Contra Costa Herald

News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California

Who wants to run for office? Candidate Workshops June 22-24

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In Antioch, Lafayette & Pinole

By Contra Costa Elections Division

Have you ever considered running for office? Learn the basics of running for office at the Contra Costa Elections Division’s Candidate Workshops.

This engaging candidate workshop is designed to remove the mystery from running for office. Experts will cover what’s involved with running for office, including how to file and appear on the ballot, campaign finance disclosure requirements, strategies for spreading your message (including social media), and what happens when you’re in the public eye.

They will be held in Antioch on Monday, June 22, Lafayette on Tuesday, June 23 and in Pinole on Wednesday, June 24. All three will run from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Last call to reserve a free ticket below:

– Antioch: https://ow.ly/A0WJ50YYv5P

– Lafayette: https://ow.ly/1YIF50YYv5N

– Pinole: https://ow.ly/aqNa50YYv5O

The Contra Costa Elections Division is part of the County Clerk-Recorder-Registrar’s Office.

With almost all ballots processed elections in Contra Costa confirmed

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No changes in new leaders elected, countywide ballot measures

But lead change in 14th Assembly District second place for November run-off

By Allen D. Payton

According to the Contra Costa Elections Division, with the seven-day deadline to receive mail-in ballots passed on Tuesday and only 2,100 ballots remaining to be processed and 4,000 ballots to be cured, the results are confirmed as of June 10th at 3:23 p.m.: three new leaders have been elected, three re-elected, one ballot measure passed and two failed.  A total of 323,422 ballots were cast in the county resulting in a 44.21% turnout.

Plus, according to the California Secretary of State as of 7:25 p.m., second place in two of the closest races in the state have been determined, including one lead change since last Friday’s update.

Source: CCC Elections

County Leader Elections

In the four contested races for countywide positions no changes occurred. Dr. Dana Eaton defeated Dr. Jag Lathan for Superintendent of Schools; Vince Robb defeated his two opponents, Nick Spinner and Kismat Kathrani, for Assessor; Peter Karumbi defeated Deepika Naharas for Auditor-Controller; and incumbent County Clerk-Recorder-Registrar Kristin Connelly was re-elected having defeated challenger Pratima Sonavne.

Source: CCC Elections

Countywide Ballot Measures – A Passes, B & G Fail

In the three countywide ballot measure elections, Measure A, the Urban Limit Line renewal, passed overwhelmingly while Measure B, the County’s sales tax increase and Measure G, the college district’s bond, were defeated.

Measure A increased its margin of victory to 70.2% of the vote in favor to 29.8% opposed.

In the Measure B contest, while more “no” than “yes” votes were counted since last Friday’s update and the margin of defeat increased from 36,562 votes to now 41,093, the percentage of defeat decreased from 57.41% to 56.93% of the vote against. Yet, there are not enough votes remaining to be counted in the county for it to pass.

Although the “yes” votes overtook the “no” votes in the Measure G contest and currently lead by 253 votes, it requires 55% of the vote to pass. There are now 50.03% of the vote in favor to 49.97% opposed. Yet, even if all the remaining 6,100 ballots in the county included favorable votes, the bond measure would still fall about 12,000 votes short of passing.

Source: CA Secretary of State

Lead Change in 14th Assembly District

In the race for second place to determine who will face incumbent Democrat Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks in November in the 14th Assembly District, which includes most of West County and portions of Alameda County, a lead change occurred. Green Party candidate Mark Rendon has overtaken Republican Borgar Solnordal by 1,251 votes, a reversal of 2,201 votes since last Friday’s update and 3,336 votes since Election Night.

Source: CA Secretary of State

10th Congressional District

In the second-place contest to determine who will take on incumbent Democrat Rep. Mark DeSaulnier in November in the 10th Congressional District, which includes most of Contra Costa and portions of Alameda County, Republican Jeff Frese has 3,077 more votes than third-time candidate Katherine Piccinini. He increased his lead by 121 votes since the last update and 233 since Election Night.

The mystery candidate has a website, Facebook page with two followers, X/Twitter feed with zero followers and an Instagram account with one post and one follower as of June 10th. But Frese does not provide a photo of himself or description of what he does for work as a Small Business Owner, which is his ballot designation. Only an email address is provided. An effort to reach him comment about his advancing to the General Election and details about his business were unsuccessful prior to publication time.

Estimated number of unprocessed ballots in Contra Costa County:

Ballots voted at a voting location – 0

Vote-by-mail ballots received on or before Election Day – 0

Vote-by-mail ballots received after Election Day – 0

Provisional ballots – 100

Conditional Voter Registration Provisional ballots – 1,000

Other (In Review, Damaged) – 1,000

Total – 2,100

Ballots Left to Cure – 4,000

Next Results Expected (date and time): Friday, 6/12/2026, 4:00PM

Estimated number of unprocessed ballots in Alameda County:

Ballots voted at a voting location – 0

Vote-by-mail ballots received on or before Election Day – 0

Vote-by-mail ballots received after Election Day – 18,058

Provisional ballots – 233

Conditional Voter Registration Provisional ballots – 1,467

Other (In Review, Damaged) – 293

Total – 20,051

Ballots Left to Cure – 1,600

Next Results Expected: Friday, 6/12/2026, 4:00PM

According to the Secretary of State, “State law requires county elections officials to report final official results to the Secretary of State by July 3, 2026. The Secretary of State has until July 10, 2026, to certify the results of the election.”

