Elections are held in November of the odd-numbered years.The City Council is responsible for approving the annual budget, service contracts, labor agreements, and other official documents required to conduct city operations. The other half of the city council will be up for election in 2024, same with the mayors office. Berkeley City Council meetings frequently last five hours . Ben Bartlett, Berkeley City Council District 3 Thank you for electing me! a Berkeley city council member who is pushing the proposal. Berkeley City Councilmember Rigel Robinson appoints 4 city commissioners Berkeley will not send Marines {ldquo}unwelcome intruders - SFGATE Governing Council Meetings- are held on the 1st and 3rd Thursday from 12:10-1:00pm seecalendar for location and details. Remembering, paving and painting at City Council meeting The number of votes counted for Robinson 1,580 exceeds the total number cast four years ago in the race for District Seven. We should have a full-time council, he said. The two competitive City Council races will be in District 1, which covers Northwest Berkeley, and District 8 in the citys southeast corner, including the Elmwood District and Claremont neighborhood. Service has to precede ego, it has to precede agenda, it has to precede all those ancient beefs from the 90s, because this city will, hopefully, outlast every single last one of our egos, Taplin said. After a brief, post-campaign hibernation, Robinson has begun his transition planning. About the City Council. Unquestionably, managing such a large, complex business requires a full-time city council, one that is representative of the diversity of our city and has a broad range of skill sets. It was either grad school or this: a seat on Berkeley City Council. This time, its a 32-year-old West Berkeley-bred poet and transportation activist who calls on Pokmon references to describe bigotry, and is banking on lifelong experience in the district to guide his first experience as an elected official. District 7 encompasses the UC Berkeley campus, Telegraph Avenue, & Southside neighborhood. The next update from the Alameda County registrar of voters office is scheduled to come Thursday at 5 p.m. Berkeleyside relies on reader support to remain free for everyone in our community. Current council members are: Rodney Hammond Scott Lee Chip McDaniel Bob Smith Rebecca Spitler Ben Bartlett, Berkeley City Council District 3 Berkeley residents expect a lot from their council members. It was Taplins first meeting after being sworn into the council days before, and he passed on most of his speaking time while others made speeches, and thanked staff for their six years of work. You can look up your council district on this page. It is an honor to serve the residents of Berkeley, and I look forward to hearing from you. Taplin hasnt had a major role in city politics apart from positions on the citys transportation and civic arts commissions. Its not going to help out with retirement or anything., Holly Honderich is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Just seven months after receiving his diploma in political science from UC Berkeley, Robinson is swapping out a masters thesis for a more practical application of his degree. It is an honor to serve the residents of Berkeley, and I look forward to hearing from you. Come January, at least 26 House members will be Millennials, people ages 22 to 37, according to the Pew Research Center. I dont know that he, s the most revolutionary person thats ever run for City Councilbut I would call Terry a pragmatic progressive, and someone who will listen.. Terry Taplin is a poet and Berkeley City Councilmember representing District 2, West and Southwest Berkeley. The current compensation system pays the mayor and council members for each meeting they attend. More. We had him knocking on those doors most frequently.. landmark, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson fall to Mahomes, Kelce in lively golf match, Warriors free agent Donte DiVincenzo may be headed to New York Knicks, Californians react to Supreme Court blocking student loan debt relief, An ambitious food fall is replacing a beloved Point Reyes institution, Bay Area heat wave is here. Council Members - Berkeley Lake, Georgia Young people also turned up on ballots as candidates, with considerable success. RT @AntiNateSilver: Minneapolis's conservative city council majority just took advantage of Muslim council members missing the meeting for Eid to block rent control they didn't have the votes to beat it fairly, so they used an underhanded Islamaphobic tactic to reject a policy passed by referendum. 