Bay Area

Alameda County Supervisors Consider Changes in Procedures for Recalling Elected Officials

Alameda County is the only county in California whose charter “deviates from” and “is at odds with” the state’s recall laws, wrote the Alameda County Registrar of Voters, according to a KQED interview.

Published

2 years ago

November 10, 2023

Oakland Post

Alameda County District 4 Supervisor Nate Miley. (File photo) Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. (File photo.)

By Post News Group

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors is considering placing a measure on the ballot next year that would overhaul the procedures for how the county conducts recall elections.

The impact of the passage of this measure on the current well-funded attempt to unseat Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price is uncertain at present.

The final decision on whether to place the measure on the ballot, which the board recently approved unanimously at a first reading, was postponed at last week’s meeting to the Nov. 14 board meeting.

According to County Counsel Donna Ziegler, the county’s current rules are outdated and include unconstitutional provisions, lack necessary procedures, and follow unfeasible election law.

“In order to provide the public and the Registrar of Voters with clear and achievable standards for conducting a recall, it is recommended that your board adopt an ordinance to amend the charter,” Ziegler wrote in a report to the board.

Ziegler’s report said the changes are necessary to align county laws with the state’s and eliminate “decades old procedures (that are) a detriment to ensuring lawful, competent, and timely recalls.”

If passed, the measure would appear on the March 2024 ballot for voters to decide.

The measures would replace current procedures for conducting recall elections with the wording: “California state law applicable to the recall of county officers shall govern the recall of County of Alameda elected and appointed officers.”

Supervisor Nate Miley told KQED he did not think that the change would impact the recall campaign against Price.

“It’s just a matter of impracticality in the charter, the way the charter outlines it,” Miley said. “It would be almost an impracticality to put it on a March 5 election. There may be a special election, maybe, but I’m not even sure that will be the case if we’re aligning with a state law.”

The change in recall procedures could potentially increase the number of signatures needed to put a recall on the ballot, which could raise the cost of signature gathering by as much as $200,000.

At present, county rules require a recall campaign to submit about 73,000 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. Under state guidelines, about 93,000 signatures would be needed.

State law would also provide election officials more time to count signatures and arrange an election, could potentially postpone a special recall election to coincide with a regularly scheduled election, such as the next presidential election.

Such a change could shift the voting electorate in a more liberal direction, which would mean more supporters of DA Price’s reform criminal justice agenda might be likely to vote.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

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2 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

1 week ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.