Tag Archives: Local elections

Click the image to visit www.reelectyoungforbenicia.com.

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.

Click the image to be redirected to the 2022 LA Times column featuring Mayor Steve Young.

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.

Close the Gap California, Gender parity, Susannah Delano

Benicia is proud of Susannah Delano and Close the Gap California

August 26, 2023 Roger Straw

[Note from Benicia Independent contributor Roger Straw – We’re feeling pretty proud of our daughter Susannah Delano these days! See the article below. Close the Gap California is doing a great job under Susannah’s leadership, and the nod from highly influential Capitol Weekly is well deserved. We love the descriptive phrase “no wavering or vacillating” and the illustration by punk artist Chris Shary. – Roger and Mary Susan]

Capitol Weekly’s Top 100

Each year, Capitol Weekly’s Top 100 names the most powerful movers and shakers in California politics. We don’t include elected officials. Instead, we look at those who devote their professional lives to fighting for – or against – issues of state politics and policy, including lobbyists, bureaucrats, activists, trade group leaders, Capitol staffers and even journalists. >> Capitol Weekly is a nonpartisan news publication covering California government and politics.

Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Susannah Delano

CAPITOLWEEKLY Top 100 – 99. Susannah Delano, 08.15.2023

You might have noticed there are more women serving in the Legislature right now than in previous years. A lot more. And Susannah Delano and Close the Gap California are a big reason why.

Twenty of the 50 women in office right now came through the Close the Gap recruiting process, including 10 from last November’s record class of 11. To be clear, there are other recruiting organizations out there, such as Emerge and California Women Lead. We chose Delano because her group’s main goal from its inception in 2013 has not been just to elect more women, but to achieve gender parity in the Legislature by 2028, and there’s been no wavering or vacillating.

Given their success last year, what once seemed to be a lofty goal now seems more than realistic. Delano has been instrumental in that success streak since coming on board as executive director in 2018. And, though most folks don’t know it, she’s been CTG’s sole full-time staffer for most of her time with the organization.

Close the Gap California, Gender parity, Susannah Delano

AAUW to host candidate outreach & recruitment event at Benicia Library, May 3

April 26, 2023 Nathalie Christian

The Benicia-Vallejo Chapter of the American Association of University Women Presents:

Closing the Gap — For Women in Solano County

How to recruit viable candidates for winnable districts

Wednesday, May 3rd at 7:00 P.M.
Dona Benicia Room, Benicia Public Library
(150 East L Street, Benicia)

— FREE & OPEN TO ALL —

Program

The program will describe how Close the Gap applies strategic targeting of legislative districts. The effort starts with a detailed analysis of legislative districts to determine open or winnable seats. Close the Gap develops district profiles based on demographic information, voting data and legislative priorities. Then the search starts for progressive women leaders that best fit the district.

Guest Speaker

Susannah Delano, Close the Gap California, Exec Dir

Susannah Delano joined Close the Gap CA as Executive Director in January 2018. She has worked for over 15 years to promote the good health and empowerment of women and challenged communities throughout California. She is grounded in a commitment to move the needle on issues of racial justice, gender equity, and larger inclusivity.

Close the Gap California is a statewide campaign to achieve gender balance in the California Legislature by recruiting progressive women to run. The organization recruits accomplished women in targeted districts and prepares them to launch competitive campaigns. Recruits are pro-choice, pro-public school funding and support paths out of poverty.