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On Monday, the Cambridge City Council unanimously voted to declare town as a “refuge” for trans- and non -binaries.

The resolution follows the recent attacks by the Trump government on the transgender community, including an order that defines sex as only male or female transgender athletes of transgender athletes on women's sports and forbid transgender troops from serving.

Further efforts were the pruning of anti-discrimination protection, limiting access to gender-specific health care in addition to the undermining of the dignity and security of transgender people in public spaces across the country, based on the resolution of Cambridge.

The commands which are destroyed by Washington DC concerns the mayor Denise Simmons, who became the primary black, openly lesbian mayor of the nation in 2008.

“When someone who is on the road loudly and proud, I also worry,” said Simmons in the course of the council meeting.

She said that discrimination continues to happen in Cambridge, which individuals often consider as a “safe haven”.

“It was always here,” said Simmons. But “it was released, published.”

“If we are silent, it would probably not protect us,” continued Simmons. “We have to get up. We always got up and not just an example, but also a beacon for other communities. We strengthen this voice this evening. ”

Mayor Marc McGovern, who introduced the choice to the Council, said that in times like this it was best to fly under the radar to avoid unwanted attention.

“I think the opposite,” said McGovern. “We have to withstand this bullying and help people feel more comfortable and safer in this community.”

Cambridge has been shown as a refuge for the reason that mid -Eighties. The resolution builds on town's commitment, not just for immigrants, but additionally for marginalized communities, including transgender and non -bobage population, to be a sanctuary.

The resolution states that town won’t work with federal or state guidelines to break transgender and gender differences, and take measures to make sure that these people have access to health care, living space, education and employment without being afraid of discrimination.

In addition, no urban resources are used to work together an individual with an individual or a department outside the state in regards to the health care of an individual conducted within the state or to supply information in regards to the gender -specific health care within the state.

City Councilor Patricia Nolan noted that everybody within the room might be affected by these actions.

“The fear that has been created in the past six weeks is quite terrible,” said Nolan.

Even in a community like Cambridge, said Nolan, it is important to tell people about this topic.

“We will do what we can know that we are a bubble of the welcome caution,” she added.

Council member Ayesha Wilson agreed.

“We live in such a hateful time in which people are ready for some reason, people who may not look like them to discriminate and say the most hurtful things,” said Wilson. “This is not the Cambridge path. We should do it better. We have this responsibility to model this in our city. ”

During the general public comment area, Evan Mackay, a resident of Cambridge, who was draped in a transgender flag

“Hopefully this evening we will add trans- and non -bobs to sanctuary policy,” said Mackay. “Tomorrow and forever we can all do our best to show our friends, our family and our neighbors for trans- and not bobs.”

Local News

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is looking on Boston City Councilwoman Tania Fernandes Anderson to resign after she was arrested on federal corruption charges Friday morning.

Several city councilors also called for Fernandes Anderson's resignation on Friday afternoon.

The District 7 representative was charged with five counts of wire fraud and one count of theft related to programs that received federal funds. The US Attorney's Office announced this on Friday.

“Like every member of the community, Councilor Fernandes Anderson has the right to a fair trial. But the seriousness of these allegations undermines the public’s trust and will prevent them from effectively serving the city,” Wu said in a press release. “I call on Councilor Fernandes Anderson to resign.”

The councilman, who represents Roxbury, Dorchester, Fenway and a part of the South End, is scheduled to look in federal court in Boston on Friday at 2:15 p.m.

Other reactions

On Friday afternoon at 3 p.m., City Councilors Ed Flynn, Erin Murphy and Sharon Durkan, in addition to Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, called for Fernandes Anderson's resignation.

Flynn said the allegations against the town council were “very disturbing.”

“This is unfortunately the result of a series of legal and ethical lapses by members of the Boston City Council in recent years that have both reflected poorly on the city and prevented us from caring about the people’s business,” said Flynn. “It is critical that elected officials appointed to positions of public trust work to provide positive and ethical leadership.”

In a press release to Boston.com, Flynn said he plans to order a hearing Friday on the creation of an ethics commission on the Boston City Council.

Murphy also called the allegations against Fernandes Anderson “deeply disturbing.”

“Elected officials are charged with honestly and ethically representing the public and must not abuse their power for personal gain,” Murphy said in a press release. “Actions like these undermine public trust and perpetuate the harmful belief that our City Council is unworthy of the trust of those we serve.”

Murphy continued: “I firmly believe that any officer who engages in criminal activity or unethical behavior must be held fully accountable. We are here to empower and protect the people of Boston, not to exploit our positions for personal gain. To betray that trust is to betray every resident who looks to us for leadership.”