2023Terry TaplinAll rights reserved, Powered byWPDesigned with the Customizr theme, Join my office and I at our 9th Street Greenway Cleanup! Your donation goes beyond supporting our journalism. District 7 encompasses the UC Berkeley campus, Telegraph Avenue, & Southside neighborhood. Im over 60, so time to let a younger generation with deep roots in the community have their time in the sun, so to speak., Theres this assumption that he doesnt have his own mind, Hemphill said. He said he ultimately wants to listen to his constituents before deciding what they want, something he feels his predecessor didnt manage to do. Pay raises for mayor and council, Uber surcharge, new police oversight, more, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Sign up for Berkeleyside's new arts & events newsletter. We consistently punch above our weight time and time again, legislation introduced by our council paves the way for similar efforts in other cities or at the state level. To Robinson, having been a student the past four years provides an ideal background for navigating the unique tensions between students and long-term residents which he calls his biggest project as a council member. Donate to Berkeleysideand support independent local journalism. Here are some other helpful election resources: See complete 2022 election coverage on Berkeleyside. Our office has been hard at work on the most pressing issues facing our city. Now, community members are urging the Council to restore and protect the mural: they argue it generates important civil dialogue. As Berkeley's Black population dwindles, activists work to build resilience Dont know your Berkeley City Council district? Taplin is pushing for an end to displacement by increasing housing density after having experienced an eviction himself, and wants to increase youth access to art and cultural programs, like Youth Speaks, that he was a part of as a child. Hes focusing on his first job in the professional world. That was a big moment for us, Robinson said. Please refer to the meeting schedule to find dates for upcoming Council meetings. Exonerated member of 'Central Park Five' takes lead in New York City We will be joined by the Berkeley Police Department and its Community Services Bureau. Approximately 26 City Council meetings are held annually. Rigel Robinson, a candidate running for the Berkeley City Council District 7 seat, canvasses a neighborhood in Berkeley, Calif. on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018. Before joining The Chronicle, Holly wrote for the Toronto Star and, most recently, the BBCs DC bureau, where she completed a reporting trip to the Mexico-US border to cover protests to US immigration policy. So I think he relates to some of the angst around that, she said. VoteCrew creator and Rise California member Maxwell Lubin, center, and Berkeley City Council candidate Rigel Robinson help Cal student Harry Lee, left, register to vote during a VoteCrew event during National Voter Registration Day on the UC Berkeley campus in Berkeley, Calif., on Tuesday September 25, 2018. circus no bread on Twitter: "RT @AntiNateSilver: Minneapolis's Our wish is to have the mural be a touchstone for educators at Malcolm X., Contact Madison Creekbaum at[emailprotected]. In housing, policing, and nearly every other issue, differences pop up between residents who have lived in the city for generations and felt the scars of the past, and those who are younger and newer to the issues. You shouldnt have to be independently wealthy or retired to serve on the city council.. Salaam is one of three candidates in a competitive June 27 . As a Berkeley native, I am inspired by the people of Berkeley who have worked hard to create this progressive community. When Newport led the city from 1979 to 1996, he was one of the first mayors to march in solidarity at the LGBTQ+ San Francisco Pride parade. In many ways, thats a little ridiculous, he said. It also helps your family, friends and Berkeley neighbors have access to reliable, independent reporting. His district has seen the most gun violence this year, along with being adjacent to South Berkeley where 19-year-old Sereinate Henderson , who was pregnant, was shot and killed in a drive-by on Oct. 21. The salaries for council members salaries will be set at 63% of the mayors salary. Terry Taplin - City Councilmember for Berkeley District 2 Donate to Berkeleysideand support independent local journalism. Robinson attributed the higher demand on streets and sidewalks in Southside as a response to a growing commercial and residential population. New York City Council candidate Yusef Salaam speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, Wednesday, May 24, 2023, in New York. Unsure of which district you live in?Use the City of Berkeley Council District Locator. Robinson, who was external affairs vice president on UC Berkeleys student government and served on the University of Californias Student Association, said he decided to run for the City Council after a 2014 redistricting created a south-side council district that was 86 percent students. Proponents said the raises will allow more people to run for public office. Frances Dinkelspiel, Berkeleyside and CItyside co-founder, is a journalist and author. In the style of a more seasoned candidate, Robinson would steer conversations away from his age and toward his platform, which emphasized affordable housing and improved relations between students and long-term residents. It is authorized to establish and enforce laws and regulations related to municipal affairs, subject to the limitations and restrictions of the City Charter and the State Constitution.The mayor serves a two-year term. He also knew better than to play up his youth. City of Berkeley City Councilmembers - Official MapQuest Rigel Robinson, a candidate running for the Berkeley