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

CoCoTax welcomes apparent defeat of Measure B sales tax, Measure G bond issue

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By Contra Costa Taxpayers Association

Election night final results show Contra Costa Measure B trailing with less than 41% of the vote in favor. A relatively small number of late arriving votes are unlikely to change the outcome, given the 29,182-vote gap between the NO and YES totals.  Measure G is also likely to fail.

Measure B would have raised sales taxes by 0.625% around the county, would have cost consumers more than $750 million during its five-year life, and would have pushed total sales tax rates over 10% in most of the County.   Measure G was yet a fourth bond measure for the county colleges, adding to our indebtedness and long-term payment of interest.  The bond measures appear not to have ever been enough and with falling student numbers, huge investments make no sense.

As the official ballot opponent to Measure B, Contra Costa Taxpayers Association (CoCoTax) showed voters the deceptiveness of the proponents’ case, which included exaggerated claims about Medi-Cal funding losses, alarmism over emergency room overcrowding, and the false assertion that the tax did not apply to groceries (prepared foods, OTC medications, and non-food groceries would have been subject to the tax).  For Measure G, we showed the math behind it and how the only people looking to support it with money were unions whose contracts expire this month.  The unions also planned to take advantage of Measure B funds.

CoCoTax rallied volunteers to get the message out with signage, verbal appeals, videos, text messages and more. The organization made its first set of campaign finance expenditures, reporting approximately $20,000 of independent expenditures to the County’s campaign finance system. This spending paled in comparison to the $450,000 raised by the Yes on B campaign, mostly from unions seeking to maximize dues revenue.

Denise Kalm, a CoCoTax Executive Committee who agreed to serve as the group’s President Pro Tem this Spring led the successful effort against Measures B and G.

Reacting to the results, Kalm said, “Measure B would have given the Board of Supervisors another big infusion of cash; they already had burdened us in 2020 with Measure X and haven’t even found ways to spend/waste it all.  And yet, they came back with a 0.625% increase in sales tax demand, purportedly to fix the healthcare shortfall they claim President Trump caused.  None of it was true; none of their math added up.“

Though CoCoTax initially started only going after B, we made an effort to get G to fail, which worked.

CoCoTax welcomes more Contra Costa residents to join us and volunteer. We’re expecting many tax and bond measures in November and then again in 2028. While some may be reasonable, others, like the regional transit tax, require informed and active opposition. Neighbors who want to join us in “Fighting for Good Government at Affordable Cost in Contra Costa, are encouraged to check out our website at https://www.cocotax.org.

Contra Costa elections update shows no changes in county races, measures

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But margin of defeat for Measure G’s college district bond narrows

Second place races for 14th Assembly District narrows, in 10th Congressional District widens but still too close to call

By Allen D. Payton

According to the Contra Costa Elections Division Update 1, as of Friday, June 5, 2026, at 3:44 PM a total of 267,760 ballots have been counted for a 36.6 percent voter turnout in the county, so far. But the additional ballots have not resulted in any changes to the winners in the four contested countywide races of Superintendent of Schools, Assessor, Auditor-Controller and Clerk-Recorder-Registrar. Nor in the races for the 11th, 15th and 16th Assembly Districts or 8th and 9th Congressional Districts. While Measure A is still passing and Measures B and G are still failing, the margin of defeat for Measure G has narrowed. (See related article)

Election Results from Update 1 as of Friday, June 5, 2026. Source: CCC Elections Division

Dr. Dana Eaton’s dominating lead over Dr. Jag Lathan for Superintendent has increased from 63,800 votes on Election Night to 92,179. But Eaton’s share of the vote decreased from 73.44% to 72.12%.

Vince Robb’s commanding lead in the Assessor’s race over his two opponents, Nick Spinner and Kismat Kathrani, has increased from 66,516 to 99,549 and from 85,909 to 130,261 votes, respectively. But Robb’s share of the vote decreased slightly from 67.99% to 67.66%. Because he has received more than 50% of the vote, he will not have to face off against the second-place finisher in November.

In the Auditor-Controller’s race, Peter Karumbi’s insurmountable lead increased from 79,449 votes on Election Night to 119,202 over Deepika Naharas. But his share of the vote decreased from 79.23% to 78.87%.

Finally, in the Clerk-Recorder-Registrar’s race, incumbent Kristin Connelly is soundly defeating her opponent, Pratima Sonavne by the widest margin of the four countywide contests by 161,995 votes for 87.08% of the vote. That is a slight increase over the Election Night results of 87.02% of the vote.

Election Results from Update 1 as of Friday, June 5, 2026. Source: CCC Elections Division

No Changes to Results for Countywide Ballot Measures

In the three countywide ballot measures, no changes occurred due to the additional votes included in Friday’s updated results as Measure A is still passing and Measures B and G still failing.

Measure A, the Urban Limit Line renewal vote is still winning, now by 95,353 votes or 69.81% of the vote, an increase over Election Night results of 67.91%.

Measure B, the County’s 0.625% sales tax increase is now failing by 36,562 votes with 57.91% of the vote against, a slight decrease over Election Night results of 59.04% opposing.

Finally, the updated results for Measure G, the community college district’s bond measure, which requires a 55% vote to pass, show an increase in support. It is now failing by just 4,049 votes or 50.83% to 49.17% of voters in favor, closing the margin of defeat by 6,285 votes. In order to pass, the measure will need over 62% of the remaining votes to be in support.

Election results as of Friday, June 5, 2026. Source: CA Secretary of State

Two Contests Too Close to Call

There are two races in the county listed on the California Secretary of State’s Close Contests webpage.