Murphy also said she hopes justice is correctly served.

“If these allegations are proven true, I expect swift and appropriate action to be taken to ensure that justice is served and the integrity of our government is preserved,” she said.

In addition, City Council President Louijeune said that Fernandes Anderson should resign in order that the authority can proceed its work without disruption.

“Councilman Fernandes Anderson has every right to due process in court. “Given the seriousness of the allegations against her and the direct impact they have on residents’ ability to view the Boston City Council as their faithful stewards, it is in the body’s best interest that she resign,” she said in a press release Opinion Opinion. “This would allow the legal process to proceed without undue disruption to the panel.”

Durkan said the allegations damaged the council's repute.

“These allegations demonstrate a clear failure to maintain the integrity and fiduciary responsibility required of a public official.” Durkan said in a press release. “Only by prioritizing accountability and integrity can we build public trust and ensure that City Hall remains a place of service and not self-interest.”

Fernandes Anderson allegedly implemented a plan to rent a relative — which is prohibited for Boston city councilors — and agreed to pay the worker $13,000 as a bonus on the condition that a few of it’s returned to her, based on reports Court documents show.

Authorities said the worker and Fernandes Anderson allegedly arranged to fulfill in a restroom at City Hall, where the worker handed the councilman $7,000 in money.

The Massachusetts Republican Party called the town council's alleged misconduct “completely abhorrent.”

“Boston deserves so much better,” said the Republican caucus Posted on X.

Just completely disgusting. Boston City Councilwoman Tania Fernandes Anderson was arrested on corruption charges. Boston deserves so significantly better. #mapoli #bospoli https://t.co/ER4nHZaUpw pic.twitter.com/Nbu42JsWW2

– MassGOP (@massgop) December 6, 2024

Despite criticism from some city leaders in recent weeks over HCA Healthcare's previous service cuts, the San Jose City Council won’t stand in the way in which of the health care provider's plans to construct a brand new facility at Good Samaritan Hospital.

Instead, the City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to rezone the hospital's campus in order that the permitting process could move forward to construct recent facilities that comply with state seismic laws. The project received overwhelming support from patients, work groups and healthcare professionals.

“We will not address the lack of behavioral health capacity in our community by delaying a seismic rehabilitation and rebuilding of a hospital that has provided excellent health services to so many in our community,” said San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.

Due to the age of most of its facilities, HCA must rebuild all but one structure on Good Samaritan's campus to satisfy seismic requirements that take effect January 1, 2030.

Without the seismic setbacks, the state could revoke the Good Samaritan's license to offer acute care beds, which might place greater strain on the health care system. HCA estimates it is going to invest $1.2 billion within the project to permit the present hospital to stay operational during construction.

The recent project could create 1,000 construction jobs along with supporting the hundreds currently working on the hospital.

“We are grateful for the San Jose City Council’s approval of the proposed $1.2 billion investment to meet the state’s seismic safety requirements,” the hospital wrote in a press release to The Mercury News. “This investment is critical to ensuring our 55,045 annual patients continue to have access to essential community health care now and into the future. We greatly appreciate the Council’s decision and the extraordinary support of the San Jose community.”

The city approved an analogous project last month when Kaiser Permanente received approval to start construction of its recent hospital in South San Jose.

HCA initially attempted to rezone its property to extend the allowable floor area for the brand new hospital. The company still needs to acquire its permits before it may possibly begin construction.

But as a substitute of its application being treated as an easy land use issue prematurely of Tuesday's meeting, like Kaiser's project, HCA faced stiff opposition from community groups, planning commissioners and even City Council members due to impression that profits were more essential than patients Compromise care and harm the healthcare system.

In a symbolic vote last month, town's Planning Commission decided to not recommend approval of the Good Samaritan project after a flood of critical comments about HCA's business practices.

Similarly, the Rescue Our Medical Care campaign – a coalition of community advocacy groups – targeted HCA for previously reducing services at various facilities in Santa Clara County.

They remembered the downgrading of East San Jose Regional Medical Center's trauma unit, which ultimately led to the county purchasing the hospital to revive care.

The group also cited the closure of San Jose Medical Center, the closure of the maternity ward at Regional Medical Center and the elimination of acute psychiatric beds at one other facility.

Fearing possible cuts to services at Good Samaritan Hospital, the campaign demanded that HCA establish a patient protection fund and restore acute psychiatric beds.

