Contra Costa Herald

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

The Herald recommends: Romick, Alaura and Meadows for Oakley City Council

By Leave a Comment

Kevin Romick, Claire Alaura and Aaron Meadows. Photos from their Facebook pages.

By Allen Payton, Publisher & Editor

The only other races in which I’m offering endorsement, this year, other than those in Antioch are for the Oakley City Council.

As a neighbor living in Antioch since 1991, I’ve been watching the changes, growth and improvements in Oakley since I was on the Antioch City Council from 1994-98 when we voted to give up the land between Highway 160 and Neroly Road, which was part of our city’s sphere of influence, and make the freeway the city boundary. That helped give the soon to be formed city more of a sales and property tax base with the gas stations, hotel and other businesses located there.

Kevin Romick

I don’t always support someone for office who is running for their fifth, four-year term, wanting new blood, fresh ideas and perspective. That’s usually when things aren’t going well in a city, county, school or special district. But Oakley Mayor Kevin Romick is an exception. He has earned another term, having accomplished much during his time on the council, having helped guide Oakley to the successful city it has become.

Since that time, I’ve witnessed the council, with Romick being the longest-serving member, make wise decisions and create a community that is safe with a nice quality of life.

Following are Romick’s long list of accomplishments:

  • Police – The city converted from a contract with the Sheriff’s Department to an in house Oakley Police Department which included hiring and processing approximately 35 sworn and professional support employees, equipping and construction of office space and evidence storage facility, selection and purchase of required safety equipment, implementing a new report writing and records management system and developing a policy and procedure manual
  • Roads – When the city first incorporated many of the main roads, Main Street, Empire and Laurel Avenue on Oakley were 2 lane country roads without sidewalks, they are now functional 4 land roads. As a Board member to the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, representing East County, oversaw the completion of the State Route 4 widening from Loveridge to Balfour and the extension of BART to Antioch
  • Parks – When Oakley incorporated in 1999 there was one city park. Now there are 35, including East County’s first all abilities park and Oakley’s first dog park, five joint use parks and two parks managed by the East Bay Regional Park District – the Antioch/Oakley Regional Shoreline and the Big Break Regional Shoreline. The city is also working with the state on a 1,200-acre marsh restoration project at Dutch Slough.
  • Initiated the weekly Oakley Outreach email blast and consistent social media posts to keep the public better informed.
  • Held Oakley’s first and annual Memorial Day event, Veterans Day event, National Night Out event, Heart of Oakley, Movies in the Park, July 4th Fireworks and Christmas Tree Lighting
  • Worked with senior community to secure and update the old fire station as the Senior Center.
  • Coordinated the construction of Oakley’s Veterans Memorial.
  • Jobs – Romick’s and the city’s greatest and most recent accomplishment was the approval and opening the Contra Costa Logistic Center at the former DuPont site, and locating the Amazon distribution center there.

Claire Alaura

Councilwoman Claire Alaura has served the community well in her first term on the council. During her year as mayor, Oakley became the 16th safest city in California. She will continue her efforts. While Alaura pushing for and wants a new library for the city, instead of the combined one at Freedom High School, she and the supporters of that effort will need to identify a funding sources for both the construction costs and operation costs, as well.

She also gets credit for the Logistics Center and Amazon locating in Oakley. She deserves another four years on the council.

Aaron Meadows

For the third seat, the choice is clear and that should be local business owner and real estate broker, Aaron Meadows. He’s not only a lifelong, fifth generation resident, his mother’s family, the Cutinos have been in Oakley for 110 years. That’s a rare thing in California, these days.

Meadows community service dates back to before the city was incorporated, when he served on the Oakley Municipal Advisory Committee from 1993 to June 30, 1999. He currently serves on the Oakley Union School District Bond Oversight Committee.

Meadows also served on the Holy Rosary School Board of Directors from 2006-18, Delta Family YMCA Board of Directors from 2001-10. He’s been a member of the Rotary Club of Oakley since it was formed in 2019.