In the 14th Assembly District, the race for second place to determine who will take on incumbent Democrat Buffy Wicks in November, has narrowed from 2,085 votes on Election Night to just 950 votes. Republican Borgar Solnordal now has 9,357 votes or 10.0% and Green Party candidate Mark Rendon has 8,407 or 9.0% of the vote. That seat includes most of West County and portions of Alameda County.

In the 10th Congressional District, which covers most of Contra Costa County, the current second place finisher, Republican Jeff Frese has expanded his lead over fellow Republican challenger, Katherine Piccinini to 2,956, a total of 112 more votes than on Election Night. Frese now has 24,115 votes or 13.5% to Piccini’s 21,159 or 11.8% of the vote. The winner between the two will determine who will face incumbent Democrat Representative Mark DeSaulnier in November.

Election results as of Friday, June 5, 2026. Source: CA Secretary of State

Remaining Ballots, More Arriving

There are currently 55,200 ballots remaining to be processed. But according to Contra Costa County Assistant Registrar Helen Nolan, ballots postmarked by election day can still arrive at the Elections office by next Tuesday, June 9th at 5:00 p.m. So, the total number of remaining ballots is expected to increase.

Following is the breakdown of the estimated number of current unprocessed ballots:

Ballots voted at a voting location – 100

Vote-by-mail ballots received on or before Election Day – 28,500

Vote-by-mail ballots received after Election Day – 24,000

Provisional ballots – 100

Conditional Voter Registration Provisional ballots – 1,000

Other (In Review, Damaged) – 1,500

Total – 55,200

The next results update is expected on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at 4:00 PM.

New, returning leaders elected in Contra Costa County, mixed results on ballot measures

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Dr. Dana Eaton, Peter Karumbi and Vince Robb were elected Tuesday night, and Kristin Connelly was re-elected.

Top two candidates in Congressional, Assembly races set for November runoffs

By Allen D. Payton

Four new leaders were elected, and three leaders were re-elected in Contra Costa County Tuesday night. One countywide ballot measure passed, while two failed and the November run-off candidates were decided for both congressional districts.

Election results source: Contra Costa County Elections Division

New Leaders

As of the latest June 2026 Primary Election Night Results posted by the Contra Costa Elections Division Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 12:46:24 AM, three new candidates in competitive countywide races led by large margins. Dr. Dana Eaton dominates Dr. Jag Lathan for Superintendent of Schools with 99,939 votes or 73.44% to 36,139 or 26.565 of the vote; for Auditor-Controller, Peter Karumbi is ahead of Deepika Naharas 107,672 votes or 79.23% to 28,223 or 20.77% of the vote; and in the Assessor’s race, Vince Robb is beating both his opponents, Nick Spinner and Kismet Kathrani with 99,681 votes or 67.99% to 33,165 or 22.62% and 13,722 or 9.39% of the vote, respectively. Since Robb received more than 50% of the vote, there will be no top-two runoff in November.

Appointed Treasurer-Tax Collector Dan Mierzwa had no opponent and was elected to the position with 127,277 votes.

Robb “Surprised” “Grateful”

“I went all in just to go for this. I’m surprised at how high the percentage is especially since it was a race with two opponents,” Robb said when reached for comment. “I’m grateful to the voters of the county for placing their trust in me. I’m thankful they looked to my experience and the office overall and see we’re a well-oiled machine. The staff there is great. This is a victory for the staff, there, too. We treat people like they want to be treated. I look forward to serving the people and the businesses in Contra Costa for the next four years.”

Eaton “Cautiously Optimistic”

“I’m cautiously optimistic. I felt like the results were pretty strong. But I’m waiting for all the votes to be counted,” Eaton said. “We were expecting 250,000 total votes cast. That would be like 35%. My experience in these is takes a couple of Fridays. We feel like we had a great opening night and we hope it holds.”

Karumbi “Grafeful and Humbled”

“I am grateful and humbled by the overwhelming support of the voters of Contra Costa County,” Karumbi stated. “I look forward to serving you with integrity, transparency and steadfast commitment to our community. It is a privilege to serve, and I remain deeply committed to earning your trust every day moving forward.”

Re-Elected Leaders

Three incumbent officials were easily re-elected Tuesday night. County Clerk-Recorder-Registrar Kristin Connelly was the only incumbent County official facing an opponent, this year. She is way ahead of challenger Pratima Sonavne with 124,794 votes or 87.02% to 18,611 or 12.98% of the vote.

Efforts to reach Connelly for comment was unsuccessful prior to publication time.

Incumbent County Supervisors John Gioia in District 1 and Ken Carlson in District 4 also ran unopposed and were re-elected to four-year terms on the Board. Gioia received 20,898 votes while Carlson received 30,446, so far.

Ballot Measures – Urban Limit Line Extended, But County Sales Tax, College Bond Fail

For the three countywide ballot measures, Election Night results show only one is passing. Measure A, the Urban Limit Line renewal by more than 2-to-1. The yes votes total 107,061 or 67.91% and the no votes total 50,593 or 32.09% of the vote.

But Measure B, the County’s 0.625% sales tax increase failed with 66,118 yes votes or 41.41% to 95,300 no votes or 58.59% of the vote. Measure G, the College District bond which required 55% to pass also failed, only receiving 74,995 yes votes or 46.78% to 85,329 no votes or 53.22% of the vote.

(See separate article for local measures, later).

The latest results from the Secretary of State show the following:

November Congressional Candidates Set

Source: CA Secretary of State

In the race for the new 9th Congressional district which now includes Antioch, Pittsburg, portions of Oakley and most of San Joaquin County, incumbent Democrat Representative Josh Harder will face Republican John McBride in November. Harder has 40,267 votes or 57.7% to McBride’s 16,997 or 24.4%. The other three Republican candidates were Martin Veprauskas with 5,876 or 8.4%, Khalid Jeffrey Jafri with 5,330 or 7.6% and Parminder “Happy” Singh with 1,313 or 1.9% of the vote.

In the new 10th District, which includes most of Contra Costa County and a small portion of Alameda County, incumbent Democrat Representative Mark DeSaulnier will face Republican Jeff Frese. The congressman has 69,312 votes or 57.3% to Frese’ 18,253 or 15.1%. Two other Republicans, threepeat candidate Katherine Piccinini has 15,409 votes or 12.7% to Dr. Angela Griffiths’ 8,500 or 7.0% of the vote. Three other Democrats trailed with 4,045 votes or 3.3% for Joshua Hamilton, 3,420 or 2.8% for Mitchell Maisler and 2,026 or 1.7% of the vote for Bob Rowland.

In the new 8th District, which includes portions of West County, Democrat incumbent Democrat Representative John Garamendi with 51,388 votes or 53.4% of the vote, will once again face Republican Rudy Recile, with 30,750 votes or 32.0%, in November. Recile beat out two Democrats, Nicolas Carjuzza who has 10% and Aaron Rowden who has 4.7% of the vote.

November Assembly Candidates Set

Source: CA Secretary of State

In the 15th Assembly District (AD), which includes northern and eastern portions of the county, incumbent Democrat Annamarie Avila-Farias had only one opponent in the primary, Arthur Webb, registered No Party Preference referred to as independent. She was leading him by 40,930 votes or 66.5% to 20,616 or 33.5% of the vote.

In the 16th AD, which includes Walnut Creek, Lamorinda and the San Ramon Valley, incumbent Democrat Rebecca Bauer-Kahan will again face Republican Joseph Rubay in November. She’s beating him and independent candidate, Chirag Kathrani, by 48,559 votes or 61.4% to 27,811 or 35.2% and 2,676 or 3.4% of the vote, respectively.

In the 14th AD, which includes most of West County, incumbent Democrat Buffy Wicks will face Republican challenger, Borgar Solnordal in November. She is leading him and Green Party candidate, Mark Rendon, by 43,584 votes or 78.7% to 6,924 or 12.5% and 4,839 or 8.7% of the vote, respectively.

Finally, in the 11th AD, which includes portions of far East County, incumbent Democrat Lori Wilson will face independent candidate Jenny Leilani Callison in November. Wilson is beating her and independent Rochelle Carter by 44,608 votes or 63.4% to 17,572 or 25% and 8,199 or 11.6% of the vote, respectively.

Ballots Still to Be Counted

Ballots postmarked by Tuesday will still be counted if they arrive at the County Elections Division within seven days following the election. The Clerk has 28 days to certify the election, but that can happen much quicker with the low-voter turn-out which is common for non-presidential year primary elections. So far, votes from 23.88% of those registered to vote in the county have been counted. That number is expected to increase but by how much is not yet clear.

UPDATE 1: According to the Associated Press’ California Governor all-primary results report, the 174,683 votes counted represents an estimated 63% of the total vote count in Contra Costa County. That could leave another 102,600 votes remaining to be counted countywide.

UPDATE 2: According to the Contra Costa Elections Division, as of Thursday, June 4, 2026, there are a total of 144,200 estimated ballots remaining to be processed.

Estimated number of unprocessed ballots:

Ballots voted at a voting location – 100

Vote-by-mail ballots received on or before Election Day – 117,000

Vote-by-mail ballots received after Election Day – 25,000

Provisional ballots – 100

Conditional Voter Registration Provisional ballots – 1,000

Other (In Review, Damaged) – 1,000

Total – 144,200

Next Results Expected (date and time): Friday, 6/5/2026 – 4:00 PM

Please check back later for any additional updates to this report.

Contra Costa voters asked to contract, expand, extend County’s Urban Limit Line for 25 more years with Measure A

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The Proposed 2026 County ULL renewal map shows areas of contractions and expansions. Source: Contra Costa County

Would allow for expansion near Byron Airport, contractions elsewhere

Won’t affect ULL’s of the 19 cities

By Allen D. Payton

On Tuesday’s Primary Election ballot in Contra Costa County is Measure A, the 2026 Voter-Approved Contra Costa County Urban Limit Line also referred to as the Urban Limit Line and Land Preservation Plan Amendment Measure. Voters are asked whether to extend the County’s current Urban Limit Line (ULL) for 25 more years, as well as expand and contract it, placing a net of almost 9,500 more acres outside the line.

The ballot language reads, “Shall the measure amending the Contra Costa County General Plan and the County’s 65/35 Land Preservation Plan Ordinance to continue protections to the County’s non-urban, agricultural, and open space areas by extending the term of the County’s Urban Limit Line through December 31, 2051; adopting an updated Urban Limit Line map; requiring voter approval, except under limited circumstances, to expand the Urban Limit Line by more than 30 acres; and retaining the 65/35 Land Preservation Standard, be adopted?”

The county’s first ULL was voter-approved in 1990 and was renewed in 2006 which lasted 20 years.

Each of the 19 cities have their own voter-approved ULL, which supersede the County’s ULL, in order to receive local street maintenance funds from Measure J, the county’s half-cent sales tax for transportation. So, Measure A will not affect each city’s ULL only land in the unincorporated portions of the county.

Will Extend County ULL by 25 Years, Allow Expansion Near Byron Airport, Contractions Elsewhere

According to the County Counsel’s Impartial Analysis of the measure, “In 2004, voters approved Measure J-2004, which extended a local transportation sales tax (Measure C-1988) by 25 years and allowed the County to receive a share of those sale tax proceeds provided the County had a voter-approved ULL.

“In 2006, voters approved Measure L-2006, which extended the term of the ULL to December 31, 2026. In order (for the County) to continue to be eligible to receive transportation sales tax proceeds after 2026, the ULL must be extended beyond 2026. This measure would extend the County’s ULL for 25 years, through December 31, 2051.

In addition, “the measure would amend the County’s 2045 General Plan and the 65/35 Ordinance to accomplish the following: (1) extend the term of the 65/35 Ordinance from December 31, 2026, through December 31, 2051; (2) require four-fifths vote of the County Board of Supervisors and voter approval to expand the ULL by more than 30 acres (except under limited circumstances); (3) provide for periodic reviews of the ULL by the Board of Supervisors and a required review involving an evaluation of housing and job needs; (4) update and expand the criteria for moving land outside the ULL; (5) incorporate a revised ULL map that among other things delineates an area of future potential expansion near the Byron Airport; and (6) retain the 65/35 land preservation standard and protections for the County’s prime agricultural land. This measure will become effective immediately if approved by a majority of the voters voting on the measure.”

The proposed County ULL would include contractions totaling 11,098 acres and expansion of 1,603 acres for net 9,495 more acres placed outside the Urban Limit Line. (See map). However, the acreage does not include the Byron Airport Potential ULL Expansion Area.

Yes on A Campaign’s Main Argument

The main argument of the Yes on Measure A campaign, paid for by Save Mount Diablo and supported by nine other organizations, is “The Urban Limit Line helps prevent traffic from getting worse. The more people have to drive, and the more cars on the road, the worse traffic gets. This election, say YES to protecting our open space and agriculture, safety from wildfire, limiting traffic, and encouraging housing where it makes sense.”

No on A Campaign’s Main Argument

The main argument of the No on Measure A campaign, paid for by the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association is that “Measure A removes an additional 9,460 acres — equivalent to 14.78 square miles — from any possible urban housing use through 2051. That is larger than 10 of the 19 cities in Contra Costa County. Calling this a routine renewal misleads voters about what is actually on the ballot.”

The campaign also claims, “When Contra Costa restricts its land supply, families don’t disappear. They move — and commute back.”

Analysis: Growth is inevitable and acts much like a balloon, when it is restricted in one area, growth expands elsewhere. Such as in the Central Valley which feeds not only our state, but nation and world, and where land is cheaper and unfortunately, farmers can make more money selling to developers than farming. The result has been commuters driving further to work and blowing more polluting smoke out of their tailpipes, defeating the goals of the environmentalists, which doesn’t make sense.

At the same time, there’s plenty of room inside the current ULL’s of the cities for more housing growth to occur, especially in East County. Plus, the measure includes a potential expansion near the Byron Airport where commercial and/or mixed-used development could occur, as the long-planned, four-lane Route 239 between Brentwood and Tracy are built, the runway is potentially extended, a fixed base operation and fuel farm are built there, and a possible transit stop located there, as well.

Read more information on the websites for both the Yes on Measure A and No on Measure A campaigns.

See Full Text of 2026 CCC ULL Measure.

Dana Eaton seeks promotion to Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools

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Source: Eaton campaign

Brentwood Union School District Superintendent will apply his student-centered approach countywide

“We have a moral responsibility to make sure our children’s education is better than the one that we received,” – Dr. Dana Eaton

By Lisa Tucker

BRENTWOOD – In January, Dana Eaton launched his candidacy for Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools.  This is an open seat.

“Students and learning are at the center of my work as superintendent of schools for the Brentwood Union School District and in my previous roles as a teacher and principal,” said Eaton.  “I have consistently championed early literacy, student mental health, supporting the whole child, and school safety as foundational priorities, and will continue to do so as Contra Costa Superintendent of Schools.”

Dr. Eaton is serving his 13th year as superintendent of schools for the Brentwood Union School District and his 17th year as a superintendent overall.  According to his LinkedIn profile, he previously worked as Superintendent for the Jefferson School District in Tracy from 2009 to 2013. Eaton has a nearly 30-year career in education including as a teacher and principal.

He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies from San Francisco State University, a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Saint Mary’s College of California and a Doctor of Education – EdD degree in Educational Leadership from the University of La Verne.

Dr. Dana Eaton with his wife, Renee and their children, James and Emily. Source: Eaton campaign.

Eaton currently serves on the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team State Governing Board, the state’s school finance oversight organization; the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence Superintendent Advisory Panel, the state’s support provider to school districts in need of academic assistance; and, is state president of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Superintendency Council, where he advocates on behalf of students, teachers, and educational leaders at the state and federal level.

“This experience has prepared me to help districts maintain sound fiscal practices and improve their Local Contral and Accountability Plans (LCAPs) to provide outstanding educational opportunities to every student,” said Eaton.

Current Contra Costa Superintendent of Schools, Lynn Mackey, is retiring and will not run for re-election. She has endorsed Eaton, stating “Dana is a highly experienced, well-respected superintendent here in Contra Costa County.  He is deeply committed to public education, understands the role of the County Office, and brings steady, student-centered leadership.”