“I’m not against development,” said Darcie Green, executive director of Latinas Contra Cancer. “I am opposed to HCA, the company, writing a blank check to worsen our quality of life and create health disparities that would not otherwise exist in this city. Our general plan includes equal access to health care. HCA’s closures and divestitures undermine the City’s vision of a connected, healthy community with access to essential services.”

fifth District Councilman Peter Ortiz was sympathetic and sought to delay the method so HCA officials could meet with more community members and hearken to their demands. Ortiz also claimed that town could take HCA's previous actions into consideration during deliberations.

“I just want to note that the council has the right and responsibility to consider the community benefit of a health care organization when making land use decisions,” Ortiz said. “Furthermore, the General Plan requires us to support development that meets the health needs of the residents of this city, not just a portion of the city, but the entire city, and we must ensure that there is no adverse impact.” on your complete health system of the district.”

However, the prosecution disagreed.

“We have a lot of guidelines that are very broad, but ultimately the decision has to be related to the location, the neighborhood, the location and that particular use,” said Assistant District Attorney Johnny Phan.

Although HCA acknowledged it had reduced inpatient psychiatric services, the corporate said it might consider adding them to the ability under the suitable circumstances. Complicating matters, nevertheless, was the dearth of psychiatrists to satisfy the county's behavioral health needs.

“This community currently has a shortage of 61 psychiatrists to meet the need, and so I think we need to work together to figure out how we can close that deficit so we can meet the need,” said Jackie Van Blaricum , President of HCA's Far West Division. “It’s not just about the beds. It’s about having doctors who support these patients.”

HCA has also signaled its support for establishing a community advisory board, like those found at other facilities, to advertise dialogue about operations and make sure the hospital is a great steward.

As a part of the advantages package negotiated by District 9 Councilmember Pam Foley, HCA agreed to pay $3 million to town for emergency shelter and inexpensive housing construction, although the project is exempt from business connection fees.

“The connection between housing and health care is undeniable,” Foley said. “People in stable housing are going to have better outcomes, health outcomes, which is why I look at these funds not just as housing, but as health funds.”

RICHMOND – Seven Richmond City Council candidates running to represent three districts shared their views on how they might help town's local business community prosper if elected.

Three races – one open and two with the incumbent participants – are about to finish. Whoever wins will join a council tasked with managing a decent budget and prioritizing a backlog of infrastructure improvements.

With District 5 Councilmember Gayle McLaughlin stepping down at the tip of the yr, nonprofit consultant Sue Wilson and nonprofit director Ahad Anderson are vying for her seat.

Vice Mayor Claudia Jimenez may have to face conflict resolution consultant Shawn Dunning to maintain her seat as District 6 representative. And district council member Melvin Willis is running against social employee Dr. Jamelia Brown and retired auto mechanic Mark Wassberg are in search of re-election.

District 6 race

District 6 is home to major business corridors along San Pablo Avenue, twenty third Street and MacDonald Avenue, Jimenez and Dunning indicate. Thanks to the twenty third Street Merchants Association, business is booming on twenty third Street, Dunning said, and each acknowledged the opening of recent businesses in San Pablo, including Tacos El Tucan and El Jardín de los Sueños Café.

Jimenez also pointed to town's creation of a wireless vendor program on MacDonald Avenue as one other clear success story.

The program, still in its infancy, was launched in response to concerns from residents and brick-and-mortar businesses along twenty third Street that vendors were hogging sidewalks and didn't have the right permits. The council adopted regulations to limit providers' footprints while also providing funding to assist wireless corporations obtain the documentation needed to operate.

However, opening a business in Richmond is one challenge, Dunning said, and staying open is one other. Vacant storefronts line MacDonald Avenue and business owners have warned that closure is imminent, he said.

If elected, Dunning would love to handle Richmond's burdensome planning and permitting processes, work with neighborhood councils and business associations, reduce crime and improve cleanliness – all issues that he says deter small businesses from opening in Richmond to remain there, Dunning said.

“If we want to make progress, we have to work together. No matter what the issue is, we need everyone at the table to do this,” Dunning said.

For Jimenez, re-election would mean she will proceed to work on among the “unsexy” areas of city business — balancing the budget and improving infrastructure.

Part of that work will include adding staff to the general public works and economic development departments, developing plans for major corridors and envisioning a future for town's shoreline that would include manufacturing wind farm equipment.

“That’s the work. “It's not sexy work, but it's work that matters so we can then start dreaming about other services we need and having the money to do the things we want to do” said Jimenez.

District 5 race

District 5 stretches across the south side of town, from the Marina to Cutting Boulevard and borders El Cerrito and Albany. Wilson and Anderson, who’re vying to represent the district, have similar views on what is required there, namely a food market.

Both also see the realm as wealthy in opportunity, having once been a part of a vibrant city that struggled for many years following the founding of Hilltop Mall. Local shopping has taken successful because of online offerings, requiring town to focus more on activities, they said.

Righting the ship would require higher outreach and collaboration between residents, business owners, city staff and officials, Wilson said. If elected, she would love to rent a public relations skilled to assist improve Richmond's image.

Wilson said she would also wish to redevelop parts of town block by block, with more housing and ground-level retail spaces for restaurants and other attractions. And like Jimenez, Wilson sees manufacturing wind farm equipment as a meaningful boost to the local economy.

“Whoever is elected to council must make it a high priority to make (Richmond) less of a hidden gem and more of a gem that the region recognizes,” Wilson said. “Richmond is moving in the right direction.”

Anderson, whose campaign focus was economic development, also talked about re-energizing town by restoring the magic to places just like the Presidio in San Francisco, highlighting town's wealthy history, creating an arts and cultural district and include a various range of moms. and pop stores and bigger employers.

But to get there, Anderson said town must first concentrate on cleansing up its streets. This includes modernizing the infrastructure in addition to the correct level of community policing.

He would also concentrate on working with academic institutions to offer educational programs to young residents, while also working with regional organizations akin to the East Bay Economic Development Alliance to rework Richmond right into a “job-ready community.”

“Everyone has their priorities, but it is our role and responsibility to be a beacon and shine light on these areas, address them and keep our people in a safe haven,” Anderson said.

District 1 race

For Wassberg, supporting mom and pop shops shouldn’t be a priority. Instead, he said improving Richmond means welcoming big corporations like Chevron, which recently agreed to pay town $550 million in exchange for repealing a ballot measure that, if approved by voters, would block the corporate annually between would have cost 60 and 90 million US dollars.

Wassberg was a vocal critic of the tax measure and the settlement agreement. Instead of taxing large corporations, he would quite concentrate on giving tax breaks to corporations that he said create vital jobs and reduce crime.

“It’s a big deal that really contributes to the city’s budget. At the moment I’m all for big business,” said Wassberg. “I don’t know why on earth the council is focusing on small businesses.”

Wassberg is thought for his controversial views. He often appears at City Council meetings to insult elected officials and spout what could possibly be viewed as homophobic, transphobic, anti-immigrant and racist slurs.

Most recently, he accused members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community of being “morally wrong” pedophiles and “sick in the mind” while the council heard a proclamation recognizing Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Wassberg doubled down on these views concerning the LGBTQ community in an interview on Tuesday.

He also reiterated views he had shared up to now about Palestinians and Arabs, groups he falsely claimed were all terrorists, and claimed that undocumented immigrants had no right to stay within the United States and never theirs would pay their fair proportion of taxes while receiving government support.

When asked why minority residents in Richmond should vote for him, Wassberg said he doesn't care a technique or one other who solid their vote for him. Instead, he shared the hope that Brown and Willis would “split the black and Latino votes so I can go right in the middle and win.”

“You have the right to vote for whoever you want to vote for, and I will not change my mind to sell my soul so they can vote for me,” Wassberg said. “They can vote for whoever they want, I don’t care.”

Neither Willis nor Brown responded to multiple interview requests.

Local News

During one Emergency negotiation On Tuesday, Boston City Council members heard testimony accusing U.S. Postal Service leaders of mismanagement that led to significant delays in deliveries. Adding to the frustration, the USPS declined to send a representative to testify before city councilors.

Councilors Sharon Durkan, Henry Santana and Ben Weber submitted a motion Hearing Order last month to analyze a “lack of adequate postal service” in Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood. Both businesses and residents have been affected, and complaints have been received from across town, Durkan said Tuesday.

“Let me be clear about what we are experiencing in our communities. Residents are missing important communications, including legal documents and financial reports. Neighbors at risk are experiencing delays in receiving vital medications. Small businesses are struggling with unreliable postal services,” Durkan said. “Most critically, with election season approaching, an unreliable postal service threatens to undermine our democratic process.”

USPS spokespeople didn’t reply to a request for comment Wednesday morning.

According to Durkan, internal emails were by accident forwarded to council members before the hearing by which a USPS official accused the council of pursuing a political agenda and never caring about customers. Several city councilors expressed outrage on the accusation.

“It is outrageous that someone from the postal service accused us of having a political agenda. Our goal is to ensure Boston residents receive their mail. That they get their checks, that they get their medications, that they get their ballots,” Weber said. “This isn’t political, it’s just about making sure Boston residents have a basic public service.”

