Tag Archives: Kari Birdseye

Benicia City Council, Justin Zollars, Kari Birdseye, Terry Scott, Tom Campbell

Tom Campbell: Jing Di Zhi Wa – on Benicia’s 2026 City Council election

Jing Di Zhi Wa

Former Benicia City Council Member Tom Campbell

By Tom Campbell, The Benicia Herald, September 18, 2026

Jing di zhi wa is a Chinese idiom that means you know as little about the real world as a frog at the bottom of a well. I think this might well describe Justin Zollars. From what I’ve been reading from his posts, candidate debate, and candidate’s statement, he seems to be a one trick pony focused on Flock cameras. I haven’t seen him post anything on how he’ll address what are monumental generational issues that are in front of the City Council right now. Issues like, “What are we going to do with the Seeno property” where a billionaire developer does not seem to be on the same page as the City Council. Or “What are we going to do with the port which after 62 years Benicia finally gets back in four years.”

A port that due to poor judgement in 1964 by a Benicia City Council the City has not gotten a penny in port operations for 62 years and counting, even though Benicia owns the wharf and all land accessing the water. Or how about the closed refinery that looks more and more like the State wants to keep as a gasoline tank farm even if it means Benicia will have to forsake any future development. The State seems to want Benicia to fall on its sword and ignore its future for the sake of keeping the rest of California’s drivers happy with a large supply of cheaper gas. Am I wrong? Then show me a time line for the clean-up and development of the refinery land. Afterall it’s been a year and a half since the announcement of the refinery closure and still nothing.

Those three big issues in front of the City Council right now are going to decide what the lives of the next generations in Benicia will be. Same as the decisions of the 1964 City Council decided the lives of the last three generations of Benicians after the Arsenal closed. There are very big issues at stake in this election. When you would rather talk about Flock cameras instead, it’s no different than if your house was on fire and you’re running around and you stop in the dining room and go “that silverware on the table just doesn’t go with the dishes’ floral pattern.” There’s a lot bigger issue staring you in the face at that particular moment than floral patterns. The same holds true for the generational challenges facing Benicia at this very moment.

So given the gravity of the challenges Benicia faces right now there is no time for an untested rookie with no civic history to navigate a steep learning curve immediately. I was on the City Council for 21 years and before that the Planning Commission, over 30 years total in Benicia City government. In that entire time, I can say the best Council I was ever on was the last City Council I was on. That Council had both Terry Scott and Kari Birdseye on it. What they showed me was that they could look at what had to be done and do it even if it meant a huge blowback. You have to put what’s best for the community ahead of your own ambitions. Not every Council could do that.

Kicking the can down the road is just a nice way of saying you don’t have the backbone to face unpopular but necessary votes. I never saw Kari or Terry back away from what had to be done. This is important because in the next few years the next City Council will have to deal with the State of California and billion dollar corporations that are going to try and throw Benicia a bone and say “Hey what’s the problem, we’re doing you a favor.” This Council is going to have to have the backbone to tell these corporations and the State what they can do with that bone.

I want someone on the City Council who knows and understands these generational issues and will protect our future. That’s why I’ m voting for Terry Scott and Kari Birdseye. I’m sure in that burning house that I mentioned above they would have been looking for a fire extinguisher and not a useless floral dish pattern.

Tom Campbell

More on the candidates:
Benicia city council candidates Terry Scott, Kari Birdseye, & Justin Zollars. Photo: The Vallejo Sun
Benicia City Council, Justin Zollars, Kari Birdseye, Local elections, Terry Scott

Benicia City Council Candidate Forum Sept 30

The League of Women Voters of Solano County is hosting a Local Elections Candidate Forum in a few weeks. Come with your questions on September 30, 6:30-8PM at the Benicia Public Library!

About the event & Candidate Information from the Benicia Library website:

Get informed before you vote! Join the League of Women Voters of Solano County for a nonpartisan Candidates Forum featuring local election candidates. Hear directly from those seeking your vote, learn where they stand on important community issues, and submit questions. This free public event is open to everyone. Make your voice count—be an informed voter!