During a campaign fundraiser on April 7th, the candidate said, “I really believe in the power of public education. At the same time, I think we’re in a time when we are at risk for our children and our children’s children having an inferior education. I think that as adults who have benefited from a public education that we have a moral responsibility to make sure our children’s education is better than the one that we received. And that’s why I’m running for County Superintendent of Schools.”

Dr. Dana Eaton speaks during a campaign fundraiser at McCauley Estate Vineyards in Brentwood on April 7, 2026. Photos by Allen D. Payton

In recognition of Eaton’s leadership, he was named ACSA Superintendent of the Year for Alameda and Contra Costa Counties in both 2016 and 2023.  He was also named Brentwood Citizen of the Year in 2019 by the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce.

“As Superintendent, I will work to attract and support high-quality teachers and prioritize student success and learning whether in general education, special education, or alternative settings,” said Eaton.

Eaton comes from a long line of educators. His grandparents, mother, sister and wife, Renee, all served their communities as teachers. Eaton lives in Brentwood with his family.

The primary election is in June in which he faces one opponent. Whoever receives a majority of the vote wins and will begin their term in December.

For more information about Dr. Eaton and his campaign visit www.eatonforschools.com.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Opinion: CoCoTax says vote no on Measure G – a $1.88 billion burden Contra Costa can’t afford

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All graphics & charts source: CoCoTax

By Mike Arata

On June 2, Contra Costa County voters will decide whether to saddle themselves — and their children — with the largest bond debt in the history of the Contra Costa Community College District (4CD). Measure G asks for $920 million in new borrowing. With interest, the true cost climbs to $1.88 billion, with final payoff projected in 2059. CoCoTax has opposed this measure in official ballot arguments, in public presentations, and in a detailed response to a recent article in the Contra Costa College Advocate.

The case against Measure G is straightforward: it is far too much money, sought too soon given outstanding bond debt, by a district that hasn’t demonstrated the fiscal discipline to deserve it.

Already Drowning in Debt

4CD still owes on three bond measures as is:   2002’s Measure A ($120 million), 2006’s second Measure A, ($286.5 million), and 2014’s  Measure E ($450 million) —  totaling $856.5 million in principal alone. County taxpayers still owe nearly $727 million on those existing obligations, with the final payment on Measure E not expected until 2039. Measure G would pile $1.88 billion more on top of all that. If it passes, total bonded indebtedness reaches $2.61 billion, secured by Contra Costa County property values — with no senior exemption.

Enrollment Is Down 28% — Yet They Want to Build More

4CD advertises “nearly 50,000 students,” but that figure is misleading. California’s actual funding metric is Full-Time Equivalent Students (FTES). According to the State Chancellor’s October 2025 FTES Report, 4CD’s count was just 21,940 — down 28% from 30,648 when Measure A passed in 2002. Expanding costly new facilities while enrollment trends sharply downward is the opposite of responsible stewardship.

“Deferred Maintenance” — Deferred Forever?

Roofing repairs, seismic retrofits, HVAC upgrades, and electrical work appear repeatedly in 4CD bond project lists going back to 2002. How many bond measures must pass before these basics get done? There’s a core problem: 4CD’s maintenance budget has crept from just 0.10% to 0.20% of Plant Replacement Value over the past decade, when the commercial building standard is 2–5%. Routine maintenance gets deferred so the general fund can support other priorities — including lavish administrative compensation — and then bond money pays for the fixes, with interest on top.

Executive Pay That Outstrips the Governor’s

While seeking $920 million in new principal from taxpayers, 4CD’s Chancellor drew a $404,238 salary (as of 2024) — plus $130,674 in benefits, for total compensation reaching $548,112. That salary alone exceeds the official pay of the President of the United States and far surpasses Governor Newsom’s $245,929.  Vice Chancellors, College Presidents, and Directors also earn hundreds of thousands in total compensation. Lavish pay and lean maintenance are two sides of the same General Fund coin.

Who’s Funding “Yes on G”?

The pro-Measure G campaign has raised nearly $400,000 so far — with the bulk coming from the tax-exempt Contra Costa College Foundation ($100,000), the DVC Foundation ($50,000), and multiple construction unions (IBEW Local 302, Plumbers Local 159, Sheet Metal Workers Local 104, and others). Contractor unions have a direct financial interest in a $920 million construction program. Ordinary property-tax-paying residents have no equivalent organized voice — a textbook example of what economists call “Public Choice Theory.”

The Bottom Line

Property owners already pay an average of $13.97 per $100,000 of assessed value toward 4CD’s existing bonds. Measure G adds another $10 — and that rate could rise if the county’s assessed values don’t grow at the 4% annual pace 4CD projects, projections that, by 4CD’s own admission, “are not binding upon 4CD.”

4CD should maintain its existing buildings with its existing budget rather than repeatedly turning to taxpayers for borrowed billions. Vote NO on Measure G.

More information: NOonMeasureG.info

Arata is an Executive Committee member of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association

Upcoming Events

CoCoTax Lunch, June 26: Former State Senator Steve Glazer Discusses BART Accountability
Friday, June 26, 2026 | 11:45am – 1:15pm PDT

CoCoTax Lunch, July 24: County Budget Overview with County Administrator Monica Nino
Friday, July 24, 2026 | 11:45am – 1:15pm PDT

For more information about the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association visit cocotax.org.

