City Government

Shake Up City Hall: Schaaf Wins Re-election but Loses Two Council Allies

Published

6 years ago

November 8, 2018

Mayor Libby Schaaf easily won reelection this week, while the victory of three new representatives to the City Council could mean a shift in power dynamics in Oakland city politics.

Nikki Bas

The results are subject to change, especially in close races. One-hundred percent of the precincts have reported the votes that were cast, but thousands of mail ballots have yet to be counted.
As of early Wednesday morning, Mayor Schaaf won with 55.98 percent of the vote.
Activist, journalist and actor Cat Brooks came in second with 22.78 percent, and civil rights attorney Pamela Price was third with 12.62 percent.
Community activist Nikki Fortunato Bas defeated District 2 incumbent Abel Guillén, a close Schaaf ally. Bas won 51.04 percent of the vote, while Guillén received 42.42 percent, and Kenzie Donte Smith came in third with 6.3 percent.
Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan’s chief of staff Sheng Thao won in District 4 with 53.59 percent of the ranked-choice votes. Pam Harris, a nonprofit executive, who was backed by Mayor Schaaf, came in second with 46.41 percent, and Nayeli Maxson was in third place.
Schaaf lost a reliable ally when District 4 Councilmember Annie Campbell Washington chose not to seek reelection. The mayor originally backed Charlie Michelson, who dropped out in mid-campaign but still remained on the ballot, receiving 13.66 percent of the vote.

In the closely watched District 6 race, Loren Taylor beat 16-year veteran Councilmember Desley Brooks with 61.51 percent of the vote to Brooks’ 38.49 percent.
Targeted by Mayor Schaaf and her allies, Brooks faced opponents and PACs that outspent her by nearly 5 to 1.
In the District 4 school board race, retired Oakland school administrator and former school board member Gary Yee won with 62.21 percent over parent activist Clarissa Doutherd’s 37.62 percent.

Loren Taylor.

Doutherd was backed by the Oakland teachers’ union while Yee had the support and financial backing of the local pro-charter school organization, GO Public Schools.
School boardmembers Aimee Eng in District 2 and Shanthi Gonzales in District 6 won reelection, with no opponents on the ballot.
Courtney Ruby, a former city auditor, won the race for city auditor with 61.93 percent of the vote, defeating incumbent Brenda Roberts, who received 37.75 percent.
Mayor Schaaf’s education initiative, Measure AA, was the only local measure that lost. It needed a two-thirds majority to win but fell short with 61.79 percent of the vote.
The cannabis tax break, Measure V, won with 78.22 percent.
The vacant property tax, Measure W, won with 68.65 percent.
Real estate transfer tax Measure X won with 66.54 percent.
Measure Y just cause renter protections won with 56.06 percent.
Measure Z, hotel worker pay and protections, won with a 74.6 percent yes vote.
In a statewide race that received national attention, Jovanka Beckles lost to Buffy Wicks in Assembly District 15, garnering 44 percent to Wicks’ 56 percent.
State superintendent of public instruction candidate Tony Thurmond is trailing Marshall Tuck, 49.4 percent to 50.6 percent. The California Teachers Association backed Thurmond, while charter school organizations and billionaires supported Tuck.
District 13 Congresswoman Barbara Lee was overwhelmingly reelected with 87.7 percent of the vote versus Green Party candidate Laura Wells, who received 12.3 percent.
Proposition 8, which would have regulated kidney dialysis treatment charges, was defeated 61.6 percent to 38.4 percent.
Proposition 10, which would have repealed a state law that restricts cities’ ability to pass rent control laws, was defeated 61.7 percent to 38.3 percent.
In Peralta Community College Board of Trustees race, Area Three representative Linda Handy won reelection with 54.26 percent. Cindi Reiss defeated William “Bill” Riley, 68.65 percent to 30.48 percent.
Two funding Peralta funding measures passed—Peralta Colleges Measure E, 81.03 percent to 18.97 percent, and Peralta Bond Measure G, 74.48 percent to 25.52 percent.

OAKLAND POST

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City Government

San Pablo Appoints New Economic Development and Housing Manager

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo. Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Published

17 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Kieron Slaughter. Photo courtesy of the City of San Pablo

The Richmond Standard

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo.

Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Before that he was an associate planner in the City of Richmond’s Planning and Building Services Department from 2007-2015.

San Pablo City Manager Matt Rodriguez lauded Slaughter’s extensive experience in economic development, housing and planning, saying he will add a “valuable perspective to the City Manager’s Office.”

Slaughter, a Berkeley resident, will start in his new role on Nov. 12, with a base annual salary of $164,928, according to the City of San Pablo.

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City Government

Aaron Osorio Rises Up Ranks to Become Richmond’s Fire Chief

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10. “I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.” Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Published

18 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Richmond Fire Department Chief Aaron Osorio. Courtesy photo

By Mike Kinney

The Richmond Standard

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10.

“I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.”

Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Osorio is a San Francisco native who rose up the ranks in the Richmond Fire Department over the last 21 years before being elevated to chief.

He joined the department in 2002 and has served in multiple roles including firefighters, engineer, captain, battalion chief, training director and deputy fire chief. He said he truly loves working in this community.

While it isn’t common for a fire department to hire a chief that came up through its ranks, Osorio was credited by the city for serving Richmond well during uncommon times.

The city lauded him for developing internal policies and vaccination clinics during the initial COVID response, for supporting activation of the emergency operations center in response to a potential mudslide disaster in Seacliff last year, helping to draft mutual aid agreements and working to increase fire response capabilities for industrial incidents.

He’s also led departmental hiring and recruitment since 2018.

Osorio said it is an honor to be hired as chief and has big plans for the department moving forward. He said he wants to continue hiring and promoting for vacant positions, and also completing a strategic plan guiding the direction of the organization.

He also aims to replace and renovate a number of fire department facilities placed on the Capital Improvement Plan and create new ways to recruit that will enhance the diversity of the department.

Osorio said his experience within, and love for, the city of Richmond puts him in a good position to lead the department. He says he knows what is needed and also the challenges that are unique to the city.

“I look forward to utilizing that institutional knowledge to move the fire department forward in a positive direction and enhance the services we provide to the community,” the chief said.

Osorio holds a bachelor of science degree in Fire Administration and is also a California State Fire Marshal-certified chief officer, company officer, and state instructor.

He also holds numerous certifications in fire, rescue, hazardous material, and incident command.

The chief has been married to his wife, Maria, for 26 years and they have two sons, Roman and Mateo.

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Bay Area

Oakland Awarded $28 Million Grant from Governor Newsom to Sustain Long-Term Solutions Addressing Homelessness

Governor Gavin Newsom announced the City of Oakland has won a$28,446,565.83 grant as part of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) grant program. This program provides flexible grant funding to help communities support people experiencing homelessness by creating permanent housing, rental and move-in assistance, case management services, and rental subsidies, among other eligible uses.

Published

18 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao

Governor Gavin Newsom announced the City of Oakland has won a$28,446,565.83 grant as part of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) grant program.

This program provides flexible grant funding to help communities support people experiencing homelessness by creating permanent housing, rental and move-in assistance, case management services, and rental subsidies, among other eligible uses.

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and the Oakland City Administrator’s Office staff held a press conference today to discuss the grant and the City’s successful implementing of the Mayor’s Executive Order on the Encampment Management Policy.