At the hearing, executives from three different unions representing USPS employees within the Boston area testified. According to Scott Hoffman, a national business representative who represents USPS employees within the New England region of the American Postal Workers Union, “bizarre” hours at post offices are one in all the core problems. Early and constant closures are attributable to USPS leadership's unwillingness to supply them with sufficient staff, although employees are sometimes available for work.

“The additional time lost due to improper closures only results in fewer staff being available, which in turn impacts service. It’s a built-in system designed for a downward spiral,” Hoffman said.

The flow of mail through the USPS system could be blocked in a wide range of ways, he said. Due to staffing shortages, employees are being assigned to customer support windows on the expense of behind-the-scenes work facilitating mail distribution. USPS leaders will force trucks not to go away their offices for mail delivery until they’re at full capability. Hoffman compares this to a bus company that postpones a night bus until the following morning because not all seats are occupied.

This is consistent with a consistent theme of complaints about management: that decisions are made for business reasons with little or no consideration of the service disruptions they cause. Additionally, poor worker retention ends in the remaining employees being swamped with enormous workloads.

Several residents reported on their experiences. They described instances of important health care not being delivered within the mail, delays in necessary paychecks and problems with insurance coverage as a consequence of USPS service problems. Mitch Hilton, who worked as a letter carrier for greater than 35 years before retiring in 2006, said he has seen a big change in service since then. Hilton has recorded 44 instances of its mail not being delivered on time to this point this yr, with September being the worst month for on-time delivery.

Postal service within the Boston region is “up to date and meeting performance standards,” a spokesman for the USPS Northeast Region said in September. Nearly all first-class mail in Massachusetts arrived “within one day of the service standard” in the ultimate quarter of the fiscal yr. On average, mail is delivered within the state in 2.5 days.”

Last month, the USPS recorded an 89% on-time rate for first-class mail in a county consisting of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, in keeping with the agency's online service dashboard. Just over 96% of first-class mail was delivered with an additional day, in keeping with the dashboard, and mail took a mean of two.6 days to be delivered.

Durkan expressed skepticism concerning the accuracy of metrics published by the USPS.

“If I had believed that their weekly performance standards were accurate based on what I was hearing from constituents, I would not have requested this hearing,” she said. “We’re being gaslighted in Boston. We’re being gaslighted.”

Cupertino City Council candidate Hung Wei announced today that she is suspending her re-election campaign to concentrate on her recovery from stage 4 lung cancer.

At a night press conference in Cupertino, Wei said she would “fully support” her running mate Rod Sinks, who, just like the council member, is captivated with “solving the most pressing issues facing Cupertino families.”

Wei, who was diagnosed with cancer in June, plans to concentrate on completing her term in the approaching months and prioritize her health.

“This was an incredibly difficult decision, but one I must make in order to prioritize my health,” said Wei, whose first term on the City Council ends in November. “I remain optimistic and hopeful about the future and am committed to continuing to move forward in Cupertino. For now, however, I must focus on regaining my strength and finishing my term on behalf of our residents.”

Wei previously told the Bay Area News Group that she wanted to make use of her re-election as a chance to “finish the work we started four years ago,” including constructing more housing, public facilities and reliable mass transit in town.

“I'm so grateful to be surrounded by my friends in Cupertino,” Wei said tonight, joined by family, friends and city leaders. “This is my home.”

Wei said she may potentially run for a City Council seat in 2026. For this upcoming election cycle, nonetheless, she’s going to support Sinks, a former Cupertino mayor who serves as a board member for the Fremont Union High School District and whose term ends in November. Sinks describes Wei as a “servant leader” whose presence on the City Council might be missed.

“Her heart is always with the community, she listens carefully to everyone and tries to represent everyone,” Sinks said.

Sink's priorities, if elected, include leveraging the retail and residential opportunities on the Vallco site to create a vibrant downtown. He also desires to strengthen town's tax base and shut its $30 million revenue gap by promoting a business-friendly environment. He also wants to scale back traffic in town by expanding town's Silicon Valley Hopper service and creating safer bike and pedestrian paths.

Originally published: September 17, 2024 at 19:06

Two seats are up for election on the Cupertino City Council, and incumbents Kitty Moore and Hung Wei are competing against five challengers in November. The city is grappling with an inexpensive housing crisis, revitalization of the old Vallco site and a budget deficit resulting from the lack of tens of millions in sales tax dollars.

Residents can expect a more experienced group of political hopefuls: The majority of candidates are former Cupertino council members and mayors running for four-year terms on the five-member council.

