“Promises made, promises delivered.” Scott points to a balanced budget, regional leadership, and a six-point vision to guide Benicia through its transition beyond Valero’s exit.
Benicia, CA: Benicia City Councilmember Terry Scott today announced he is running for re-election to the Benicia City Council, asking voters to renew the mandate that has guided his first term: fiscal discipline, regional leadership, and a steady hand for a city facing one of the most consequential transitions in its history.
“I love this city. I have served it with everything I have, and I am proud of what we have accomplished together,” Scott said in announcing his campaign. “But loving this City means seeing it clearly, including both the challenges and the extraordinary opportunities that lie ahead of us.”
Scott’s announcement comes as Benicia works through the closure of the Valero refinery and the drive to identify and deliver future alternative revenue streams. He has cast the moment as both a fiscal challenge and a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine the refinery site, revitalize the waterfront, strengthen downtown, and attract the industries and employers of the future.
“We stand at an inflection point between evolution and revolution in shaping our community’s future,” Scott said. “We will either grow and prosper, or we will struggle under the weight of what we’ve lost with Valero’s departure.”
“There is a natural evolution already underway in our City. People want to call Benicia home. They want our quality of life. We are already seeing a housing transition with young families moving in and businesses that cater to them. But there is also a revolution happening with several housing and mixed use developments in planning including a senior center and the reimagining of the Valero Site and significant changes in the ownership and types of technology driven companies in the Industrial Park.
“Our task will be to find the balance that delivers the change needed to insure the quality of life our residents and businesses demand,” he suggested.
A Record of Results
Scott points to a first term defined by hard fiscal choices and measurable outcomes. Under his leadership on the Council’s finance work, the city balanced its budget, reorganized and consolidated departments, optimized staffing expenditures, found new purchasing efficiencies, and shifted to priority-based budgeting while also identifying and generating new revenue streams and advancing air quality and safety measures for residents living closest to industrial operations.
“The fiscal work is not finished, but the foundation we have built together makes us ready to seize what comes next,” Scott said. “Seizing that moment requires experienced fiscal leadership, clear vision, and proven results which is exactly why I’m running for re-election.”
A Six-Point Vision: Promises Made, Promises Delivered
Scott’s re-election platform is built around six connected priorities, each grounded in work already underway during his first term:
- Getting Our Finances Right: Develop an effective plan to close an estimated $7 million annual revenue gap left by Valero’s closure through disciplined budgeting, priority-based spending, new business recruitment, waterfront activation, and aggressive pursuit of grant funding.
- A City Government That Works for You: Streamlining permitting and making smarter use of technology to make City Hall more responsive to residents and businesses.
- Putting Air District Settlement Money to Work for Benicia: Ensuring the $82 million Valero penalty settlement, administered by the Bay Area Air District, delivers real relief to residents through home energy assistance, cleaner air at schools, job training, health investments for those living closest to the refinery, and meaningful improvements to the City’s long-term planning.
- Showing Up Regionally So Benicia Doesn’t Get Left Behind: Leveraging Scott’s strong relationships at the county, regional, and state levels, including an unprecedented three terms as Chair of SolTrans and service on four Solano Transportation Authority committees, to ensure Benicia receives its fair share of transportation, housing, and economic development funding.
- Taking Care of Our Neighbors: Protecting services for seniors, families facing food, housing, and financial insecurity, and vulnerable residents who have fallen through the cracks, ensuring that compassion is never the first thing cut from the budget.
- Building Benicia for Future Generations: Investing in parks and playgrounds, partnering with the Benicia Unified School District, and creating safe streets and real career opportunities so young families can put down roots and build their future here.
About Terry Scott
Terry Scott is a 14-year Benicia resident, businessman, futurist, and philanthropist who serves on the Benicia City Council and previously served as Vice Mayor. Before his election to the Council, he co-founded the Benicia Community Foundation, served as its Executive Director, and chaired the Benicia Arts and Culture Commission for six years, as well as the Benicia Public Art Committee.
Scott’s professional career includes more than 20 years at Hasbro, Inc., where he served as Senior Vice President and Global Head of Brand Creative Services, leading an international team of more than 700 employees and overseeing a $1.7 billion annual budget. He also founded Hasbro’s Cake Mix Studios, which contributed to several major motion picture projects. He earned a B.S. from Kent State University and completed the Executive Studies Program at Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business.
Scott currently serves on the City’s Tax Oversight Commission, CAP/Valero Advisory Panel, and Tula Sister City Program, and previously served on the CURE Commission and the WETA Ferry 2050 Visioning Team. Regionally, he has been elected to three terms as Chair of SolTrans and serves on multiple Solano Transportation Authority committees.
Committed to serving his community, Scott volunteers weekly serving meals and helps lead local food collection and delivery efforts for neighbors in need. He and his wife, Randi, a forensic archaeologist and Deputy Director of the national Forensic Archaeology Recovery organization, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary this September.
Looking Ahead
“I have the experience as Vice Mayor and Councilmember, the relationships, and the vision to help lead Benicia through this transition,” Scott said. “I know how regional government works. I know how to build coalitions, secure grants, negotiate with developers, and maintain fiscal discipline, all while staying true to the values that make Benicia worth fighting for.”
Scott is asking Benicia voters for their support, their volunteer time, and their vote as the campaign gets underway. “Together, we’ll make sure Benicia’s best days are still ahead,” he said.
To learn more, donate, volunteer, request a yard sign, or stay connected with the campaign, visit TerryScott2026.com or email terryscottforbenicia@gmail.com.
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