Local Elections Candidate Forum
September 30, 2026 | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
In the Doña Benicia Room.

Below you’ll find more information on each of the candidates.

KARI BIRDSEYE:

Kari Birdseye was elected to serve on Benicia’s City Council in 2022. She began her service in Benicia city government in 2012 at the Benicia Human Services Board and served on Benicia’s Planning Commission for eight years, as Chair of the Commission for six years. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Solano County Fair Board Association and the Benicia-Vallejo Chapter of the American Association of University Women Executive Board.

She has a BA in Journalism from San Francisco State and a Master of Science Degree in Environmental Management from the University of San Francisco. Kari is former CNN journalist, where she was part of a team that earned an Emmy Award for news coverage of the Olympic Park bombing in 1996. Kari and her husband James have raised their two kids, Julia and Joey in Benicia, and have lived in Benicia since 2000. She has served as president of two local boards: Matthew Turner PTA and the Benicia Stingrays Swim Team. Kari is employed by Natural Resources Defense Council as a Regional Media and Public Affairs Director.

In her City Council capacity, Kari currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Green Empowerment Zone, Marin Clean Energy and is the 1st Vice President of the League of California Cities, North Bay Division.

TERRY SCOTT:

Terry is a 14-year Benicia resident, businessman, futurist, and philanthropist committed to building a stronger future. He served as Vice Mayor and currently sits on the Benicia City Council.

His first term delivered measurable results: a balanced budget, department reorganization, optimized staffing, new purchasing efficiencies, priority-based budgeting, new revenue streams, and advanced air quality and safety measures. That foundation now positions Benicia to seize what’s next — requiring the experienced fiscal leadership and proven results Terry brings, which is why he’s running for re-election.

His public service spans the Tax Oversight Commission, CURE Commission, CAP/Valero Advisory Panel, Tula Sister City Program, multiple Solano Transportation Authority commissions, and the WETA Ferry 2050 Visioning Team. He was appointed SolTrans Board Chair for an unprecedented third term, co-founded and led the Benicia Community Foundation as Executive Director, and chaired the Benicia Arts and Culture Commission (2015–2022).

He holds a degree from Kent State University and completed Executive Studies at Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College.

JUSTIN ZOLLARS:

Justin Zollars, candidate for Benicia City Council, brings 15 years of technology experience from companies including Adobe and Veracyte, where he currently works as a software engineer in cancer genomics. Justin holds an MS in Biology and has founded and led his own startup, giving him hands-on experience managing budgets and coordinating between engineers, partners, and customers. In 2008, Justin represented his community as an elected delegate to a presidential nominating convention. A Benicia homeowner and civic advocate, he’s running in opposition to Flock Safety’s license plate reader cameras over serious privacy concerns. Justin is dedicated to protecting resident privacy, improving parks and roads, and preserving Benicia’s small-town character.

 

Benicia City Council, Kari Birdseye, Local elections

Kari Birdseye Announces Campaign for Reelection to Benicia City Council

“I’m ready, steady and committed to service.”

Press release, August 1, 2026

Kari Birdseye, Benicia City Council

**BENICIA, Calif. [August 1, 2026] — Benicia City Council Member Kari Birdseye today announced she is running for reelection in November 2026, seeking a second term to continue the work she began after taking office in 2022.

Birdseye’s first term coincided with one of the most consequential periods in Benicia’s recent history, as the city confronted the winding down of Valero’s refinery operations and the loss of a major piece of its tax base. During that time, she helped lead the council’s development and implementation of the new Industrial Health and Safety Ordinance, chaired the city’s task force coordinating with Benicia Industrial Park businesses and the Port of Benicia on the refinery site’s transition, and consistently promoted economic diversification, including exploring the port’s potential role in offshore wind manufacturing.