City Council District 7 seat, carries voter information while walking on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, Calif. on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018. Exonerated member of 'Central Park Five' takes lead in New York City Other people told me it should be me, Robinson said. Shortly before, Worthington began reaching out to Robinson for what turned out to be a series of quasi job interviews. During election season, the organization published a letter of endorsement for Bartlett and Davilawhich said the two incumbents were the only candidates who could represent Black Berkeleyans. He has lived in Berkeley for 54 years. Nico Savidge joined Berkeleyside in 2021 as a senior reporter covering city hall. Another one of the members is known as the Council-at-Large, who is considered the Vice President of the Council. It also helps your family, friends and Berkeley neighbors have access to reliable, independent reporting. Well be meeting at noon at Ciel Creative Space on 935 Carleton St. Rigel Robinson, a candidate running for the Berkeley City Council District 7 seat, walks on Telegraph Avenue to canvass a nearby neighborhood in Berkeley, Calif. on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018. Are your streets better paved, cleaner and safer? He was president of the Gay-Straight Alliance during his time at Berkeley High, and is following in the footsteps of Darryl Moore, who was the first queer, Black council member in Berkeley. There can bezero tolerance for racism, bigotry, and hate anywhere in our city, let alone among the firstresponders who interact with our [], November 14, 2022 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Today the Berkeley City Councils Health, Life Enrichment, Equity & Community (HLEEC) Committee unanimously passed District 2 Councilmember Terry Taplins proposal for the Citys newly-formed Office of Racial Equity to incorporate workforce development services for the recently incarcerated (known as adult re-entry) and development of a Guaranteed Basic Income pilot program as []. Its livable, he said. Kesarwani, Infrastructure, Environment & Sustainability. that he has a lot of work to do to bridge generational divides between his constituents. It was really learning as we went, Sarveshwar said. Measure JJ is good public policy, will not require a tax increase, and will enable citizens from all financial backgrounds to serve. Email: holly.honderich@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hollyhonderich. While not all the ballots have been counted, Measure JJ, a City Charter amendment, was leading with 64.5% of the vote, a hard lead to overturn. Sign up for Berkeleyside's new arts & events newsletter. Berkeleyside relies on reader support to remain free for everyone in our community. Arregun has said that Berkeley has always had a part-time mayor and council, in theory, and this vote should change that. Email TTaplin@berkeleyca.gov. He also interned for current Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arregun, who at the time was a city council member. Rigel and his peers at UC Berkeley resolved that with a supermajority of students, it was time for a student to run. I ran for Berkeley City Council to ensure that students have a strong advocate who understands the campus community from their perspective, and to ensure that residents have a responsive, effective, and accountable Councilmember who can bridge the gap between university and city, and students and neighbors. The fields early frontrunner is Mark Humbert, an attorney who has picked up endorsements from Droste, Mayor Jesse Arregun and five other members of the City Council. He has a budget for one full-time staffer, and he plans to hire a UC student. Berkeleyans citywide elect the Mayor. JANUARY 22, 2019. City election records show the only challenger in that race, Peoples Park activist Aidan Hill, did not qualify for the ballot. Eight years ago, he said, he started looking for a UC Berkeley student to replace him. Free for all, funded by readers. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), spots on the citys Rent Stabilization Board, infrastructure and affordable housing bond, announced she would not seek a third term, a guide to the essentials of how to register and vote, whats on the ballot, voters rights and more, The League of Women Voters Berkeley Albany and Emeryville, City Council races test Berkeleys new direction on housing, BART housing looms large in race for Berkeley City Council District 1, 4 candidates seek open Berkeley City Council District 8 seat, Election 2022: Rashi Kesarwani, Elisa Mikiten lead fundraising for City Council, Meet the 6 candidates running for Berkeley school board, Election 2022: School board candidates answer Berkeleyside questions, Teachers unions compete with Reichi Lee in big-money Berkeley school board race, In Berkeley rent board race, evictions, housing stock are up for debate, Election 2022: Rent board candidates answer Berkeleyside questions, Tenants slate has fundraising edge as real estate groups sit out Berkeley rent board race, Measure L: From streets to housing, $650M bond takes aim at Berkeleys biggest challenges, Measure M, Berkeleys vacancy tax, aims to curb real estate