He has earned the trust of colleagues in the real estate industry having served on the Delta Association of Realtors Board of Directors from 2002 to 2011, and as treasurer, president-elect, and then president in 2007. Meadows also served on the California Apartment Association Contra Costa, Napa, Solano Board of Directors from 2014-19 and the Contra Costa Wine Grape and Olive Growers Association Board of Directors from 2005-08 representing the Diablo Vista Vineyards for which he’s been a partner since 1993.

His broad experience in real estate, property management, construction and the wine industry will help Oakley in its next phase as the city seeks to attract businesses to employ the residents. Meadows is committed to focusing on three areas once elected: first, public safety, which should always be the city’s first priority; second, economic development, specifically streamlining the permitting process for commercial projects; and third, bringing a solution to the lack of fire service for families and businesses.

He knows the leaders in neighboring cities of both Antioch and Brentwood and can work with them on a regional basis for issues affecting all of East County, such as local jobs, transportation and fire service.

I’ve known Aaron for over 20 years and can tell you he’s a straight shooter, does what he says he will and works hard to get it done. He has the experience, knowledge and commitment to the community that Oakley needs in a council member and will be a great addition to the city’s leadership team.

I’ve also known Kevin since he was first elected in 2004. You can be sure he’s a man of his word, tells it straight and has proven his commitment to listening to the public, and solving problems and addressing challenges the city faces to the satisfaction of the residents.

Please join me in supporting Kevin Romick, Claire Alaura and Aaron Meadows for the Oakley City Council in this year’s election.

Writer asks candidate for Brentwood City Council, Jovita Mendoza if she’s not self-funding her campaign but spending ‘borrowed’ money from creditors she never paid back

By 4 Comments

Judgment against Michael W. Kleeman and Jovita Mendoza from Ford Wholesale Co., Inc. of San Jose for $100,390.86 dated Oct. 16, 2007. Provided by letter writer.

Dear Editor:

Jovita Mendez is running for Brentwood City Council in District 1 and bragging about self-funding her campaign.  That’s easy to do and say when you don’t pay your bills and you’re spending your creditor’s money. That’s because Jovita and her husband appear to have a judgement against them for over $100,000 from Ford Wholesale Co., Inc. of San Jose dating back to 2007.

In addition, she has judgements against her from Discover Bank beginning in 2009 for $13,590.60, with recent court records from late 2019 and early 2020, that appear to indicate the money Jovita took from them hasn’t been paid back.  Additionally, court records show Jovita defaulted on a debt with Capital One in 2011.

Court records for Jovita Mendoza Discover complaint for $13,590.60 dated Feb. 17, 2010 and completed Feb. 25, 2020. Provided by letter writer.

Here’s the question, did Jovita ever pay those creditors back?  If not, she’s spending their money on her campaign to try to get elected!

Yet, Jovita has the audacity and gall to attack other candidates for accepting campaign contributions from people, companies or organizations she doesn’t like. How hypocritical.

Court record of Jovita Mendoza default on Capital One complaint dated June 8, 2011 and dismissed on Aug. 29, 2012. Provided by letter writer.

The voters should reject Jovita Mendoza for Brentwood City Council.  How can we trust that she will “be a good Steward” of our community and handle our tax dollars correctly, when she “appropriates” money from her creditors, avoids paying it back for years (possibly more than a decade!), uses “their money” to promote herself for city council and can’t handle her own personal finances?

Sincerely,

Leila Hauck

Brentwood

Please see above the proof of my claims and click here to see the judgments against Jovita on the Contra Costa Superior Court website.

 

Brentwood City Council candidate Indrani Golden offers five alternative solutions for golf course properties

By Leave a Comment

Indrani Golden

In response to Tuesday night’s Brentwood City Council discussion on forming a new Lighting and Landscaping Assessment District (LLAD) to maintain entrances to the Deer Ridge neighborhood and former golf course property, candidate for Brentwood City Council District 3, Indrani Golden issued the following solutions for both that land and the Shadow Lakes golf course property. She wants to ensure the land is maintained and does not negatively affect the property values of homeowners in the adjacent neighborhoods. Deer Ridge Landscaping 2020-10-27 BCC mtg

“There are a variety of options,” Golden said. “At a minimum and for now, the city needs to require the former golf course owners to maintain their land, which is currently not happening. The city is issuing fines, which can be converted into liens.”