Here's who's running

Kitty Moore

I actually have been serving on the Council since 2020. Moore is able to rise up for residents and be a “smart watchdog” in City Council affairs. “I'm generally known for doing my homework and following city rules closely,” she said.

Moore's priorities include monitoring taxpayer dollars in city funds and making “important reforms” to make sure financial transparency and accountability.

Moore said she supports the town's growth and desires officials to think about the environmental and public safety impacts of enormous projects just like the Vallco development. During her time on the City Council, Moore was known for advocating for correct oversight of hazardous waste disposal on the demolished shopping mall, which is able to soon change into the location of hundreds of inexpensive housing units.

Last 12 months, Moore and Councilmember Liang Chao were faraway from their committee assignments amid an independent investigation into Cupertino City Council misconduct. Former Mayor Darcy Paul was investigated by the county district attorney's office for his conduct toward city employees. Both members were reinstated in fall 2023 after the town voted to require council members to take additional training on council leadership and staff communications.

Hung Wei

Although her first term as a council member is coming to an end, Wei is in search of re-election because she must “finish the work we started four years ago,” including more housing and reliable transportation in the town. Wei wants to make sure all families have access to good schools and amenities, including more parks and trails.

She hopes Cupertino will see itself as a Silicon Valley city and work with neighboring cities to bring more housing, businesses, transportation and academic opportunities to the realm.

“It's important for us as city councillors to keep the future in mind in every decision we make,” she said. “We should be aware that we are making this decision for the next 10 or 20 years, not just five.”

In addition to serving as a city councilman and former mayor of Cupertino, Wei served as a trustee of the Fremont Union High School District and as board chair of the Fremont Union High Schools Foundation and the Rotary Club of Cupertino. Outside of the town, Wei served as a board member of the Asian American Parent Association and the Northwest YMCA, and as board director of the League of Women Voters of Cupertino-Sunnyvale.

Barry Chang

Chang-chang, who served one term as mayor and eight years as a city councilor, said he’s returning to enhance the standard of lifetime of residents.

His priorities include working with the county sheriff's department to deal with homelessness and public questions of safety, working to get the town out of a $30 million budget deficit and ensuring no other city services are cut. The avid pickleball player said he can even push for higher pickleball facilities in the town, in addition to more comprehensive services for seniors.

Chang said he was the perfect candidate because he “dares to do what other city leaders won't.” That included criticizing Apple for not paying its “fair share of taxes” and fighting for 20 years to bring the Lehigh cement plant into clean air and clean water regulations. The plant was set to shut permanently in 2023.

“I can tell you, there is no other candidate who would take such a step and do the right thing for the people,” Chang said.

Chang ran for the Santa Clara County fifth District Board of Supervisors seat in February, but lost to Mountain View City Council member Margaret Abe-Koga.

In 2016, when Chang was mayor, residents filed a recall petition against him over concerns about campaign contributions from developers related to the redevelopment of the Vallco Shopping Mall and Oaks Shopping Center. However, the recall petition was not placed on the ballot.

Claudio Bono

Bonowho serves as general manager of the Cupertino Hotel, is entering the race because he desires to bring “good governance” to the town and support small businesses and tenants.

The businessman's top priorities include restoring city services, which have been severely cut through the years, and providing inexpensive housing for residents, especially first responders, service employees and teachers. He also wants to seek out ways for local businesses to “coexist” with future developments.

Bono said one in all his strengths is the power to work with people of all backgrounds. “I don't belong to any particular group,” he said. “I'm an engaged citizen who finds solutions and moves forward.”

He got here to Cupertino in 2014 as general manager of a hotel, then referred to as the Cupertino Inn. Bono currently serves on the town's Parks and Recreation Commission. He has also previously held leadership positions with the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce and the Cupertino Historical Society. In 2017, Bono received the town's CREST Award, an award that recognizes a person or organization's commitment to community service.

Ray Wang

Wang is running for the town council seat because he wants Cupertino officials to be more “resident-focused.” Lately, the town council has change into less fascinated with residents and prefers to hearken to lobbyists and special interest groups on city issues, Wang said.

His top priorities include demanding more accountability and transparency in how taxpayer dollars are spent, and finding a “balance” between expanding the town's housing supply and preserving single-family home neighborhoods and native businesses. He also wants Cupertino to guard its public spaces and never be so quick to think about selling those properties to personal interests.

“We should not sell public land to create more housing,” he said. “These are valuable resources.”