“‘We’re in the middle of the most important transition Benicia has faced in decades,” said Council Member Birdseye. “I’m running for reelection to continue my transparent, intelligent, independent leadership to this city. The next four years will require a steady focus on what’s best for our community in the short and long term. I’m ready, steady and committed to service.”

Birdseye’s public service in Benicia predates her council seat by a decade. She joined the Human Services Board in 2012, was appointed to the Planning Commission in 2014, and later chaired that commission — including during its 2016 decision to reject Valero’s proposal to bring crude oil into the city by rail.

Before entering local politics, Birdseye spent 11 years at CNN, where she was part of an Emmy Award-winning news team, and later worked in communications for the Wine Institute and Earthjustice. She currently serves as Director of Regional Media and Public Affairs at Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

Birdseye and her husband, James, have lived in Benicia since 2000 and raised their two children, Julia and Joey, in the city’s schools.

Website: votekaribirdseye.com

Her campaign says the reelection bid will center on finishing the work started in her first term: guiding the redevelopment of the former refinery site, protecting Benicia’s air and water, and stabilizing the city’s finances for the long term. More information on Birdseye’s campaign, including how to volunteer or donate, is available at VoteKariBirdseye.com.

Benicia CA, Benicia City Council, Benicia City Council Member Kari Birdseye, Stephen Golub

Stephen Golub: Interview with Benicia City Council Member Kari Birdseye

I was born in Oakland, CA, delivered into this world by the same doctor who delivered both my mom and dad…

By Stephen Golub, Benicia resident and author, “Benicia and Beyond” column in the Benicia Herald, May 31, 2026

Benicia City Council Member Kari Birdseye.

This past week, City Council Member Kari Birdseye kindly took the time for an interview regarding her background and Benicia’s challenges/opportunities. Here it is:

