Category Archives: Benicia Mayor

Solano County Democrats Endorse Candidates

First round endorsements include Benicia Mayor Steve Young, more endorsements to come…

Fairfield, CA – August 30th – The Solano Democratic Party held endorsement interviews for candidates in 9 out of 24 races it will be endorsing for the 2024 General Election.

This first round of endorsements include:

Solano County Race
Endorsed Candidate
Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District – District 2 Audrey Jaques
Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District – District 6 Ana Petero
Vacaville Unified School District – District 4 Audra Orr
Vacaville Unified School District – District 7 Michael Kitzes
Board of Education, Solano County – District 2 Bonnie Hamilton
Mayor City of Benicia Steve Young
City Council, City of Fairfield – District 6 Manveer Sandhu
City Council, City of Vacaville – District 3 Michael “Mike” Silva
City Council, City of Vacaville – District 5 Jason Roberts

“I am pleased that so many qualified candidates have stepped forward to represent their fellow citizens this fall,” said Don Lowrie, Solano Democratic Party Chair. “The individuals who earned the central committee’s endorsement will serve the entire community. I am confident they will fight for our freedoms and provide a bright and prosperous future for all of Solano County’s residents.”

The committee will be hosting another round of Candidate interviews on September 7th. This will be live streamed to the committee’s YouTube and Facebook social media channels found @solanodems – Facebook, YouTube.

Candidates wanting to be endorsed, must be a registered Democrat, and complete the Committee’s Endorsement Questionnaire. This can be found on the Committee’s website at solanodemocrats.com/endorsements.

More information can be found at solanodemocrats.com.

Progressive Democrats of Benicia Announce City Council and Mayoral Endorsements

Dems endorse Christina Gilpin-Hayes and Trevor Macenski for Council, Mayor Steve Young for re-election

The Progressive Democrats of Benicia (PDB) are proud to announce their endorsements for the upcoming Benicia City Council and Mayoral elections. Following a thorough and engaging interview process with all candidates, the club’s voting membership has made their decisions.

Endorsements

After interviewing Democratic candidates for Benicia City Council Christina Gilpin-Hayes, Trevor Macenski, and Franz Rosenthal, the PDB membership has voted to endorse:

  • Christina Gilpin-Hayes
  • Trevor Macenski (Incumbent)

The club also interviewed Mayor Steve Young, who is seeking re-election. Members voted overwhelmingly to endorse Mayor Young for re-election.

(From left to right: Endorsed candidates for City Council Christina Gilpin-Hayes and Trevor Macenski, and endorsed candidate for Mayor, Steve Young. Photos supplied by candidates.)

The Progressive Democrats of Benicia congratulate the endorsed candidates and thank everyone who participated. Visit their websites at ChristinaForBenicia.com, TrevorMac.com, and ReElectYoungForBenicia.com to learn more about their campaigns, sign up to volunteer, and donate.

The Endorsement Process

The presentation started with the candidates sharing brief introductions before joining a wide-ranging discussion covering critical issues facing Benicia, including industrial health and safety, Benicia’s future as a refinery town, housing challenges, City budget shortfalls, and potential ways to address those shortfalls. After the candidates answered a few prepared questions, members, supporters, and viewers were able to engage in a lively Q&A.

“We’re incredibly proud of not just the program the club put on, and not just the candidates who all rose to the occasion, but also our members and supporters,” said Kathy Kerridge, Chair of the Progressive Democrats of Benicia. “It’s their commitment to the democratic process that brought us all together for a packed Zoom meeting on a Monday night, to learn more about the candidates and real Benicia issues.  More than sixty people showed up to take part, and the recording is now available on our website at progressivedemocratsofbenicia.org so even more undecided voters will have a chance to watch it.”

Thank You…and Don’t Forget to Vote!

The Progressive Democrats of Benicia wish to thank the candidates for the time they spent with us. As we look toward the future, the club encourages all Benicia residents to stay informed, get involved in local politics, and exercise their right to vote in the upcoming elections. In preparation, don’t forget to check your voter registration at the Secretary of State website (voterstatus.sos.gov). There, you can verify your mailing address for mailed ballots, confirm your party registration, and more.

More Exciting Endorsements Ahead

The Progressive Dems will next meet at 7pm on Wednesday, September 4, over Zoom, to interview Benicia School Board and Solano Community College Board candidates, and hear about the ballot measures Benicia will be voting on in November. This meeting is free and open to the public, regardless of party registration or city of residence, and a recording will be posted for this meeting as well.

Learn how to join the Sept. 4 endorsement meeting and find more information about the Progressive Democrats of Benicia at progressivedemocratsofbenicia.org. Dues are $30/year and you must be a registered Democrat to join as a full member. (Non-Democrats are welcome to attend public meetings.)

Mayor Steve Young Announces for Re-Election, Promises Four More Years of Proven Leadership

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.”

 

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.

Valero PAC final 2020 campaign spending report: over $227,000 spent in failed bid

By Roger Straw, November 16, 2020

Valero PAC spends over $227,000 in failed bid to oppose Mayor-elect Steve Young, discloses $128,173 of that total in outstanding debt

The anti-Young Valero PAC submitted two more campaign financial reports as required by law on November 6, 2020.

Form_460_Pre_Election_4.pdf shows the following:

During the period Oct. 26 – Nov. 3
  • Income of $24,000 from the Int. Brotherhood of Boilermakers, etc. (previously reported here on the BenIndy on Nov. 3).
  • Accrued unpaid bills totaling $18,106
    • $5,000 for Live Calls (Winning Connections, Washington, D.C.)
    • $13,106 for professional services (law firm Nielsen Merksamer Parrinello Gross & Leoni LLP, Sacramento)
2020 Year to date
  • Total Income of $49,000
  • Cash payments of $99,333
  • Accrued unpaid bills of $128,173
  • Total Expenditures (cash & unpaid) $227,506
Current Cash Statement
  • Ending Cash Balance of $197,779

The PAC’s ending balance of $197,779 can pay its accrued unpaid bills of $128,173 leaving over $51,000 in Valero’s war chest for future projects.  Sigh….

Another form submitted, Form__465_3.pdf, did not disclose any new information.

Final accounting?

According to a Nov. 12 email from Benicia City Clerk Lisa Wolfe, no further campaign finance reports are anticipated until December 31, 2020.   Evidently, the Valero PAC will not need to report payment of its unpaid bills and any further income or outlays until then.