The city is currently working with the landowners to purchase the frontage entrance to Deer Ridge and 13 park strips. But the residents must first vote to form the new LLAD and assess themselves over $500,000 to be paid back over 10 years. In addition, Shadow Lakes owners said they will maintain nine golf holes, and they have remodeled the golf club, and will remove the barriers. Following are Golden’s five alternative solutions to the unsightly, weed-filled dry grass, barriers and closed cart paths.

Deer Ridge Entry Site Map. From City of Brentwood.

Option 1 – The second option is to have the City also maintain the cart paths as walking trails and obtain easements from the landowners, while they keep ownership of the land.

Option 2 -The homeowners of Deer Ridge and Shadow Lakes can form assessment districts to purchase all the golf course land, in their respective neighborhoods, from the property owners and pay the City to maintain it, and allow the cart paths to be used for walking trails. That requires the owners to sell their land which they currently aren’t interested in because of the loans owed on the property.

Option 3 – The landowners can deed their property over to the City to create parks and maintain them out of the City’s General Fund. But the council will have to determine how to cover those costs. Again, that’s unlikely due to the loans on the property.

Deer Ridge Landscape Site Legend. From City of Brentwood.

Option 4 – The landowners can reopen one 18-hole golf course on the entire property.

Option 5 – “But, if that can’t happen my favorite option is to have the land be used as mitigation by other developers who must be required, for every acre they develop in Brentwood, to purchase two acres of the land from the current landowners of the former Shadow Lakes and Deer Ridge golf course, and deed the land to the City for permanent open space,” Golden stated.

For more information about Indrani Golden, email her at indrani@goldenbrentwood.com, call her at (925) 204-9511 or visit her website at www.goldenbrentwood.com.

 

Op-Ed: BART-Board Director Debora Allen deserves re-election

By Leave a Comment

Publisher’s Note: This is in response to an Op-Ed published on August 28. There have been challenges with our email account info@contracostaherald.com and although sent on Sept. 4 this Op-Ed was not seen until recently. For both the Contra Costa Herald and Antioch Herald, please for now, use editor@antiochherald to submit letters to the editor or opinion pieces. Thank you and apologies for any inconvenience.

By Michael Arata

Joshua Anijar says the Bay Area “deserves leadership that doesn’t divide us” (Op-ed, Aug. 28).

But as executive director of Contra Costa County’s AFL-CIO Labor Council, Anijar’s stock in trade is division.  In the present case, that involves a cynical campaign to replace BART-Board incumbent Director Debora Allen in BART’s District One (South County and much of Central County).

Allen has been a voice of fiscal and regulatory sanity on the nine-member BART Board.  So she’s appreciated by sensible BART passengers and attentive citizens at large whose taxes subsidize BART operations and capital projects — but not by Anijar and some other special-interest activists.

Allen’s rationality is particularly needed during the time of COVID-19 restrictions and outright shutdowns.  As she wrote in July, BART has lost 88 percent of its ridership during the pandemic, with a resultant $35 million drop per month in farebox revenue.

But over Allen’s objections, the BART Board majority’s new budget foolishly increases operating expenses by 6 percent anyway, including a $32.5 million labor-cost increase.

Anijar’s breezy reference to “400,000 trips per day” represents merely an historical artifact; present reality is only 48,000 trips per day.  Allen speaks for the grownup position: “BART’s failure to cut operating expenses will continue to worsen its grave financial condition and cause irreparable harm to the long-term sustainability of the system.”

Last year, following the fatal stabbing of a BART passenger, Allen wrote about BART’s obligation to insure safety on the system’s trains and in its stations.  She noted insufficient police presence, rampant fare evasion, and aggressive panhandling as contributing factors in a widespread perception of unsafe conditions.

