Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Election Results - Update

While still not final, the County has released the latest update on vote counts.  County wide, there remain approximately 1,800 provisional ballots and approximately 5,000 other ballots.  Since this is County wide, only a small number of those would be expected to be from Clayton.  Current ballot count is at 5,745 out of 8,477 registered voters, which is a 67.77% turnout rate.  

It looks like myself and Kim Trupiano have earned a seat on the Council for the next four years.  Our next scheduled Council meeting on 12.6.22 will have the swearing in ceremony but otherwise be a light agenda.

Thank you again to the residents of Clayton who supported me and I look forward to continuing work on the Council.  I recognize there were those who were passionate no matter which candidates were supported.  I hope over the next four years we can all come together in our shared goal of doing what is best for Clayton and its residents.


11.15.22 Meeting Summary

Last night the Council met and discussed one significant item and that was the initiation of the recruitment process for the City Manager role.  Our current City Manager submitted her resignation to be effective at the beginning of February 2023. 

Because of the short time frame, and the recognition that we are near the holidays and the reorganization of the Council after the results of the latest election are certified, we took certain steps to accelerate the process.  We decided to use a recruiting firm, to use funds that had been set aside in a Rainy Day fund in previous years to cover the approximate $27K-$29K it will cost, to form an ad hoc committee consisting of myself and Councilmember Tillman to facilitate the process, and to authorize the Ad Hoc Committee to direct the City Manager to execute the agreement with the recruiting firm that is chosen.

In addition to the above, we also had a swearing in ceremony for our new Police Chief, Richard McEachin.  Chief McEachin was a former Clayton PD Sergeant before leaving to become the Police Chief of another jurisdiction.  I was happy to meet our new chief and look forward to working with him.

Saturday, November 12, 2022

Upcoming Council meeting 11.15.22 and Join me at Ed's Afterwards

There is one significant item on the agenda for our next meeting and that will be to discuss the recruitment of a new City Manager, the potential for an interim City Manager, and whether we need an ad hoc committee to facilitate the process.

Please let me know if you have any thoughts or questions on the above.

While the results of the election are not yet final, I wanted to thank everyone who supported my campaign.  In that vein, after the next Council meeting (not sure when it will end, I will head over to Ed's Mudville Grill and would love if folks would like to join.


Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Thank You! Results not final yet

The results are not yet final, but as of last night (11/8) the counts were as follows:

There were 8,477 registered voters, with just 3,623 ballots being counted as of last night.  Historically in non-presidential years voter turnout in Clayton is right around 70%.  If that turnout figure holds up this election, that means that there would be approximately 2,300 ballots left to be counted.  The County will update their counts periodically here:  https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/7761/Election-Results

Regardless of the final outcome, I wanted to say thank you to a whole lot of people.

To everyone who supported my campaign - Thank you! As I tell people I talk with, there is no polling in Clayton so you never really know if what you're doing is connecting with folks.  

To those who volunteered to canvas – Thank you. It takes a tremendous amount of time and energy to canvas and without your efforts I would have not gotten to nearly as many people as we did.

To those who were willing to show support by putting up yard signs, sometimes multiple – Thank you.
At times it can be difficult putting yourself out there, inviting those questions and conversations from friends and neighbors but those conversations are truly the most impactful and I am grateful.

To those who spread the word online and in person – Thank you. I've always believed that leaders should meet people where they are.  Today quite a few people interact online and my intent is to continue to have conversations with people this way.  Passionate community involvement is what can drive change and with our ability to connect and collaborate we can be truly effective.

To all other supporters - Thank you. The only way this campaign has gotten this far is both because the message has resonated with people, and they were able to hear that message. The only way that was possible is because of the vocal support of the community.

And to my fellow candidates - Thank you.  Though we may disagree from time to time on matters of policy, healthy debate and discussion is part of the process.  Anyone who decides to put themselves out there for public office is to be commended on their willingness to step up and serve.

More information to follow both on this website and my Facebook page, but for now I'm going to get some much needed rest with the family.


Friday, November 4, 2022

Last Thoughts on my Campaign and Remember to Vote on November 8

This election will have significant impact on the direction this city takes.  Not only does the city face financial challenges, we have yet to do the work needed to understand them.  Like many organizations throughout the pandemic, we've lost key personnel and it will be a challenge to find and onboard new talent.  The city also struggles with transparency and accountability, being unable to produce a schedule of maintenance and other regular activities.

Throughout all of this, most people in Clayton are satisfied - we have a fantastic police force that have endorsed my campaign, along with our former Police Chief and Finance Director.  In this safe environment, we have fantastic parks and trails, and great schools, making Clayton a wonderful place to live and raise a family.

But with a current deficit in our budget, many of these things may be at risk. Unfortunately, the current majority on the Council has refused to make any cuts to address our budget shortfalls. Choosing deficit spending rather than reducing expenditures has exacerbated the problem.

Deficit spending should be reserved for extraordinary times. As a city we need to live within our means. Before any tax increase is considered, the city should do everything in its power to reduce expenses and increase efficiencies – raising taxes should be an absolute last resort. For the Council to place a tax measure on the ballot, 4 out of 5 Councilmembers need to vote in favor. This means that if just two Councilmembers are opposed to a tax measure, it will NOT move forward. If elected, I will not support raising taxes except as a last resort.

The city has a lot of work ahead to increase operational efficiency and fiscal discipline. Unless and until that happens I will not support any revenue measure. I know Kim Trupiano feels similarly. If elected, Kim and I add up to two which shuts down the possibility of more taxes and we can instead, shift our focus away from squandering resources with useless surveys and trying to increase taxes and instead, focus on serious discussions about cost savings, efficiencies, and other ways to reduce our overall expenditures – what we should have been doing since I raised this issue back in the middle of 2021.

If you have not yet already voted, please do so by November 8.  You can vote for two candidates and I am asking for your support and your vote so that together, we focus forward and overcome any challenges the city faces.

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

11.1.22 Meeting Summary and my Candidate Statement

While there were no action items or public hearings at last night's meeting, we did hear introductions from several local businesses that have opened in Clayton this calendar year.  I hope this continues as a regular event going forward as it's a great way to get to know the new places that have opened up shop in town.

There was also a presentation from the Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District. The District provides essential services for protecting public health by working to prevent vector-borne disease in Contra Costa County.

The District is governed by a a Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees are officials appointed by their respective city councils to govern the Mosquito and Vector Control District knowledgeably and effectively. They serve without compensation but are provided with an allowance to defray expenses while on official business (not to exceed $100 per month). Trustees do not receive any type of benefits and serve for a term of two to four years.

After 18 years of service, Clayton's representative on the Board of Trustees for the District has stepped down and the city is looking to fill the spot.  If interested, please see more information at the city's page on Vacancies and Volunteer Opportunities here:  https://claytonca.gov/our-city/vacancies/

I also gave the following statement during public comment, which is the same as the post I made this weekend: