Category Archives: Trevor Macenski

2024 General Election, Endorsements, Lionel Largaespada, Napa-Solano Central Labor Council, Trevor Macenski

Largaespada and Macenski Apparently Enter Benicia City Council Race (We Guess? Kind Of?)

[BenIndy: To our knowledge, neither current Council Member Trevor Macenski nor former member Lionel Largaespada has officially announced their candidacy. However, we can infer a few things from the labor council’s announcement. First, we can guess that these two intend to run. That’s an easy one, and not surprising at all.  Second, the filing period hasn’t closed yet, indicating that the council is not interested in considering a full field of candidates before anointing their favorites. (To be fair, early endorsements aren’t uncommon, but frequency and equitability aren’t the same thing.) Third, this suggests that neither Macenski nor Largaespada plans to challenge Mayor Steve Young in his reelection bid. Fourth, it shows that the labor group is willing to endorse GOP candidates, assuming Largaespada has not changed parties since this 2018 SF Chronicle profile. While labor unions sometimes endorse conservative candidates, it is rarer due to the GOP’s history of blocking minimum wage increases, weakening safety and health protections, cracking down on union activity, and ignoring violations of workers’ rights to benefit mega-corporations. Although the labor council may have stolen some of the apparent candidates’ precious potential thunder by preempting their actual announcements, we’ll share them when we see them.]

Napa-Solano Central Labor Council announce endorsements for election

They include Largaespada for Benicia City Council, Dr. LaTanya Young for Vallejo School Board

Vallejo Times-Herald, by Thomas Gase, July 20, 2024

The Napa-Solano Central Labor Council, representing workers across both Napa and Solano counties, announced its early November election endorsements on Saturday.

Officials say the candidates were interviewed by the United Workers for Local Government, which consists of representatives from the Napa-Solano Central Labor Council and the Napa-Solano Building Trades Council, as well as workers from across all parts of the local economy, from the public sector to construction, and from manufacturing to teachers, nurses, and the service sector.

The endorsements:

  • Michael Silva, Vacaville City Council
  • Trevor Macenski, Benicia City Council
  • Lionel Largaespada, Benicia City Council
  • Ana Petero, Fairfield-Suisun School Board
  • Dr. LaTanya Young, Vallejo School Board
  • Scott Sedgley, Napa Mayor
  • Beth Painter, Napa City Council, District 2
  • Bernie Narvaez, District 4
  • Measure G, Napa City Bond Measure

Following in-depth interviews, these candidates were evaluated based on their track record of support for workers’ issues. Additionally, ballot measures in the City of Napa (Measure G) and the City of Benicia (Measure F, also known as the Save Our Streets measure) were evaluated and endorsed based on their impact on workers and broader communities.

Over the coming weeks, the Napa-Solano Central Labor Council will interview candidates in all other races across these two counties.

Benicia City Council, Benicia General Plan, Benicia Green Gateway, Benicia Mayor Steve Young, Keeping Watch on Earth News, Seeno property, Smart Green Cities, Specific Plan, Trevor Macenski

ALERT: Benicia City Council subcommittee to explore Seeno development plans – proposed at Council on Tuesday, Aug 17

 By Roger Straw, August 13, 2021

Important to read the agenda, comment by email, attend and voice your thoughts at the August 17 zoom meeting

The Aug 17 Benicia City Council agenda is PACKED with important items.  One is the ESTABLISHMENT AND APPOINTMENT OF THE NORTHWESTERN STUDY AREA SUBCOMMITTEE.  This is all about the SEENO PROPERTY, and appears in the CONSENT calendar, Item 20 B. on p. 7.

The agenda’s Staff Report – Establishment and Appointment of Northwestern Study Area Subcommittee, is measured and thoughtful, well worth reading (note some details here below).

The intent is to set up a Council Subcommittee composed of Mayor Young and Councilmember Macenski, who will “help City staff and consultants facilitate discussions about considering potential future land uses” of the Seeno property.

In my opinion, this initiative somewhat misleadingly re-names the Seeno property the “Northwestern Study Area”.  Renaming the area will not remove the deservedly untrustworthy reputation of the Seeno family and its corporate entities.  Utmost caution must be urged as the City moves forward to consider development there.

A Few Details
Download Green Gateway Business Community – A 21st Century Possibility, September 2008

The Staff Report accompanying the item, Establishment and Appointment of Northwestern Study Area Subcommittee includes a short section on Previous Planning Efforts, very briefly summarizing two previous Seeno proposals, and highlighting our 2008 community-led Green Gateway Plan.

 

It’s good news that the staff report mentions a City-sponsored “Specific Plan” 3 times, including a reference to the fact that adoption of a Specific Plan (Master Plan) is required by Benicia’s General Plan for any development of 40 acres or more.  A Specific Plan was a primary focus of our 2008 Green Gateway Plan.  Reference – see Benicia General Plan Policy 2.3.1, PDF pages 48-49, [document pages 34-35].

A Few Questions

Will the renaming confuse or fail to alert those of us who have been through battles concerning the Seeno property?  Should the committee include citizen representatives in addition to the two Council members?  Will the Committee recommend the City require a Specific Plan for any new development?

Alert!

Your continued vigilance and thoughtful input is needed!  See

2020 elections, Benicia City Council, Benicia elections, Solano County Registrar of Voters, Terry Scott, Trevor Macenski

Benicia City Council – Friday update, Terry & Trevor both score 17 more votes

By Roger Straw, November 14, 2020

Scott still trails by 130 votes, with only 40-140 Benicia votes yet to count – I’m calling the race: Macenski the winner

Solano County didn’t post it’s Friday Nov. 13 update until Saturday, but it’s there now, showing that more mail-in ballots and provisional ballots were processed.

The one close race in Benicia was for the second seat on Benicia’s City Council.  Both Trevor Macenski and Terry Scott netted 17 more votes in the latest Solano Registrar of Voters report.  So Macenski continues to lead Scott by 130 votes.  And I’m calling the race.

CANDIDATE NAME TOTAL VOTES PERCENTAGE
8,627 36.45%
7,587 32.05%
7,457 31.50%

Potential ballots remaining to be processed, as of Friday’s Solano County report, include 0-250 mail-in ballots and 500-1,500 provisional ballots.  By my own calculation, Benicia might account for about 8% of those remaining ballots, or 40-140 outstanding votes.

It begins to look like a 130 vote margin is not at all likely to be overcome.  So I think we can say that Trevor wins, given the odds.

The Registrar of Voters won’t offer a FINAL count for awhile.  We’ll just have to wait for them to finish counting and certify the winner.  But meanwhile, we can offer sad well-wishes to our candidate Terry, and congratulations to Trevor Macenski.  Here’s hoping the next City Council will work together well and accomplish much!

2020 elections, Benicia City Council, Benicia elections, Solano County Registrar of Voters, Terry Scott, Tom Campbell, Trevor Macenski

Benicia City Council – super close race, Terry Scott down 3 more votes, not quite over yet

By Roger Straw, November 12, 2020
Terry Scott, candidate for Benicia City Council

Scott now trails by 130 votes, with an estimated 140-240 Benicia votes yet to count

Solano County took Veterans Day off, but came back today and processed more mail-in ballots and provisional ballots.

The winner status in all races remained unchanged as of 5:15pm tonight.

The one truly close race in Benicia is for the second seat on Benicia’s City Council.  Tom Campbell is assured of first place, having won 8,615 votes.  The second seat is really close, with Trevor Macenski leading Terry Scott by only 130 votes.

CANDIDATE NAME TOTAL VOTES PERCENTAGE
8,615 36.49%
7,561 32.03%
7,431 31.48%

Potential ballots remaining to be processed, as of tonight’s Solano County report, include 250-500 mail-in ballots and 1,500-2,500 provisional ballots.  By my own calculation, Benicia might account for about 8% of those remaining ballots, or 140-240 outstanding votes.

If I were a pro, I might call the race now, given the odds against narrowing a 130-point margin.  But I’m no pro, and Terry’s a friend, so I can’t go there.  We’ll just have to wait for the Registrar of Voters to finish counting and certify a winner.   ☹

Hang in there, Terry!