Wang was appointed chairman of Cupertino's Planning Commission in 2019, but was faraway from his post last 12 months after allegations of bullying community members and city officials. Wang and his supporters previously called the move politically motivated and criticized the council majority for not hearing his side of the story before making the choice.

Gilbert Wong

Wong has worked for the town for the past decade, including two terms as mayor, nine years as a council member and 6 years as a planning commissioner. The current trustee of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District said his extensive experience in leadership roles and coping with community members makes him a professional candidate.

“I will fight for our citizens to achieve something,” he said. “We have to get results.”

Wong's priorities include constructing more cost-effective housing in the realm and creating a well-liked “gathering place for our youth and seniors” in the town. He also wants to enhance public safety and reduce white-collar crime by increasing police presence in Cupertino. Wong desires to bring “sensible governance” back to City Hall and be certain that city staff and other public employees work in a protected environment.

Wong has also served on the board of directors of the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the board of directors of the Cupertino Library Foundation, the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Foundation, and the board of directors of the Association of Community College Trustees.

Bar sinks

Bathroom sink, Another former Cupertino mayor is a board member of the Fremont Union High School District and can retire this November. In addition to his eight years as a former council member, Sinks has been involved in several environmental organizations. “I've always gotten results for the people of Cupertino,” he said.

Sinks said he’s entering the race because he wants the town to “make progress in building a downtown” by making the most of the retail and residential opportunities on the Vallco site. He also desires to bolster the town's tax revenue and shut its $30 million revenue gap by promoting a business-friendly environment.

The longtime environmentalist hopes to scale back traffic and automotive pollution in the town by expanding the Silicon Valley Hopper service in Cupertino and creating safer bike and pedestrian routes.

He was the founder and former chairman of the Silicon Valley Clean Energy Authority, the Cupertino Rotary Climate Action Committee and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board, which oversees air quality and climate change mitigation strategies within the nine-county region.

FREMONT – As Fremont City Councilwoman Jenny Kassan’s term expires, she says the council’s current members have “gone off track.”

Kassan, who resigned last month, criticized her colleagues for considering only a single candidate to interchange her fairly than opening the method to a wider pool of applicants. She called the council's actions ultimately Tuesday's meeting “strange and bizarre.”

“I don't think that was the right decision,” Kassan said. “I thought they should have made it available to more people like they have in the past,” Kassan said.

Most council members wondered aloud Tuesday how quickly they may get Kassan out and Kathy Kimberlin in. Kimberlin, who works for Alameda County Executive David Haubert, ran against Kassan in 2022 and lost by 279 votes.

City Councilor Raj Salwan, who’s currently running for mayor against Kassan's husband, former City Councilor Vinnie Bacon, said Kassan resigned because she said she didn’t have enough time for her duties as a city councilor and her primary duties as Alameda County prosecutor and independent attorney.

“We really need a full-time council member who can start immediately. And if she doesn't have enough time, I think we should definitely speed up the appointment process,” Salwan said.

Councilman Yang Shao asked City Attorney Rafael Alvarado if Kassan may very well be replaced that evening. Alvarado said yes, if Kimberlin was willing to simply accept the appointment and take the oath of office. Alvarado noted, nevertheless, that town has 60 days to make a final decision after Kassan's resignation announcement on August 22.

In response to an issue from Vice Mayor Desrie Campbell, town clerk said she could prepare an oath of office each time the council decided to accomplish that. Campbell had also questioned whether Kassan would give you the option to proceed voting and participating in council business since she resigned last month, but Alvarado said she could accomplish that until a successor was appointed.

Council members Teresa Cox and Teresa Keng pushed for the method to be opened as much as more applications and said they’d consider Kimberlin as a primary candidate. However, the remaining of the council had little interest in doing so and as an alternative favored a fast appointment of Kimberlin.

Kimberlin said in an interview that she was “very happy that they chose this option.”

“It's great that the door has been opened again for me to run,” Kimberlin said. “When I ran, I made sure everyone knew that I love Fremont.”

But Kassan had a special opinion on this matter.

“I don't know what's going on with the Fremont City Council,” Kassan said. “In my opinion, it's kind of out of control. But that's a big reason why I'm leaving.”

Salwan made a motion, seconded by Campbell, to interview only Kimberlin at the following council meeting on September 10. The vote was 6-1, with Kassan voting against.

Originally published: September 6, 2024 at 16:08

FREMONT – Fremont City Councilwoman Jenny Kassan is resigning halfway through her second term because her personal ventures are taking on an excessive amount of time and she or he desires to support her husband's mayoral campaign.

