Category Archives: November election

Benicia Herald interview with Alan Schwartzman: will not seek re-election

Repost from the Benicia Herald

Schwartzman will not seek re-election; no incumbents in City Council race

AUGUST 15, 2018 BY NICK SESTANOVICH
Councilmember Alan Schwartzman will not be running for re-election, leaving no incumbents running in 2018. (Photo courtesy of City of Benicia)

Councilmember Alan Schwartzman will not be running for re-election, leaving no incumbents running in 2018. (Photo courtesy of City of Benicia)

For the first time since 2007, no incumbents will be running in the Benicia City Council election. Councilmember Mark Hughes announced on Friday that he would not seek re-election, and Alan Schwartzman told the Herald today that he would not be running either.

After 13 years on the council preceded by six years on the Planning Commission and a year and a half on the Economic Development Board a few years earlier, Schwartzman felt it was time to retire to spend more time with family.

“As of Saturday, I’m going to have seven grandchildren,” he said. “I want to spend some more time traveling and seeing the grandkids. It’s time to give back to family.”

A resident since 1987 and current manager of American Pacific Mortgage’s Benicia branch, Schwartzman first considered running for the council in 2003 while serving on the Planning Commission.

“I spent at least two of those six years as the chair,” he said. “It was a wonderful experience. It just confirmed for me that I enjoyed being involved in city government and having a role in decision-making and moving the city forward.”

“I wanted to go beyond Planning Commission and have a greater role in the policies of the city and being able to move the city forward,” he added.

Additionally, Schwartzman’s children were adults and had moved out of Benicia, so he felt he now had the time and commitment to serve on the City Council. He ran in 2005, and ended up being the top vote-getter, which earned him a position as vice mayor. He earned the title again when he was re-elected in 2009 and secured another term in 2014 when he and Hughes ran unopposed. In between, Schwartzman mounted a run for mayor in 2011 but lost to incumbent Elizabeth Patterson.

Schwartzman said he had a lot of proud moments of his time on the council, including being able to get the city through a “contentious” bargaining issue with the firefighters in 2006, maintaining a balanced budget, “hiring a new city manager who filled the department heads slots with high-caliber individuals and the stabilizing of attrition” and weathering the effects of the Great Recession.

“We were a little late to the party getting into it and a little late coming out of it,” he said. “I think that we navigated it as well as we could do.”

Moreover, Schwartzman is proud of the construction of the Rose Drive overpass in 2010 and doing a PERS refunding bond, which both happened during his tenure.

“I’m very happy that we’re able to start to give back to the employees because we certainly had to, during the Great Recession when were going through budget restraints like most every other jurisdiction, do cutbacks,” he said. “I’m happy that we were able to get employees back to where they were and hopefully ahead of where they were.”

Schwartzman feels positive about the current council and hopes the members will continue to keep up the work while taking economic development into consideration, particularly in the Industrial Park.

“I think it’s gonna be extremely important that they focus on the Industrial Park and how to enhance it and have it continue to be a major force economically in the city,” he said.

Additionally, Schwartzman hopes the council will stay on top of the water issue and ensure the city has good water for generations, main the 20 percent reserve and work toward appropriate development of the Seeno property.

“It would be great to start to develop that appropriately because I think that it will go a long way for sustainability of the city,” he said.

Finally, Schwartzman hopes the council will keep in mind the importance of city employees.

“Without a good staff of employees, the city will not run properly,” he said.

Schwartzman said he has a house in Oregon and hopes to spend more time up there after he finishes up his term.

Overall, Schwartzman has enjoyed his time on the council and various government agencies as well as the people he has met along the way.

“Some people call it a thankless job,” he said. “I’ve never thought of it that way. I always thought what the council does is positive for the community, and just knowing that was rewarding to me.”

The candidates running for the council this year are Planning Commission Chair Kari Birdseye, Economic Development Board Chair Lionel Largaespada and former Councilmember Christina Strawbridge. Keep reading the Herald for interviews with all these candidates.

Progressive Democrats of Benicia endorse Kari Birdseye & Dana Dean

Repost from Progressive Democrats of Benicia

Kari Birdseye for City Council, and Dana Dean for Solano County Board of Education

At its August 14 membership meeting, the Progressive Democrats of Benicia interviewed Democratic candidates for Benicia City Council and Solano County School Board. Ballots were cast, and today were made public.

