From the Campaign to Re-Elect Mayor Steve Young, received July 10, 2024

Benicia, CA – Mayor Steve Young today announced his campaign for re-election with a pledge to continue the work he started in his first term. “This is a critical election,” Young said. “We are not just deciding on a city leader for the next four years; we are at a crucial juncture that will define the future of Benicia.”

Young, who was elected to his first term as mayor in 2020, has led the City through some of its toughest times. He led the City Council and City government staff in crafting a strong and responsible response to the global pandemic. He has worked to build a solid financial foundation for Benicia, overseeing the rezoning of land to encourage more housing while promoting the City’s vibrant downtown, art community and business park. He also championed the simplification of City processes to make it easier for residents and business to access City services, including by limiting the scope of the Housing Preservation Review Commission.

“I have made transparency and communication the core mission of my service to Benicia residents,” Mayor Young said. “I am the first Mayor to regularly monitor, engage and communicate with constituents on social media, and I consistently respond to direct and public questions.”

“But the job is not done,” Young continued. “More challenges remain as we continue to shape the vision of Benicia’s identity, aspiring to create a community that embodies resilience, prosperity and a balance between smart progress, historic preservation and continued sustainability.”

 

Great seeing Benicia Mayor Steve Young and City Manager Mario Giuliani at the Capitol advocating for #AB3259 yesterday. This bill could empower Solano County cities to tailor local tax policies, boosting infrastructure and services through voter approval. #CALeg #AD11 pic.twitter.com/jqKXHgc4s8

— Assemblywoman Lori D. Wilson (@AsmLoriDWilson) April 18, 2024

Young was raised in Burbank, California, where he graduated from Burbank High School in 1969. He earned a BA in Political Science from UC Berkeley in 1973 and went on to earn his MA in Urban Policy and Administration from San Francisco State University in 1975.

He spent his entire career focusing on the challenges cities face. For 28 years, he worked with cities in California and Virginia, overseeing various projects in the fields of community development, re-development, affordable housing, neighborhood preservation and economic development. In 1999, he was named Community Development Director of the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA).

 After retiring from SHRA, Young and his wife Marty moved to Costa Rico for four years to allow their daughter to have the experience of attending high school internationally. Following her graduation, the family returned to the US and moved to Benicia in 2012 where he quickly put his career experience to use.

He was appointed to Benicia’s Planning Commission in 2013, just as the Crude by Rail proposal began working its way through the City approval process. With his expertise, he was able to guide the Commission through the complicated process that helped lead to the Planning Commission’s unanimous rejection of a project that could have put Benicia residents’ safety and health at risk. The Planning Commission decision was ultimately upheld by the City Council.

Young was elected to the Benicia City Council in November 2016 in his first attempt at elected office. He was elected Mayor in November of 2020.

 “I love our City, its beauty, strong culture of arts and history, its friendly small town sense of community,” he said. “But to continue to survive, we must grow, and to grow successfully while keeping what makes Benicia special is the challenge before us all. I am asking Benicians to re-elect me so I can continue the work that we’ve started in shaping Benicia’s future.”

To learn more about Mayor Young’s re-election campaign, donate, or volunteer, visit his website at www.reelectyoungforbenicia.com.