The 2018-19 Alameda County Civil Grand Jury documented similar concerns:   “Violent crime on BART, including robberies and aggravated assaults, increased by 115% over the last five years…. Rider satisfaction with BART fell from a high of 84% in 2012 to a low of 56% in 2018…. [S]ince at least 2012, cleanliness has been a top concern for riders who responded to the survey.”
The Grand Jury report continued: “Respondents… cite ‘personal security in BART system’ as the second largest service rating decline…, just after fare evasion.  Lack of visible police presence on trains and in stations has long been a concern of riders…. News reports of the three homicides in July 2018 and video in October 2018 of a man swinging two chain saws while riding BART reinforced worries among Bay Area residents about their safety on BART.”

So, Anijar’s assertion that Debora Allen’s Bart Board record “shows her to be unresponsive to public wishes and hostile to public input” is false.  And her real-world track record is exemplary, not “shameful.”

Anijar’s primary interest, meanwhile, is presumably the next round of increases in BART-employee salaries, current benefits, and pensions.  As is, nearly 1,000 BART employees receive total annual compensation already exceeding $200,000 (2019 figures, available at TransparentCalifornia.com).

Anijar has been busy on another front as well.  He’s a principal coordinator and ballot-argument signer for Measure X, a regressive half-percent sales-tax increase for all of Contra Costa County, lasting 20 years, at a time of pandemic-driven financial distress for much of the County’s population.

The measure, appearing on this November ballot, advertises specific purposes — but it’s framed officially as a general tax instead, “solely for general governmental purposes and not for specific purposes.”

Representatives of County employee organizations demanded such a tax measure 15 months ago.   And as a general tax, its proceeds could be used to “free up” current general-fund expenditures to pay for compensation increases, while backfilling the general fund with new Measure X dollars.

Arata is a co-founder of the Alliance of Contra Costa Taxpayers, and a signatory to ballot arguments opposing Measure X.   

 

Vote “No” on the Measure X “county services” sales tax increase

By Leave a Comment

By Sue Pricco and Michael Arata

Measure X, a 20-year, half-percent Contra Costa County sales tax increase, is on the November 3rd ballot. The “current pandemic” is among rationales advanced by the measure’s supporters.

In reality, however, Measure X got its start in May, 2019 – long before COVID-19 was even on the horizon – when five representatives of county employee organizations demanded that county supervisors drop a plan for a new transportation tax and sponsor a new “county services” tax instead.
The transportation-tax measure went ahead anyway, eventually as Measure J on March 3rd’s Primary ballot.  Itself pushing a half-percent sales-tax increase, Measure J failed.  Measure X deserves the same fate now.

For starters, Measure X is regressive, disproportionately affecting those least able to afford increased costs, particularly during a time of pandemic-driven financial hardship.  Thousands of small businesses have closed.  Millions of Californians are unemployed.   Those still working often see smaller paychecks.

Meanwhile, all must still pay (now or on a deferred basis) federal and state income taxes, payroll taxes, property taxes, auto-registration taxes, gasoline taxes, phone taxes, etc. ad nauseam.  With whatever money remains, individuals and families must still provide for necessities.

Except for food purchases, essential product needs — from paper towels to kids’ shoes, sometimes to replacement automobiles — have sales taxes added.

Oh, wait on the food exception.  If resources permit a sit-down restaurant dinner or a hot takeout meal, those foods ARE taxed.

Contra Costa sales-tax rates already range from 8.25% to 9.75%, tied for 7th highest among California’s 58 counties.  And another round of sales-tax leapfrog is not a game which County residents likely hope to “win.”

The Measure X ballot question (the summary voters see on ballots) advertises various specific purposes, implying falsely that some are new obligations.

But hiding in the underlying County ordinance’s fine print is the fact that Measure X is actually a general tax, “solely for general governmental purposes and not for specific purposes.”

In economic terms, Measure X dollars are fungible; they can be moved around.  So, for example, Measure X’s new millions could fund County-employee salary, current benefit, and large pension payments directly.

But behind a covering smokescreen of seeming legitimacy, the measure could alternatively finesse compensation boosts indirectly, by “freeing up” money budgeted for other purposes and then backfilling those budget categories with an injection of Measure X revenues.

It would not be the first time that a local government agency deployed such a maneuver.
As is, County employees have enjoyed a 20% salary/benefit increase over just the last three years, and a $166,673 average now in annual per-employee compensation cost — while many who’d pay the new sales tax would count themselves fortunate just to return to their own compensation levels of three years ago. 

What about the Measure X proponent claim of spending “oversight”?  An original ballot-question version characterized the measure as “requiring fiscal accountability.”  But a Superior Court judge removed that phrase after finding that the County’s related ordinance omitted it.  “Fiscal accountability” was apparently just an afterthought.

Finally, Measure X passage would leave at least seven Contra Costa city and town jurisdictions above the statutory 2% cap on local sales taxes.  So an underhanded legislative scheme was deployed.  State Senate Bill 1349, passed and signed at the last minute, allows the County’s sales-tax cap to increase from 2% effectively to at least 3.5% (or possibly 4%), in addition to the State’s 7.25% rate.

And this change, asserts the bill itself in Orwellian doublespeak, “does not constitute a change in, but is declaratory of, existing law.”

Measure X deserves your determined “NO” vote.  For more information, visit CoCoTax.org and NOonX.info.
Sue Pricco is president of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association.  Michael Arata is a co-founder of the Alliance of Contra Costa Taxpayers.  

Letters: Writer wants change, new community college board member for Ward 5

By Leave a Comment

Editor:

Ward 5 of the Community College Board needs change – Enholm must go!

Ward 5 of the Contra Costa Community College District, including Bay Point, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Knightsen and Bethel Island, is badly in need of new leadership. The current Trustee for this area, Greg Enholm, has engaged in poor decisions, erratic behavior, and unethical acts that have not served the District, Los Medanos College in particular, very well.

This is not new, but enough is enough.

When the Board of Trustees approved in a 4-1 vote the building of the new Campus located in Brentwood, on donated land, with an approved Bond Measure E in 2014, Enholm continued to oppose its construction. An alternative site would have taken years for approval adding costs for acquisition of land and increased taxes. The new campus was needed as the existing leased building in a retail district of Brentwood was over-capacity. In 2016 Enholm also recommended the residents of the nearby Trilogy community sue the District to keep its construction at bay.

This opposition caused numerous delays, added hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cost due to litigation, and for a time imperiled the use of the approved Bond as expenditures needed to begin within an approved time. Covid-19 has impacted its opening, but the students will be served well by this new educational facility.

Especially troubling has been allegations of multiple ethics violations by Enholm that have recently come to light. He has not denied the allegations. The allegations were found to be true by an investigator of the District which included inappropriately trying to get a friend re-classified to be considered for a top-level position as well as ghost-writing an email to the District. As part of the investigation it was noted that Enholm went directly to the Chancellor to ask him to reconsider his friend for the position even though the person was already deemed to be unqualified for the position.

Of late, with the District facing challenges due to COVID-19, he also voted to terminate upper-level district managers, ignoring numerous requests from faculty and classified staff to reconsider that decision. Enholm has stopped listening to the faculty, staff, and his constituents and has engaged in recent actions that have put our District’s financial future at risk.

It is time for new leadership on the Contra Costa Community College District Board: Elect Fernando Sandoval.

Valerie T Lopez

Pittsburg

 

Brentwood Vice Mayor, former Fire Board President Joel Bryant supports consolidation of East Contra Costa Fire with ConFire, re-opening two stations without a tax increase

By Leave a Comment

“This is an opportunity to provide the people of Brentwood and Far East County with the fire service we need and deserve.” – Joel Bryant

Brentwood, CA – Oct. 16, 2020 – Today, in his ad in the Brentwood Press, Brentwood Vice Mayor Joel Bryant, the former President of the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD) Board of Directors, announced his support for the consolidation of the ECCFPD with Contra Costa County Consolidated Fire District (ConFire). The proposal would provide the staffing necessary for the re-opening of two fire stations in the district, with at least one in Brentwood, to help get to the additional three stations that are needed, now.

For Bryant to support it, however, the proposal must be achieved without a tax increase to the residents of Brentwood or the rest of those in both fire districts. It must also provide better pay and benefits to the men and women firefighters of the ECCFPD.

“This is an opportunity to provide the people of Brentwood and Far East County with the fire service we need and deserve,” Bryant said. “The two districts already provide mutual aid to each other, mainly with fire stations and personnel in Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay and Antioch.”

Following is Bryant’s complete statement on the proposal:

“I am currently working with Chief Brian Helmick and Board President Brian Oftedal of the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District, to finalize a permanent solution which provides sustainable fire protection and medical response for not only the families and businesses in Brentwood, but for the entire fire district that we are a part of.

At this time, ConFire is conducting a feasibility study regarding the possibility of consolidating both departments. In order for this to be a successful remedy the merger would need to include significant additional resources, such as:

  • At least two additional staffed fire houses, immediately.
  • Advanced life support available as part of normal operations.
  • Bringing the salaries and benefits of our firefighters in ECCFPD equal to that of ConFire personnel.

The consolidation would, of course bring additional vehicle resources as part of the normal operations, such as a ladder truck, helicopter, and fire boat, to cover the areas that are currently vulnerable.

The goal is to accomplish this without the need to raise additional revenue, such as a local tax, by the residents.”

“I completely support this effort and appreciate the opportunity to work with both Chief Helmick and ConFire Chief Lewis Broschard, the ECCFPD Fire Board, as well as the Board of Supervisors in their diligent efforts to accomplish this goal,” Bryant added.

Joel Bryant has served on the Brentwood City Council for 10 years, 7 of them as Vice Mayor, elected by his fellow councilmembers. He has the support of the East Contra Costa firefighters.

Rally held in Richmond to protest council candidates’ contributions from coal storage company and allies

By Leave a Comment

About 35 people participated in the No Coal In Richmond rally on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. Photo by David Sharples of ACCE.

Organized by No Coal in Richmond, other environmental groups and SEIU Local 1021

By Janet Johnson

A public rally was held Oct. 13 at 4 p.m. in front City Hall in Richmond to oppose the Terminal and allied groups’ attempts to buy seats on the Richmond City Council. It was attended by about 35 people. The Levin-Richmond Terminal Corporation has so far donated $25,000 to city council candidates – including Vinay Pimplé, Eleanor Thompson, and Ahmad Anderson – whom it hopes will vote to overturn the ordinance phasing out coal and petroleum coke storage and handling at the Terminal. In addition, the company gave the maximum allowable contribution directly to Anderson’s campaign. The current city council adopted the ordinance after a successful two-year campaign by No Coal in Richmond, health professionals, and other environmental and community groups. Now, the Levin-Richmond Terminal has joined developers and others in trying to buy seats on the Richmond City Council.

Election buying in Richmond is nothing new. The city has suffered for decades as big industries have poured money into campaigns for candidates who will support their interests, including Chevron’s unsuccessful attempt to buy 2014 city races. However, No Coal in Richmond and allies from Alliance of Californians for Community Action (ACCE Action) the Sunflower Alliance, Asian Pacific Environmental Network Action (APEN Action), Communities for a Better Environment Action (CBE Action), and SEIU Local 1021 are actively opposing this attempt to subvert the political process.

According to the No Coal in Richmond website: “Toxic dust from coal and petroleum coke (pet coke) is polluting our neighborhoods. Richmond CA residents living and working near the Levin-Richmond Terminal see this dust outside on our cars and windowsills. What we don’t see are the microscopic harmful substances going deep into our lungs. They’re in the air we breathe, in our homes, and where we work and play.

Richmond residents and workers cannot continue to be exposed to high levels of toxic coal and pet coke dust. We already suffer from elevated levels of asthma, heart disease, and other health problems caused by bad air quality.

To make Richmond a healthier place to live, we need to end the storage and handling of coal and pet coke at the Levin-Richmond Terminal.

The Richmond Coal Ordinance establishes a fair process, gradually phasing out coal and poisonous petroleum coke and relying on the city’s legal authority to protect us.”

 

 

In person voting at 150 Contra Costa County polling places will happen on Election Day Nov. 3 just like the last two elections

By Leave a Comment

Photo from wirth4mequon.com.

Plus, Regional Early Voting Sites will be offered beginning Friday, Oct. 30

By Allen Payton

For those who want to vote in person at a polling place and not mail in their ballot, there’s good news. The Contra Costa Elections Division is providing both 150 polling places throughout the county, and 17 Regional Early Voting Sites, beginning Friday, Oct. 30, as well.

“The model that we’re using for polling places in the November election is the same as in the March election and the November 2018 election,” said Contra Costa County Assistant Registrar of Voters, Scott Konopasek. “The locations may have moved around a bit based on the availability of sites for the polling places.”

“If a voter wants to know where to go to vote at the polls, they can visit our website at cocovote.us, click on Am I Registered, then in the search box type in their name and birthdate and it will tell you everything you need to know about the election,” he continued. (Or click here.)

There will also be Regional Early Voting Sites the weekend before Election Day, beginning Friday, Oct. 30.

“You’re not assigned to any particular one and you can vote at any of them, using the exact ballot for you,” Konopasek added.

Regional Early Voting Sites *Outdoors in Event Tent

Friday, October 30   11am – 7pm Saturday, October 31   9am – 5pm Monday, November 2   11am – 7pm
REV Sites
Building Name Address City
Stone Valley Rd Chapel* 2949 Stone Valley Rd Alamo
Antioch Water Park 4701 Lone Tree Way Antioch
Somersville Town Center* 2550 Somersville Rd Antioch
Ambrose Community Center 3105 Willow Pass Rd Bay Point
Cornerstone Fellowship* 6641 Lone Tree Way Brentwood
Clarion Hotel 1050 Burnett Ave Concord
El Rancho Restaurant* 1450 Monument Blvd Concord
St Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church* 1955 Kirker Pass Rd Concord
El Cerrito Community Center 7007 Moeser Ln El Cerrito
Veterans Memorial Building* 3780 Mt Diablo Blvd Lafayette
Moraga Library* 1500 Saint Marys Rd Moraga
Best Western Plus Delta Inn* 5549 Bridgehead Rd Oakley
Hyatt House Pleasant Hill 2611 Contra Costa Blvd Pleasant Hill
Hilltop Mall Parking Lot* 2200 Hilltop Mall Rd. Richmond
Richmond Memorial Auditorium 403 Civic Center Plaza Richmond
Amador Rancho Community Center 1998 Rancho Park Loop San Ramon
Heather Farms Park* 301 N San Carlos Drive Walnut Creek

Currently, voters can drop off their ballot at multiple locations throughout the county at both 24-hour sites and indoor sites during business hours.

Contra Costa County Indoor Drop Boxes Available During Business Hours*
Clayton City Hall 6000 Heritage Trail, Floor 3 Clayton Mon – Fri, 9am-5pm
Pittsburg City Hall 65 Civic Avenue Pittsburg Mon – Fri, 8am-5pm
San Pablo Library 13751 San Pablo Ave San Pablo Tues, 1pm-8pm Wed-Thurs, 11am-6pm Fri-Sat, 10am-5pm
San Ramon City Hall 7000 Bollinger Canyon Rd San Ramon Mon – Fri, 8:30am-5pm
Alcosta Senior and Community Center 9300 Alcosta Blvd San Ramon Mon-Fri, 8:30am-5pm
San Ramon Permit Center 2401 Crow Canyon Road San Ramon Mon-Fri, 8:30am-5pm

*Hours shown may vary. Check directly with the location for current hours.