that she was found in a drunken state on Oct. 18 at a city-paid convention in Long Beach, Calif.
—Will she end her term with a fifth straight absence?
—If there's anything that might lure Spencer back into chamber one last time it would be a agenda item related to her long-time nemesis, the Alameda firefighters union.
—The firefighters union and the Alameda Fire Chief Association are seeking authority tonight to reorganize their ranks, adding a deputy fire chief and a battalion chief to management, while fire is promoting two division chief to deputy chief, among other changes.
—Three positions will be eliminated, including two firefighters. The moves will save $207,700, according to city staff.
CASTRO VALLEY
—MAC MEMBER’S SON ATTACKED—Castro Valley Superintendent Parvin Ahmadi batted away, at times, pointed questioning from members of the public and Castro Valley Municipal Advisory (MAC) Councilmembers on Monday night.
—Worries about student safety at Castro Valley schools has been simmering for quite some time. The Castro Valley school board’s decision in 2020 to remove Student Resource Officers has fueled some of their concerns.
—Tojo Thomas, a member of the Castro Valley MAC, said at Monday night’s meeting that his 17-year-old son was attacked in the parking lot of the Castro Valley library because of his religion.
—“I can’t believe I’m talking about this. My son is Christian and I know he was attacked for being Christian,” Thomas said. “It was crazy, outrageous, and disgusting.”
—The alleged attacker, a 19-year-old, who Thomas described as Muslim, was arrested on Dec. 3. Thomas said his son was targeted because he is close friends with the man’s sister.
—“I have to handle business because I feel my kids are not safe in school,” Thomas told Ahmadi.
—Ahmadi said the incident occurred at the library, not at school. But she acknowledged, “We all need to work together and create a safe environment for everyone.”
—Over the past year, Thomas and other MAC members have urged the school district to bring back SROs, often calling for school boardmembers to address the MAC about their concerns.
2025 CANDIDATE LIST
OAKLAND MAYORAL SPECIAL ELECTION
Ignacio De La Fuente, former Oakland councilmember
Isaac Kos-Read, Oakland consultant/lobbyist
Peter Liu (filed intent Dec. 9)
Mindy Pechenuk, educator/researcher (filed intent Dec. 2)
Fabian Robinson pastor (filed intent Dec. 4)
Derrick Soo (filed xvDec. 9)
Elizabeth Swaney, Olympian (filed intent Nov. 18)
Loren Taylor, former Oakland councilmember (filed intent Nov. 8)
Renia Webb, former chief of staff (filed intent Nov. 18)
Larry Lionel Young, Jr. (filed intent Dec. 5)
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 2 SPECIAL ELECTION
Kanitha Matoury, small business owner
Charlene Wang, civil rights advisor
ALAMEDA COUNTY DA APPOINTMENT
Ursula Jones Dickson, Alameda County Superior Court judge
Annie Esposito, fmr Alameda County prosecutor
Butch Ford, fmr Alameda County prosecutor
Venus Johnson, Calif. Chief Deputy AG
L.D. Louis, Alameda County deputy county counsel
Yibin Shen, Alameda City Attorney
Eric Swalwell, congressmember
Scott Tsui, Santa Clara County prosecutor
Jimmie Wilson, Alameda County prosecutor