  1. Where did you grow up?
    I was born in Oakland, CA, delivered into this world by the same doctor who delivered both my mom and dad. I’ve always had family in the Bay Area but my most formative years were spent in the Sierra foothills. I graduated from San Francisco State University after transferring from Sierra Community College. I was a country mouse relocating to the Big City and I’ve been in love with San Francisco and the Bay Area ever since.
  2. How did you end up in Benicia?
    After eleven years in Atlanta, working for CNN, it was time to return to my home state. I landed my dream job as Director of Communications for the Wine Institute with an office in San Francisco and our young family was looking for a new hometown that was family friendly with good schools, affordable and someplace easy to commute into the city. Benicia fit that bill perfectly.
  3. Except for a few minor benefits, being a member of the Benicia City Council is essentially a volunteer position. What is your regular job?
    I have worked for Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC.org) for almost nine years now, where I am Director of Regional Media and Public Affairs. I love my “paycheck” job because I work on environmental issues with super smart attorneys, scientists, and policy experts every day.
  4. What made you first get interested in running for the Benicia City Council?
    I have been a serial volunteer since my kids were young, pitching in for Matthew Turner PTA, Benicia Stingrays Swim Team and more than a decade as a traveling soccer mom. When the kids grew older, I started volunteering for the City, first as a member of the Human Services Board, and then the Planning Commission for eight years. Once you understand how the City runs on volunteers, it gives you such pride in your community. I didn’t see myself as an elected official until friends and acquaintances started asking me if I would be interested in running. There’s an adage that says women require so much more encouragement to run for office than men do. That encouragement kept coming and I finally put together a team of friends and encouragers who helped me run in 2018 and then again in 2022.
  5. What accomplishments are you proudest of regarding your time on the City Council?
    I am proud of the work we have accomplished during the last four years. We have made so many tough decisions, especially the tax initiatives. No one wants new taxes, including me, but our City was spending more money than we were taking in for decades. Many elected officials fear the tough stuff because they are afraid of ruining their chances of re-election. Terry Scott and I have governed based on what’s best for our community, not what’s popular and will get us re-elected. We are just now starting to reap the benefits of Measure F, the citizens’ initiative to raise revenue earmarked exclusively for repairing city streets, potholes, and sidewalks. The five-year road improvement plan starts this summer and that’s something to smile about. Right now, I’m proud of the work we are doing to ensure that city services remain the same during our transition away from the refinery revenue. I am hopeful that we’ll see some of the Air District grant funding, as well as so many other options we are exploring now.
  6. Perhaps the greatest challenges and opportunities for Benicia at this time flow from the idling of the Valero Refinery and the property’s eventual conversion to what will likely be mixed-use development (e.g., residential, commercial and light industrial).What directions would you like to see such development take?
    I look forward to a transparent, community-inclusive process of figuring out what’s going to take place on those 900 acres. This is an opportunity to redefine Benicia and diversify our local economy. We can build more houses, to accommodate new families of various income levels. There will be many ways for our community to contribute to the redevelopment process. Valero did us a solid when they partnered with the Signature Development Group, a local developer with a strong track record of quality projects throughout the Bay Area and elsewhere. Council members, including myself, are regularly meeting with one of the principals at Signature and so far, we like what we are hearing. They recently submitted a pre-application and community member feedback is encouraged. For more information visit www.MoveBeniciaForward.com and let them know what you think.
  7. What role is the state playing regarding the conversion? What role would you like to see it play?
    For decades, bills have been introduced to help communities transition away from fossil fuels, especially refinery towns. Very few of these bills have been passed into law and we are experiencing the lack of planning for the impacts of California transitioning to a greener economy. The state of New York has a regulation that pays refinery towns, when their industrial partners close, to bridge the economic gap left by the closure. We are hoping that our state leadership will assist Benicia in bridging that gap, especially as the refinery remains offline but intact, during the global oil supply crisis.
  8. One long-term problem facing Benicia, particularly as a partly waterfront community, is climate change. What can we do to try to adapt to rising waters and other effects of climate change?
    Luckily, our state leaders HAVE passed a law, SB 272, that helps communities plan for sea level rise. Benicia is engaged in a county-wide effort called the Solano Bayshore Resiliency Project (www.bayshoreresiliency.org). They hold community meetings quarterly to provide updates on their plans and receive community feedback along the way. I was honored to give opening remarks at their last meeting in May and I’m proud of the work our Benicia planning staff is doing on that project.
  9. Are there any other thoughts you’d like to share?
    I’d like to thank the many Benicians who have reached out to me as an elected official. Solving problems, improving how the City serves our community, and meeting new people is my favorite part of being a City Council member. While the online community isn’t always as generous, the people I meet around town, on the Bocce Ball courts, and at our meetings at City Hall are kind, curious and care about Benicia just as much as I do. Together, we’ll get through this transition and be even stronger because of it. I’m so hopeful for what Benicia will become in the coming decades. Stay tuned for re-election news soon. Benicia deserves experienced leaders for the next four years. 😉

[Note from Steve Golub: After reading lots of comments from within and beyond Benicia, and given that Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer are tied in the polls, I’m supporting Steyer. He’s had some troubling investments in his fairly distant past and  his lack of governmental experience is a negative. But on balance I like his environmental and other positions, as well as  the energy he’s bringing to the campaign and hopefully the job.

In contrast, I’m extremely disappointed with Becerra’s ties to Chevron – nearly $40,000 in donations to him from the company this year, and a whopping $500,000 to a pro-Becerra PAC, also this year. I value his experience, but I find those ties to Chevron and other vested interests disqualifying. Steyer would be far better for the state as a whole and Benicia in particular.]

[Note from Steve Golub: If you haven’t done so yet, please explore the new Benicia-focused online newsletter, The Benicia Bridge (the-benicia-bridge.ghost.io). Launched this past January by two  award-winning Benicians, the site is providing thoughtful, thorough coverage of a growing array of Benicia issues, ranging from Valero’s closure to street repair to our deep water port to a community playground.]

Benicia resident and author Stephen Golub, A Promised Land

Stephen Golub writes about democracy and politics, both in America and abroad, at A Promised Land: America as a Developing Country.

…and… here’s more Golub on the Benicia Independent

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