Kari Birdseye for Benicia City Council

Only one of two declared Democratic candidates for City Council received a majority vote earning endorsement: Kari Birdseye. The Progressive Democrats of Benicia are proud to endorse Planning Commission chair Birdseye. Find out more about Kari and offer your support at her campaign website, BirdseyeForBenicia.com, and be in touch on her Facebook page.

Christina Strawbridge, candidate for Benicia City Council

Democratic candidate for City Council and member of Progressive Democrats of Benicia Christina Strawbridge narrowly lost her bid for endorsement.  Find out more about Christina at her campaign website, Christinaforbeniciacouncil.com  and be in touch on her Facebook page.

Dana Dean for Solano County Board of Education

Also interviewed was candidate for Solano County School Board Dana Dean.  Dana is unopposed in her bid for re-election, and was also endorsed by a majority of Progressive Democrats at last night’s meeting. In her presentation, she declared victory, as no other candidate has filed to run against her.  Find out more about Dana at her campaign website, danadeanforboardofeducation.com and be in touch on her Facebook page.

Valllejo Times-Herald: Hughes, Schwartzman not running for re-election to Benicia council

Repost from the Vallejo Times-Herald
[Editor: Thanks to Vallejo Times-Herald reporter John Glidden for this. Like so many print newspapers, the Times-Herald is operating under severe financial duress.  We recently lost the Times-Herald’s only Benicia reporter, and last I knew, the paper had no plans to cover news in Benicia. Yay – thanks John! – RS]

Hughes, Schwartzman not running for re-election to Benicia council

By John Glidden, 08/13/18, 4:22 PM PDT

BENICIA >> Changes are coming to the City Council as incumbents, Mark Hughes and Alan Schwartzman, failed to file candidacy paperwork prior to the Aug. 10 deadline, the Benicia City Clerk’s Office confirmed Monday.

This has triggered an automatic extension of the filing deadline — which is now 5 p.m. Wednesday — allowing the opportunity for additional residents to submit candidacy paperwork.

The current council contest is shaping up to be interesting as three residents have already qualified for the November ballot. They include former Benicia Councilwoman Christina Strawbridge, chair of the Planning Commission Kari Birdseye, and current Economic Development Board Chair Lionel Largaespada.

Strawbridge served on the council from 2011 until 2016 when local voters decided to go in another direction. Largaespada was spurned by voters too in 2016 as he placed fourth out of five candidates.

Having served on the council for 13 years, Hughes said he had decided to focus more on his family.

“Spending more time with my family, including my 96-year-old mother, my 11-month-old granddaughter, and all family and friends in between, is a very high priority for me,” Hughes wrote in an email to his supporters, which was shared with the Times-Herald. “And at this point in our lives, it’s important for Michele and I to have more flexibility in our schedule to accomplish this.

Prior to his run on the council, Hughes was appointed to the city’s Parks, Recreation and Cemetery Commission.

In 2016, Hughes ran for mayor, but was defeated by incumbent Elizabeth Patterson.

Schwartzman also has an extensive political history in Benicia having being first elected to the council in 2005 after serving six years on the Planning Commission.

He couldn’t be reached for comment Monday regarding his decision to not seek re-election.

Benicia City Council: Hughes & Schwartzman not running, Birdseye official

City Clerk posts only 3 candidates for City Council at deadline

At close of business on Friday, August 10, City Clerk Lisa Wolfe listed only three candidates who filed to run for the two open seats on Benicia’s City Council in November’s election.

Rumors had been circulating that both incumbents had decided against running again.  But until Friday, no one was sure.  Now it’s certain: Councilmembers Mark Hughes and Alan Schwartzman will not run.  City Council will definitely have a different look after this November’s election – including at least one more woman.

Both Christina Strawbridge and Lionel Largaespada declared as candidates soon after their defeat in the 2016 election that they would run again in 2018.  Both have filed and are in the race.

Kari Birdseye, candidate for Benicia City Council

The new face on the ballot will be Planning Commission chair Kari Birdseye.  Kari  has a long history of community service and excellent credentials – she will be a breath of fresh air on our City Council.  I take this  opportunity to endorse her 100%, and to send you to her website
BirdseyeForBenicia.com and her Facebook page.