Bay Area transit tax effort submits over 305,000 signatures for November ballot measure

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Multiple Bay Area transit agencies would benefit from the five-county sales tax measure. Photo: MTC. Map source: Connect Bay Area

Connect Bay Area far surpasses the 186,000 signatures required to qualify BART, regional transit funding measure 

By Jeff Cretan, West Advisors

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA — The Connect Bay Area campaign today announced it has submitted more than 305,000 signatures to qualify a regional transit funding measure for the November ballot — blowing past the 186,000 valid signatures required.

The success of this effort is built on one of the largest grassroots transit organizing efforts the region has ever seen and major support from business and labor organizations.

The Connect Bay Area five-county sales tax measure would provide long-term operational funding for major Bay Area transit agencies, while supporting projects to strengthen and connect transit systems across the region. It will protect major transit agencies like BART from devastating service cuts and help VTA grow to better serve residents, workers, and businesses.

Connect Bay Area also strengthens accountability for transit agencies. SB 63 – the legislation authored by Senators Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguin that enabled Connect Bay Area – set strong accountability requirements to take effect before the measure even gets on the ballot. The measure requires independent financial reviews and continued efficiency improvements from transit agencies.

Unprecedented Grassroots, Labor, and Business Support

The Connect Bay Area Campaign has grown in support over the last several months with more than 80 elected officials and more than 90 labor groups and advocacy organizations signing on in support. Major businesses from across the region have helped to fundraise over $5.5 million so far to get the measure on the ballot and prepare for the November election.

Since launching in January, Connect Bay Area has mobilized more than 1,000 volunteers and advocates across Contra Costa, Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties. Supporters gathered signatures at transit stations, farmers markets, community events, neighborhood meetings, and major public gatherings throughout the Bay Area.

The overwhelming signature total reflects the broad support for transit and the awareness of urgency surrounding the future of Bay Area public transit.

Without sustainable transit funding, the Bay Area could face catastrophic service reductions:

  • BART: Up to 15 station closures, elimination of two lines, and service cuts of up to 70%
  • Caltrain: Hourly train service, no weekend service, and weekday shutdowns after 9 p.m.
  • Muni: At least 20 bus routes eliminated and service reductions of 30% or more
  • AC Transit: Service cuts of at least 16%

The more than 300,000 signatures – which were the result of both a paid effort and an advocate-led grassroots effort – will now be officially counted and validated by the Departments of Elections for each of the five counties over the next few weeks before the measure can officially be placed on the ballot.

“We’re blown away by the over 1,000 Bay Area volunteers, transit advocates, and labor partners who  contributed to getting transit funding on the November ballot,” said Lian Chang, co-lead of the Connect Bay Area grassroots signature gathering effort. “This is the largest grassroots signature-gathering effort in the history of the Bay Area and represents thousands of hours spent by people from all backgrounds and all corners of our five-county region to protect this thing—transit—that matters to millions of Bay Area residents. Everyday more voters are getting on board to support our economy, social justice, the environment and reducing congestion. And we’re just getting started.”

“This is a resounding statement by Bay Area voters that they believe in the value of our regional transit systems and how important they are to keeping our region moving,” said Libby Schaaf, President and CEO of the Bay Area Council. “Now we must turn our attention to November and protecting the many billions of dollars we’ve invested over many decades to build these systems while also making them more efficient, cost-effective, safe and convenient for the millions of commuters who rely on them.”

“Public transit is a cornerstone of our economy and an essential public good that keeps our region affordable for residents,” said Congressman Kevin Mullin. “Connect Bay Area will protect the public transportation service we all rely on while ensuring strong accountability so every dollar delivers reliable, safe transit.”

“The Bay Area’s public transit is a core pillar of our region’s ability to usher in a climate-smart, affordable, and just future,” said Amanda Brown-Stevens, Executive Director of the Greenbelt Alliance. “Greenbelt Alliance is excited to be a part of this grassroots coalition to help protect and enhance our public transportation and reduce pollution.

About Connect Bay Area

The Connect Bay Area campaign will bring a five-county sales tax to the ballot in November 2026 through a citizen signature gathering effort. The rate will be set at 0.5%, with the exception that San Francisco will be set at a 1% rate to provide additional support for Muni. This measure will provide long-term operations funding for major Bay Area transit agencies and support regional projects to strengthen transit throughout the Bay Area.

The Connect Bay Area measure will support the future of public transportation in the Bay Area:

  • Protect and improve service on BART, Muni, Caltrain, SamTrans, VTA, and AC Transit
  • Prevent catastrophic service cuts that could devastate the Bay Area
  • Keep traffic and emissions down, preventing gridlock and protecting climate progress;
  • Support the Bay Area’s economy, ensuring that downtown recovery and regional mobility remain strong.

Connect Bay Area has strong accountability and oversight provisions, including dependent financial reviews for every transit operator, regional coordination mandates to ensure systems work better together, and a citizen oversight committee to monitor spending and performance. A recent independent study required by Connect Bay Area found the agencies had saved $1 billion in operational efficiencies and set new actions for the agencies to take to further improve efficiency and service.

The Connect Bay Area Transit Committee is comprised of labor, business, and transit advocates, including Bay Area Council, SEIU 1021, ATU 1555, SPUR, and SAMCEDA, alongside an advocacy council of more than 20 organizations representing transit, housing, environmental, equity, and senior and disability groups.