speculation, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Election 2022: Who's running for City Council, auditor in Berkeley Hes currently taking care of his mother, who has multiple sclerosis and diabetes, and he wants a Berkeley pedestrian ecosystem that wouldnt be impossible for her to navigate. Born and raised in Berkeley, he got his start in journalism at Youth Radio as a high-schooler in the mid-2000s. abolition of prisons and police departments. Gerhardstein (who was dismissed from the city transportation commission by Davila) is a co-founder of Walk Bike Berkeley, and supports Taplins transportation goals. This is a carousel. Robinson isnt thinking about Congress just yet, though. But beneath the blue and gold, students and residents alike are struggling every day to make ends meet. 1 of 5 Berkeley Mayor, Tom Bates scratches his head while listening to public comment at the council meeting on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. My time on the council is well behind me now, but in that role, I came to understand this city and its place in the world in new ways. Sign up for Berkeleyside's new arts & events newsletter. It worked. Holly Honderich is a reporting fellow with The Chronicles politics team. There are two contested races for Berkeley City Council in 2022, while two members are cruising unopposed to re-election. I dont have to explain to non-Black people what makes me a Black person, because Im too busy living my Black experience., I dont have to explain to non-Black people what makes me a Black person, because Im too busy living my Black experience, Taplin said. Berkeleyside relies on reader support to remain free for everyone in our community. The e-mail address for the entire City Council is council@berkleymich.net. All rights reserved. Berkeley to consider removing police from traffic stops - East Bay Times Many cities of Berkeleys size pay their councilmembers a part-time salary for a part-time job. For example, the Council salary is in the bottom 1% of the starting salaries for the over 300 job categories listed by the city of Berkeley. The Governing Council (GC) coordinates BSA activities, sets goals, and maintains a liaison with UC administration. We offer opportunities for professional growth and development, as well as a comprehensive benefits package. (AP . In this Novembers election, Taplin (who was endorsed by the majority of the Council) took 62% of the votes to Davilas 38%, winning an incumbents seat yet again and cutting Davilas tenure on the City Council to a single term. While not all the ballots have been counted, Measure JJ, a City Charter amendment, was leading with 64.5% of the vote, a hard lead to overturn. Directions. The City Council is responsible for approving the annual budget, service contracts, labor agreements, and other official documents required to conduct city operations. We have the momentum to try things and get away with things that its not possible to do in other places, Robinson said. robberies up nearly 12% amid reports of attacks targeting women. A 24-Year-Old Council Member is Driving Police Reform in California Taplin is well aware that hes new to the scene, and that his votes not his ambitions are going to speak for him when it comes time to assess his track record. At first I didnt take it seriously., He added, laughing, I guess I answered the call.. Connect with us online, by phone, or in person. However, it is not written in the charter that the positions are part-time. The raises will go into effect as soon as the city files its charter changes with the state, which will probably happen in January, according to City Clerk Mark Numainville. Im not naive to think that hes not going to take some controversial positions thats the nature of the job but I think hes going to do a better job explainingwhy hes thinking through these issues, that hes accounting for different positions, Gerhardstein said, adding that Taplin will be more approachable and transparent than his predecessor. But it was a fit for Robinson, both for his experience in student government and his affection for his new home of Berkeley, a laboratory for democracy, after growing up in St. Louis. Even though his district on the south side of campus is dominated by students, Robinson said he sometimes struggled to get voters to take him seriously. Berkeley has a new city council member to represent District 2 as it heads into 2021. The Berkeley City Council has approved refunding the police and creating violence prevention alternatives. In District 7, which covers much of UC Berkeley and the student-centric Southside neighborhood, Councilmember Rigel Robinson is similarly on track for re-election. A mobility and environmental justice activist, Terry has led on housing, green transportation, and fights for a climate resilient future. People want to know that youre responsive to them, that you care about their concerns, and that youll follow up, he said. Saturday, June 17 | 12 1 pm RSVP here Questions: TTaplin@berkeleyca.gov, Join my office and I at our Berkeley District 2 Public Safety Forum! Your donation goes beyond supporting our journalism. Since then, Claim this business. The city website has a. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Nonprofit news. In Year of the Millennial, Berkeley elects its youngest council member yet, Read more about how The Chronicle covers politics and what we do to ensure fairness in our reporting, These Millennials arent just voting: They want your vote, Why Im betting on Millennials this election day, S.F. Affordable Housing Guide|Trash pickup fees rising|Budgets OK'd:City, $719M BUSD, $218M|From Kharkiv to Berkeley|Get The Scene, our arts newsletter. I wont have to scrimp and save to live in this community.. Olds, 88, will serve at her . If they miss a meeting, they dont get paid unless they have been formally excused. The reporters and editors at Berkeleyside are dedicated to covering our city and providing you with the information you need to be an informed citizen. The role is much more than just showing up on Tuesday evenings to cast votes. Governing Council members are elected by the general membership to serve a three-year term, from July through June. Taplin, along with with Mayor Jesse Arregun, council members Bartlett, Lori Droste, Sophie Hahn, Rashi Kesarwani, Rigel Robinson and Susan Wengraf, voted to add another story on buildings along Adeline. Despite the lengthy process, Robinson expressed gratitude for contributors including the Public Works team and advocates such as Telegraph for People, The Bike Berkeley and East Bay Transit Riders Union. May her life be an inspiration to all of us.. Its cost is minimal, 0.06% of the total budget and does not require an increase in taxes. Thats the gem were mining for that future city.. Complete survey by July 31 and attend meetings on June 29 or July 12 to help develop policies, programs, and infrastructure needed in a strategic plan to achieve zero waste. Measure JJ promotes good government by making it possible for Berkeley residents, regardless of their wealth, to serve their community as elected officials. Sept 25th, 2021,12:00p-2:00pStrawberry Creek Park Join Councilmember Taplin and Councilmember Kesarwani (D1) for joint office hours in the park! Taplin launched his campaign in a pre-pandemic world in May 2019, and many of the issues hes been vocal about have impacted his own life in Berkeley. Many older West Berkeleyans oppose police patrols and want neighborhood safety networks, he said, but also arent comfortable with an absent police force. More by Frances Dinkelspiel. However, pursuant to the Charter [], November 14, 2022TTaplin@cityofberkeley.info Councilmember Taplin Statement on Police Misconduct Allegations I am deeply disturbed and troubled by the recent surfacing of texts exhibiting anti-homeless andanti-Black racial bias distributed by an officer of the Berkeley Police Department. Robinson announced his candidacy in April, almost three moths before longtime Councilman Kriss Worthington announced his plans to retire. The current salary amounts were set in December 1998 and have been increased as the cost of living for the San Francisco Bay Area has gone up. The Mayor and Council-at-Large are elected city-wide by . If you value what you get from Berkeleyside, please join us with atax-deductible donationso we can continue doing the local reporting that matters to you. Madison Creekbaum | Staff < 1 HOUR AGO Berkeley City Council honored the lives of city trailblazers and justice advocates Dorothy Walker and Gus Newport during its meeting Tuesday. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Alameda County registrar of voters office, If numbers hold, Terry Taplin will take West Berkeley seat, By the numbers: Berkeleys final 2020 election results, Whats on the Berkeley ballot? The remaining city council members serve staggered four-year terms. Worthington has been on the council for 22 years, or as long as Robinson has been alive. I was really running because I thought there was a void in leadership in this district. Kate Harrison - City Council Member - City of Berkeley | LinkedIn Hemphill also pushed back on criticisms that as Taplin joins a progressive-majority Council, he wont speak for himself or introduce ideas that go against the left-of-center grain. Copy and paste this code into your website. A mobility and environmental justice activist, Terry has led on housing, green transportation, and fights for a climate resilient future. City Council Member City of Berkeley Mar 2017 . Would increasing the salaries of Berkeley's elected officials prompt She signed her name to an opinion piece with Arregun and several others in October endorsing Taplin, and calling him a homegrown leader that wont offer progressivism as an empty promise. Berkeley took its first step toward reparations. Here's what it can We have three different factions on the City Council. Our artistic message is timely as it compliments the state of Californias Reparations (Task Force) and President Bidens exploration of how to address reparations, said Reparations Now! artist Priscilla Hine. Sign up for Berkeleyside's new arts & events newsletter. City Council Council Committees Boards & Commissions No Upcoming City Council Meetings. Berkeley Measure L dies; Kesarwani, Humbert victorious in city council Thursday, June 15, 5 6:30 pm Zoom Link: http://tinyurl.com/CMTTsafety61523 RSVP here, April 2023 TO: Dee Williams-Ridley, City Manager