Stephen Cassidy, San Leandro mayor and fiscal reformer, passes away
Widely respected for his intensity, independence, and commitment to public service, Cassidy became an influential voice in modern San Leandro
☕️MORNING BUZZ
—Stephen Cassidy, a one-term mayor of San Leandro who sought to bring fiscal reform and transparency to City Hall before becoming one of the city’s elder statesman, died on Friday, He was 61. His cause of death is unknown.
Cassidy was elected mayor in 2010 after defeating an incumbent with a persistent message of budget discipline during the height of the Great Recession. His come-from-behind victory—San Leandro’s first use of ranked-choice voting—is believed to be the first time a sitting mayor was unseated in the city’s history.
During his four-year term, Cassidy prioritized budget stability, economic redevelopment, and modernizing the city’s industrial and technology corridors. He also pushed for greater transparency in government operations.
—His tenure included contentious debates over pension liabilities, city spending, and the use of surveillance technology, frequently placing him at the center of political clashes.
“We have to make our pension system sustainable. However, San Leandro can no longer afford to pay 100 percent of public employee benefits,” Cassidy said in his 2012 State of the City address, a statement that drew sharp criticism from the police union.
Supporters credited him with elevating fiscal accountability; detractors were often put off by his direct, unyielding style. Few questioned, however, the depth of his impact on San Leandro politics.
San Leandro Mayor Juan Gonzalez called him “a dedicated and experienced public servant whose impact on our community will be felt for generations,” praising a legacy “rooted in service, integrity, and care for our residents.”
Cassidy declined to run for re-election in 2014, despite a clear path to victory, citing a desire to spend more time with family.
A makeover in the public realm followed. Gone was his brusque demeanor. In its place, a collaborative, collegial tone emerged. Cassidy’s politics also appeared to become more progressive.
Out of office, he remained nonetheless an influential civic voice, becoming a steady, analytical presence in local debates on housing, education, policing, and public integrity. He was among the first to publicly call for Councilmember Bryan Azevedo’s resignation after Azevedo was charged in October with wire fraud and lying to federal authorities.
—Cassidy’s disciplined campaign style translated into later advocacy efforts, including organizing slow-growth coalitions and emerging as the San Leandro school district’s most effective champion for local revenue measures.
Since 2016, he helped pass four ballot initiatives, including Measure J, a $174 million school bond approved in March 2024.
“He shared his time, expertise, and voice generously because he believed deeply in the potential of every San Leandro student,” San Leandro Unified School District Superintendent Mike McLaughlin.
At the time of his passing, Cassidy was advising a committee pursuing a citizen-led revenue measure for next year’s ballot.
Cassidy first entered public service on the San Leandro Unified School District Board of Trustees, serving one term from 2004 to 2008.
—Born in Pittsburgh, he graduated from Georgetown and U.C. Hastings College of the Law before building a career in employment and civil litigation, later moving into consulting. He most recently served as head of the Newark Chamber of Commerce.
Few knew that Cassidy had been a child actor in the 1970s, appearing in 13 episodes of the Saturday morning sitcom Big John, Little John, an ABC Afterschool Special, and an episode of Lou Grant.
He is survived by his wife, Amy, and their two daughters.
San Leandro officials said a public memorial will be held Jan. 10 at the San Leandro High School Performing Arts Center. A time has not yet been announced.
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