For more information about the Connect Bay Area campaign or to get involved, visit https://connectbayarea.com/

 

Opinion: Falsely framed CC County budget story promotes Measure B tax increase

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By Mike Arata

A report on the 2026-27 budget, by a Contra Costa County public information officer, is essentially a tax-promotion advertisement for Measure B’s intended 0.625% sales-tax increase.  It omits essential facts, to the potential benefit of the County’s already overpaid administrative staff and its 15 highly compensated employee unions.  Consider the following:

  1. The County’s tentative $7.248 Billion budget for 2026-2027, were it to remain unchanged at the July 1 start of new Fiscal Year 26-27, would still be a massive 60.7% higher than FY20-21’s $4.51 Billion. (See p. 8 at link.)  November 2020 was when the County passed Measure X, itself a 0.500% sales tax increase. The Bay Area’s CPI inflation rate, meanwhile, has totaled 18.4% since Measure X’s passage (358.6 /302.9 = 1.184). The County’s spending increase since the end of 2020 is 3.3 x the inflation rate.
  2. Measure B, on the June 2nd ballot, would add another 0.625% in new sales taxes, raising every part of the County above the statutory 2% limit on LOCAL sales-tax rates, over and above the existing statewide 7.250% rate.  7.250% + 2.000% = an effective statutory-limit total of 9.250%.  If Measure B passes, sales-tax rates in the County will instead range from 9.375% to 10.875%.   An additional 0.500% transit sales-tax measure is upcoming on the November ballot.
  3. In bypassing the relevant statute, all the County’s tax promoters had to do was to get an on-call legislator to include Contra Costa County in an existing, illegitimate Los Angeles bypass bill (AB1768), say shazam(!) — and poof!  No more 2% limit on any local sales-tax rates here.  (Actually, Measure X itself took local rates in six Contra Costa municipal jurisdictions above 2%.)
  4. As is, the County’s 2026 own union-member employment head count is up 4% over 2025(slide 10) — 10,308 vs. 9,913.  And 9 of the County’s 15 union contracts expire 4 weeks after Election Day.  That’s a clue for the likely real purpose of Measure B.
  5. As of 2024 (last year available), 4,781 County employees were already above $150,000 in salary plus benefit compensation.  3,056 of those exceeded $200,000.  1,045 of those exceeded $300,000.  278 of those exceeded $400,000, with 78 above $500,000.  How many executive-level employees does the County need?  How many should we pay for?
  6. Measure X presented an urgent, COVID-time focus on healthcare and “life-saving services.”  Now, allegedly, “lives will be lost” without Measure B (pages 33-34 of 86 in Voter Guide).  In fact, Measure X’s millions have been used for multiple other purposes.  And Measure B’s authorizing ordinance, like Measure X’s, again exposes this new tax as “solely for general governmental purposes and not for specific purposes.” County politicians and administrators could spend Measure B’s millions on whatever they consider “governmental” — as they’ve already been doing in Measure X’s first 5 of 20 years.  Measure B could facilitate or directly bankroll the next round of employee enrichments.
  7. Measure X, the template for Measure B, was supposed to collect $81 Million annually in additional new sales-tax revenues.  Instead, it’s taken in over $120 Million annually (page 11 of 16), and Measure X has another 15 years to run.  Meanwhile, Measure X has accumulated $263 Million in unspent funds (same page).  Those dollars, rather than more new sales-tax revenue, could and should be dedicated to any healthcare deficiency that actually develops.
  8. And speaking of excess funds, the County has a General Fund balance of $1.21 Billion, of which the unassigned portion is $585 Million. Both figures are more that 4 times the County’s own announced standardfor reserves on hand (pages 18 and 56 of 269).
  9. County supervisors tried to get away with an alleged $307 million ANNUAL healthcare budget deficiency, (e.g. hereand here) until I and others pointed to figures stated by their own financial advisory firm (itself holding an $8 Million contract).  That reality was a potentially CUMULATIVE $307 Million by FY28-29, not an annual one.  Their chief financial advisor then returned with a new slide showing larger potential amounts in FY29-30 and FY30-31 — in a new presidential administration and 2 new Congresses from now.  As stated in ballot arguments, Measure B is at best premature.
  10. Due to some funding restoration already announced, the new budget deficiency projected in an updated County slide was a cumulative $219 Million by FY28-29 (though minutes of the Board of Supervisors’ meeting presented the amount as $239 Million).  Even that is speculative; and again, Measure X could cover that amount if needed, under its originally announced purposes.  And to begin with, much of the funding problem derives from withdrawal by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services of “federal Medicaid dollars to cover health care for individuals who are in the country illegally” (as “a backdoor pathway to subsidize open borders”).
  11. The County’s Measure B propagandists claim elsewhere that “It exempts food, housing, and medical care, so most of the money from this tax will come from corporate or large luxury purchases.”   But as the East Bay Times said (among many other factors in opposing Measure B itself), “State data indicates that the average person in the county currently pays at least $1,050 a year in sales tax.”  Food/grocery exemptions?  Not for prepared foods, soft drinks, beer and wine, ice, many convenience grocery store items, etc. — and not for restaurant bills.  Housing exemptions?  Not for materials used to build and maintain houses.  Exemptions for medical care?  Not for over-the-counter medicines.
  12. Rather than voting to continue engorging the already vastly over-funded and overcompensated County spending apparatus and apparatchiks:  attentive and fair-minded voters will vote NO on Measure B — thereby to leave taxpayers, especially those already struggling with affordability problems, with more of their own money to spend for items THEY see as needs.

Regarding the County’s self-serving Measure B scheme — and its dishonest 2020 predecessor, Measure X:  the response now should be “Fool us once, shame on them. Fool us twice, shame on us!”

More information:  StopMeasureB.com

Arata is an Executive Board member of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association.