Kassan's private law practice, her obligations as a prosecutor in Alameda County and her work constructing a middle for minority entrepreneurs in Baltimore left her little time to devote to city issues, she said this week.

“I just firmly believe that as a council member it is very important to respond to requests and requests from constituents,” Kassan said in an interview. “That can be quite time-consuming.”

Instead, she is going to spend the autumn campaigning for her husband, former city councilor Vinnie Bacon, who’s running alongside councilors Raj Salwan, Rohan Marfatia and Hiu M. Ng to succeed Mayor Lily Mei.

She will hold her seat until the council decides on her successor. The council will discuss opening an application process and conducting public candidate interviews when the board returns from summer recess on September 3.

Kassan was first elected in 2018 and was expected to serve until the tip of her second term in 2026.

She said one among her highlights on the council was repealing an animal welfare ordinance that prohibited residents from keeping certain pets. The laws she spearheaded reunited a family with two of their goats and in addition made it easier to maintain other animals, resembling bees and chickens.

Kassan said some residents have expressed unease about the opportunity of her serving on the council similtaneously her husband if he wins the mayoral post on Nov. 5. They previously served on the council together between 2018 and 2020, after which Bacon left the council. But to handle those concerns and since she was busy along with her day jobs, she decided to step down and make way for his campaign.

“I felt like I was having a harder time keeping up with all the things that were coming at me,” Kassan said. “And I just thought it was time to let someone else take over.”

Bacon said he supported her idea of ​​resigning, adding: “She's doing a great job” and “she's definitely going to be missed.”

OAKLAND — An Oakland City Council candidate's last-minute try to switch party leadership before the deadline to file her campaign has backfired, leaving her off the ballot in any respect in November.

Tonya Love, Councilmember Carroll Fife's chief of staff, had qualified for the overall election to succeed Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan. Her campaign got off to a powerful start after she was certainly one of two candidates within the tightly contested race to receive an endorsement from Kaplan.

But Love withdrew from that contest, aiming to run for town's seventh District seat as a substitute after Councilwoman Treva Reid abruptly announced that she wouldn’t run for re-election.

Because Reid didn’t run, the deadline for candidates to submit and qualify was pushed back to last week, resulting in quite a few last-minute maneuvers by Love and others.

On Friday, town clerk's office said Love didn’t have enough signatures to qualify. Now she is certainly one of a dozen candidates who’ve submitted paperwork but is not going to appear. the vote of 5 November when Oakland voters elect five council members and a brand new city attorney and choose whether or to not recall Mayor Sheng Thao.

Local real estate agent David Newton, the nephew of Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P. Newton, also did not submit enough signatures for the seventh District seat.

Currently competing within the race for the D7 position are Merida Goolsby, a member of town's rent board and worker of the Oakland Community Land Trust, Marcie Hodge, a former board member of the Peralta Community College District, Ken Houston, who has long led a nonprofit organization dedicated to beautifying and cleansing East Oakland, and Iris Merriouns, chief of staff to Councilmember Janani Ramachandran, who previously worked for Treva Reid and before that for Treva's father, former Councilman D7 Larry Reid.

Fife is running for re-election within the Third District race against Baba Afolabi, who operated a recently closed downtown sports lounge, landlord Michelle Hailey, Shan Hirsch, a homeless and public safety activist, Warren Logan, a transportation policy expert who worked for Mayor Libby Schaaf, and Meron Semedar, a refugee activist and educator.

The boundaries of District 3 include West Oakland, Adams Point and parts of downtown.

The race for District 5, a component of East Oakland that features Fruitvale, Jingletown and Allendale, is between incumbent Noel Gallo, Erin Armstrong, a political adviser to Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, and restaurant owner Dominic Prado.

County Councilman Dan Kalb will not be in search of re-election. His successors are Edward C. Frank, Len Raphael, an authorized public accountant, and Zac Unger, a firefighter and president of the firefighters' union.

Ten candidates are running to interchange Kaplan: former Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong; Rowena Brown, who works for Assemblywoman Mia Bonta; urban planner and housing activist Shawn Danino; Kanitha Matoury, owner of downtown's Howden Market; Mindy Pechenuk, a Donald Trump supporter and political activist; the Rev. Fabian Robinson; tax consultant and perennial candidate Nancy Sidebotham; victim advocate and hairdresser Selika Thomas; library commissioner Cristina Tostado; and Charlene Wang, an environmental and civil rights activist on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

For the primary time in over a decade, Oakland will elect a brand new city attorney following the retirement of Barbara Parker. Parker has endorsed Assistant City Attorney Ryan Richardson, who’s running against retiring Alameda County Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte.