Contra Costa Herald

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

Assembly candidates Grayson, Torlakson to square off in East Bay Leadership Council forum Thursday evening

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The candidates for Assembly District 14 are set to square off at the East Bay Leadership Council’s candidate forum tomorrow in Concord. The highly contested-race between Mae Torlakson and Tim Grayson has drawn statewide attention and millions of dollars from independent expenditure campaigns. Topics of discussion will include the East Bay’s historic traffic congestion, soaring housing costs, crumbling infrastructure, and underfunded schools.

The forum will be moderated by the President and CEO of the East Bay Leadership Council, Kristin Connelly. Questions for the candidates may also be submitted by the audience.

WHEN: Thursday, October 13, 2016, 5:30PM – 6:30PM

WHERE: Crowne Plaza Concord, 45 John Glenn Dr in Concord

EVENT WEBSITE: http://bit.ly/ForumAsm14

Burgis files complaint against Barr campaign for possible financial reporting violations in Supervisor’s race

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By Allen Payton

Candidate for County Supervisor in District Three, Diane Burgis filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) on Tuesday, against her opponent, Steve Barr, alleging his campaign failed to publicly disclose $19,457 in large donor contributions within the required 24-hour reporting period. burgis-complaint-v-barr

The FPPC is the enforcement agency for the California Political Reform Act. The Act covers campaign finance and lobbying reporting, campaign advertising disclosure, and conflicts of interest laws regarding public officials. The financial disclosure rules state that all campaigns must report monetary contributions of $1,000 or more within 24 hours of receipt, or within 48 hours for non-monetary, in-kind contributions beginning 90 days before an election using a 497 form. That period began on August 1oth, this year. fppc-reporting-rules

The complaint alleges the Steve Barr for Supervisor 2016 campaign failed to file the 497 reports on time, on at least ten occasions, only reporting the contributions on its first required campaign report, which he filed on September 28, 2016. Those contributions and dates they were received are as follows:

  •  $1,150 on August 18 from Richland Real Estate Fund, LLC of Irvine, CA (41 days past due)
  •  $1,000 on August 24 from Bloomfield Vineyards of Brentwood, CA (34 days past due)
  • $1,500 on August 28 from the Aloha Club of Byron, CA (29 days past due)
  •  $1,675 on September 8 from Balfour Properties (19 days past due)
  •  $1,675 on September 12 from the Committee to Re-Elect Robert Taylor of Brentwood, CA (15 days past due)
  •  $5,000 on September 12 from CREPAC-C.A.R. of Los Angeles, CA (15 days past due)
  •  $1,675 on September 14 from Premier Floor Care, Inc. of Walnut Creek, CA (13 days past due)
  •  $1,000 on September 22 from ASM Investment Properties, LLC of Oakley, (5 days past due)
  • $2,000 on September 23 from Build Jobs PAC of Walnut Creek, CA 9 (2 days past due)
  • $2,782 on September 24 from Pacific Union of Danville, CA (1 day past due)

If the state confirms misreporting, penalties could equal $10 per day plus up to $5,000 per violation, a potential penalty of up to $51,730, more than the value of all contributions combined, Burgis’ campaign stated in a Wednesday press release.

If a fine is levied, more likely the maximum would be $1,740 for the 174 cumulative days past due at $10 per day, since each of the contributions have been reported.

“We were disappointed to find such significant financial mismanagement on the part of Mr. Barr,” said Rebecca Barrett, Burgis’ campaign manager. “He built his candidacy on his fiscal know-how and ability to follow the rules, yet it appears he’s been unable to meet his obligation to inform voters about who funds his campaign. It should make us wonder if Mr. Barr is truly ready for the job.”

When reached for comment, Barr offered the following statement:

“I received the complaint and have attempted to contact the FPPC and are awaiting a response and it appears we made a mistake in our reporting deadline. I take full responsibility for that mistake. And we will work with the FPPC on any amendments and accept any remedies that they see fit.”

“What we don’t know is whether or not we still need to file the forms after the fact, since the contributions have already been reported,” he continued.

“We have filed the 497’s for two contributions received since the last reporting period, including one just yesterday,” Barr added.

When reached for comment, County Clerk Joe Canciamilla was asked if Barr has to still file the 497’s if all the contributions in dispute have been reported on his latest 460 form all the contributions and who levies any fine that might be assessed.

“The forms are to be filed with us, since it’s a local office,” Canciamilla said. “It’s sort of a moot point at this stage, since they were disclosed but not within the time frame of the 24-hour reporting.”

“We’ve never fined anybody. We have to do some research to talk about whether we have the authority to levy the fine or the FPPC and if it’s discretionary,” he continued. “Until we get a formal complaint here, we’ll have to deal with it when we get it.”

A call and email to the FPPC garnered the following response:

“If people file a complaint with us, we can release a copy of the complaint five days after we receive it,” said Jay Wieringa, Communications Director for the FPPC. “The Commission made a decision to give people a chance to find out about a complaint against them before they read it in your paper, especially during non-campaign season.”

“But, during campaign season sometimes campaigns file complaints against another and then inform the media,” he continued. “We frown on it. We don’t like it. But we recognize it happens.”

Canciamilla later provided additional information.

“We did get an email about three weeks ago from the FPPC that any of these complaints be referred to them, to the Enforcement Division,” he said. “So that’s where it will go. It would be the FPPC or the District Attorney who would levy any fines.”

When asked again if Barr still had to file a 497 form for the contributions since they’ve already been reported on the 460 form, Canciamilla responded, “Retroactively? No. I’m not sure what the value would be to go back and file the 497’s now.”

A letter was sent by the FPPC’s Enforcement Division, yesterday, to Barr, his campaign and his wife Kathy, who serves as his campaign treasurer, informing them of the complaint. The letter states the agency will inform Burgis within 14 days if they intend to investigate the complaint, refer the complaint to another agency, take no action either because the Commission doesn’t have the authority or the allegations do not warrant any further action. fppc-letter-to-barrs

Grayson campaign claims Torlakson campaign TV ad false, inaccurate

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Attempts to spin Grayson’s work to eliminate taxpayer expenses for healthcare benefits for elected officials

Tim Grayson’s campaign for State Assembly released the following information about a TV ad produced by his opponent’s campaign which began airing, last week:

Mae Torlakson’s campaign for California Assembly District 14 released an ad Friday containing false and inaccurate information on former Mayor of Concord Tim Grayson’s work to eliminate local elected officials’ lifetime healthcare benefits.

The Claim:

The ad claims Grayson “voted to keep his taxpayer funded healthcare for life.”

The Facts:

  1. As Mayor of Concord, Grayson sought to eliminate lifetime taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits for Concord’s elected officials. A memo written by city staff in 2014 (attached) states that as Mayor, Grayson created an Ad Hoc committee and “gave direction to develop a method to eliminate elected officials retiree health benefits going forward.” The Mercury News covered Grayson’s efforts in a story on July 23, 2014.
  2. The city’s contracts with CalPERS and PEMHCA entirely prohibit the elimination of taxpayer funded healthcare benefits for elected officials.In the July 2014 memo city staff write that research indicated “that this desired outcome [eliminating lifetime benefits] is not possible based on the City’s contract with the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) and regulations in the Public Employees’ Medical and Hospital Care Act (PEMHCA).”
  3. As Mayor, Grayson was prohibited from eliminating these lifetime taxpayer funded healthcare benefits, so instead, he sought to “significantly limit eligibility for retiree medical benefits for incoming, newly elected officials by establishing stringent vesting and retirement age criteria.” (July 22, 2014 memo). Under the new rules, newly elected officials can only qualify for lifetime healthcare benefits if they serve a minimum of 30 consecutive years in Concord government as an elected official.
  4. Grayson does not qualify for lifetime healthcare retiree benefits.Current elected officials must be 50 years or older and serve five consecutive years as an Elected Official. Grayson is younger than 50 years old and does not qualify for the benefit. City documents also clearly show that CalPERS’ rules severely limited the ability to make changes to future officials’ healthcare benefits and prohibited these changes from applying to current councilmembers.

Bottom Line:

City documents clearly show that as Mayor, Grayson’s intent was to entirely eliminate lifetime taxpayer funded healthcare for Concord’s elected officials and now the Torlakson campaign is seeking to mislead voters with false information on Grayson’s record as Mayor.

“Mae Torlakson is spending BIG to try to mislead voters but the facts are clear. Tim Grayson worked to make it nearly impossible for any elected official to qualify and because of his work, Concord taxpayers will almost certainly never have to foot the bill for elected officials’ lifetime healthcare coverage,” said Grayson Campaign Manager, Naser Javaid. “To make matter worse, Mae Torlakson is lying about Grayson’s record all while enjoying taxpayer-funded Cadillac health care coverage valued at $20,000 a year from her work in Administrators’ offices at the University of California.”

BACKGROUND:

Additional False Claims from Torlakson’s ad: 

The Claim: Grayson improperly accepted over $16,000 from lobbyists for the developer of the Concord Naval Weapons Station development.

Fact Check: Grayson returned the contributions once he became aware of their source. He also recused himself from the decision to select the developer.

Ad Script:

The Concord Naval Weapons Station development.

A $6 billion scandal inside city hall.

At the center of it, Assembly candidate Tim Grayson.

The same politician who voted to keep his taxpayer funded healthcare for life.

This time, Grayson was caught by an independent investigator

for attending secret illegal meetings on the deal

and improperly accepting over $16,000 from lobbyists for the developer.

The last thing the legislature needs is another ethically challenged member.

 

Fellow councilman says Barr best choice for fiscal responsibility in Supervisor’s race

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Dear Editor:

Fiscal responsibility are nice buzzwords for most politicians. Unfortunately, few practice what they preach during election season.  Council Member Steve Barr has proven with his voting record at the City of Brentwood that fiscal responsibility is a belief versus a talking point.

Fiscal sustainability is a primary pillar of being fiscally responsible. Without sustainability the public entity can’t allocate the resources to where they’re needed most, such as public safety and maintaining a great quality of life.  As we slowly came out of the recession Steve was instrumental in adjusting the budget to allow us to hire more police officers that can be sustained during challenged times.

To the community’s detriment, most politicians view public finance through the short-term lens of ‘What can I do during my term?’ or ‘How will I achieve my campaign promises?’  Steve has shown his ability to view finance in the only way to sustain a great quality of life in a community, through long term conservative budgeting such as the 10 year fiscal model which he helps direct as part of the finance sub committee on the Brentwood City Council.

I’ve had the opportunity to work with Steve to help position Brentwood to build a new library, hire more police officers and most important to improve the quality of life in Brentwood for our residents.  I have no doubt his proven record will end in similar results for the residents of East Contra Costa County.

Sincerely,

Erick Stonebarger

Council Member

City of Brentwood

Letter writer gives reasons he can’t vote for Jim Frazier this year

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Editor:

This year, we are voting to decide the future of our nation and state.  California is headed down the wrong path, with our legislature following under the Liberal direction of Governor Jerry Brown.  California’s 11th Assembly District elected Democrat Jim Frazier in the last several elections.  Frazier’s votes on key bills have devastated our State and our children’s futures.  As a citizen in this district watching Jim Frazier’s vote on bill after bill, I have been deeply troubled and shocked by his actions in the name of our district.  Check out his votes on the following bills and see if you agree with my opinion that he does not represent the values of our district:

*AB 1266:  Jim Frazier voted ‘yes’, in favor of transgender access to whatever bathroom they feel like using that day.  If a boy ‘feels transgender’ that day, ‘he’ is now entitled to shower or change clothes with your daughters in their school gym or locker room.

*AB 1461: Jim Frazier voted ‘yes’ in favor of automatically registering people to vote in their DMV renewal.  The intent of this bill was to deliberately register illegals to vote Democrat, fraudulently subverting CA’s electoral process.

*AB 1732: Jim Frazier voted in favor of ending designated ‘men’s’/’women’s’ bathrooms in California.

*AB 1322: Jim Frazier voted to decriminalize child prostitution, by making it harder to take teen prostitutes out of the web of oppression they face, returning them to the control of their pimps.

*AB 1671: Jim Frazier voted to criminalize undercover journalists, like the ones who revealed the Planned Parenthood ‘profits for baby parts’ ghastly horror brokering scheme.  Message conveyed by Jim Frazier and Jerry Brown: mess with Liberal causes, and they hunt you down and punish you.

*SB 443: Jim Frazier voted against this bill designed to limit asset seizure.  Jim apparently felt you should have to give up your assets to the government, whether you’re found guilty of a crime or not.

*ACA 4: Jim Frazier proposed reducing the % of votes needed to change Proposition 13 from 2/3’s, down to just 55%.  This would allow a Democrat controlled legislature to weaken Prop 13 protections for poor, middle class and elderly, likely resulting in dramatically increased property taxes paid to the State.  Jim Frazier was listed by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer’s Assn as one of the biggest threats to Prop 13 in CA History.

*AB 1176 Jim Frazier abstained from voting on this bill, which made theft of a firearm ‘Grand Theft’, punishable as a Felony with State Prison time.

Several of Jim Frazier’s other ‘great ideas’:  Jim recently co-authored a bill to raise the gas tax by .17 cents a gallon for regular gas, and .30 cents a gallon for diesel, with unlimited, annual upward readjustments without voter input.  Jim just bumped up his Chief of Staff’s pay $18,000 to a ‘modest’ $120,000 a year (even more than Jim Frazier makes).

Jim Frazier has refused to debate Republican Challenger Dave Miller.  With a record like Jim’s, is it hard to see why?  What has Jim Frazier done to lower taxes or encourage business/job growth in Solano or Contra Costa Counties?  At every turn, Jim Frazier’s votes show he supports raising taxes, crushing liberty, and expanding Big Government at the expense of transparency and accountability to the taxpayers.  Jim Frazier says ‘People Over Politics’.  His voting record shows just the opposite; he’s all about politics over people.

Dave Miller stands for a much smaller, less intrusive State Government; one where personal liberty and small businesses can thrive and California Dreamin’ can once again become a reality.  Dave’s priority is to bring common sense back to Sacramento, in a way that makes California better for generations to come.

The choice is very clear this year.  Join me in supporting Dave Miller for CA’s 11th Assembly District.

Erik Elness

Brentwood

Miller criticizes Frazier for giving Chief of Staff $18,000 annual raise

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Editor:

My State Assembly campaign has discovered another breach of the public’s trust, as it relates to Jim Frazier’s stewardship of the 11th Assembly District. Last month, it was discovered that Mr. Frazier’s Chief of Staff, Jay Day, according to State Assembly publicly compiled State Employee salary records, received a $102,000 per year salary. In 2016, his salary went up to $120,000 per year, surpassing the base salary of his elected supervisor, Mr. Frazier.

Members of Assembly can appropriate Salary dollars any way they see fit, within their staff. Assembly Chief of Staff salary range, anywhere from $68,000 in Bakersfield, to $135,000 for Members of Assembly with leadership positions in the Chamber. A standard cost of living adjustment (COLA) for an employee earning a $102,000 wage would be about 3-4% or in Mr. Day’s case, around $3,500. This $18,000 raise Mr. Day received, that Mr. Frazier approved, is what some people in this district are lucky enough to earn working their fingers to the bone in a year’s time, thanks in large part to regulations placed on small businesses by Democrats.

This salary announcement comes conveniently two weeks after Mr. Frazier proposed the single largest per gallon fuel tax in the history of the Golden State. Mr. Frazier drew the criticism of voters from San Diego to Shasta with his proposed 17 cents per gallon fuel tax increase, which is 30 cents per gallon for diesel and also adds an additional $38 per year DMV Registration Fee. The criticism of his fuel tax has been loudest in AD-11, where voters not only drive literally hundreds of miles a day, to get to work, but also enjoy evening and weekend boating on the various waterways surrounding the San Francisco Bay Estuary.

I can’t answer as to what Jim was thinking when he approved this bump in salary. I can tell you that as your Assemblyman, I will fight to give my per diem back to the State Treasury, as Assemblywoman Baker, has done. I’m told per diems are optional to Members of the Assembly, and as such, I will get on the highways, and come home to my family just like many of you who work in Sacramento do every evening.

As someone who has worked in Government for nearly 30 years, and plans to once again, I will be available to take your call, respond to your emails, invite you to meetings on issues that are important to you, help refer you to the proper government agency to help solve your problems, inform you of my vote in the chamber, using social media almost instantly, hand out my personal cell number to those who ask for it.

Twenty-eight years of government service does that to a person. And I can assure you as I sit here, My Chief of Staff will not make more than I do. As a taxpayer, I’d like to know what I’m getting for my money right now. You should also.

Dave Miller

Candidate for Assembly, 11th District, California

 

Grayson releases statement on shooting of Concord Police Department office

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Concord Councilmember and State Assembly candidate Tim Grayson released a statement on Monday regarding the weekend shooting that left bullet holes in the office of the Concord Police Department.

“I am thankful no one was hurt, but this is a stark reminder of the dangers officers face every day when they are serving their communities,” Grayson said. “As Police Chaplain I’ve seen firsthand how guns in the wrong hands can ruin lives. Our leaders need to be doing more to responsibly reduce gun violence. Ensuring public safety is a priority for me, and in Sacramento I will work to make sure our families and communities are safe.”

An investigation in to the shooting is ongoing.

Grayson has served as Concord’s Police Chaplain, aiding first responders and crime victims, since 2007 and has served on Concord’s City Council since 2010.

More information on Tim’s work is available at www.graysonforassembly.com.

District 3 candidate for County Supervisor Steve Barr shares commitment to financial responsibility, endorsements by leaders, law enforcement

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Endorsed by Assemblyman Frazier, Brentwood Police Officers’ Association, County Prosecutors’ Association and Antioch community leader Iris Archuleta

With absentee ballots getting mailed out next week, Brentwood City Councilmember Steve Barr wanted to inform the public that he is running a strong campaign for County Supervisor, displaying his commitment to using tax dollars responsibly, and share some of his key endorsements.

Barr, who was the top vote getter in the primary election, is currently in a runoff that will be decided November 8th. As a Brentwood City Councilman he has made both fiscal responsibility and public safety top priorities.

“I decided to run for Supervisor because there is a lot of important work that needs to be done regionally such as providing regional public safety resources, making sure East County gets its fair share of transportation funding, andhelping our agricultural community,” said Barr. “And we need to do this in a fiscally responsible way, making sure we have money saved for when there’s the next recession or downturn.”

Barr has many accomplishments as both a City Councilmember and former School Board Trustee. From building the new Brentwood Dispatch Center that will improve public safety regionally, to helping manage a roads and paving program that was voted by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission as the best in the Bay Area, Barr has found ways to provide great service while cutting excess, pushing community priorities, and saving money. This was a big part of why Barr earned the endorsement of the East Bay Times.

Barr’s direct style and honesty has helped him accomplish a lot, and it also has earned him the support of many individuals and leaders throughout the District.  The Brentwood Police Officers’ Association, the County Prosecutors’ Association, and many other community leaders, organizations, and elected officials from across the district have all joined up to support Barr because they know he is someone they can always work with, even if they disagree.

“Steve’s openness, willingness to listen and his ability to be upfront and honest in his responses are refreshing,” said community leader Iris Archuleta. “He doesn’t pretend to know everything, but is clearly caring enough to learn.”

Assemblymember Jim Frazier agreed.

“Steve is a true leader who doesn’t crave the spotlight, but shows up for the tough assignments, is very direct and honest, and uses his financial skills to make sure our tax dollars are spent wisely,” Frazier stated. “He is the leader I trust and know everyone can work with.”

Barr responded to the comments.

“I appreciate the support of law enforcement and community leaders,” he said. “I look forward to working with them to improve things in our county.”

Barr’s background includes being a small business owner for 35 years and a former Liberty Union High School District Trustee. He is married, and he and his wife have two children.

Contra Costa County’s 3rd Supervisorial District includespart of Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Byron, Knightsen, Bethel Island, Diablo, Blackhawk, and Tassajara. Please visit www.SteveBarrForSupervisor.com for more information about the campaign.

Watch or listen to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce interviews of November election candidates in Contra Costa

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h5c-logoThe Contra Costa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is conducting interviews of candidates in the November election throughout the county. The completed videos can be viewed on the group’s Facebook page or heard on SoundCloud.

Below is a list of the candidates who are participating in the video interviews and the release status of their videos.

“We’re aiming to get all the videos released before the ballots hit the mailboxes and Early Voting/Absentee Voting By Mail begins on October 10th,” said Evodio “Vo” Walle, President-elect and Chair, Government Affairs Committee of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Contra Costa County,

Candidates who would like to be included in the interviews, please contact Walle at (415) 572-3568 or vo@h5c.org, or email GAC@h5c.org.

Candidate Status
Anamarie Avila Farias Interview Pending
Federal Glover Interview Pending
Ben Johnson Interview Pending
Harmesh Kumar Video Released
Carlyn Obringer Release Pending
Edi Birsan Video Released
Pablo Benavente Video Released
Cesar Zepeda Release Pending
Jael Myrick Interview Pending
Catherine Baker Interview Pending
Cheryl Cook-Kalio Release Pending
Lamar Thorpe Release Pending
Frederick Rouse Interview Pending
Juan Banales Release Pending
Jelani Killings Release Pending
Wade Harper Release Pending
Mister Phillips Interview Pending
Sean Wright Interview Pending
Cherise Khaund Interview Pending
Fernando Sandoval Interview Pending
Mary Rocha Interview Pending
Carlos Taboada Interview Pending
Antonio Medrano Interview Pending
Laura Canciamilla Interview Pending

For more information about the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce visit www.hc5.org.

In announcing endorsements, Burgis injects partisan politics into race for District 3 County Supervisor

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By Allen Payton

In a rare injection of partisan politics into a race for Contra Costa County Supervisor, Diane Burgis candidate for Supervisor in District 3, announced she has the support of elected officials, and even listed those in non-partisan offices, as Democrat or Republican. County Supervisor is a non-partisan office, as are the offices of city council and school board, and candidates don’t run as members of a political party.

However, the press release from Burgis’ campaign reads as follows:

Community leaders, including Democrats, Republicans and Independents, joined together today to announce their unified support for Diane Burgis for Contra Costa County Supervisor in District Three.

The broad coalition of endorsers includes Democratic Congressmembers Jerry McNerney and Mark DeSaulnier, current Republican County Supervisor Mary Nejedly Piepho, Democratic state leaders Assemblymember Susan Bonilla, Superintendent Tom Torlakson and Assemblymember Joan Buchanan (ret.), Republican Mayor Kevin Romick of Oakley, Town of Discovery Bay Directors Kevin Graves (R) and Chris Steele (D), and Democratic Antioch City Councilmembers Tony Tiscareno and Mary Rocha.

This all comes on the heels of endorsements from District Attorney Mark Peterson and County Sheriff David Livingston, both Republicans, as well as the county’s deputy sheriffs and firefighters.

“Diane Burgis is a leader in our community who possesses the intelligence, integrity and compassion necessary to bridge gaps and represent the views of all East County residents,” said County Supervisor Mary Piepho, a Republican. “She’s approachable and knowledgeable, and supports investment in our transportation system, and our police and firefighters who work hard to make our communities safe.”

Diane currently serves as an East Bay Regional Parks District director and is the executive director of the Friends of Marsh Creek Watershed. Previously, she served as an Oakley City councilmember and spent over ten years as a small business owner. She highlights four priorities for her candidacy: improving public safety, attracting economic development, ensuring fiscal accountability and preserving the delta for future generations.

“Diane has a strong history of fighting to protect our water, our delta and the environment,” said Congressman Jerry McNerney, a Democrat. “Her leadership as head of the Friends of Marsh Creek Watershed and as a board member for the East Bay Regional Parks District exemplifies the steady, bipartisan leadership our region needs.”

Burgis, the only Democrat on the ballot, has also earned the official endorsement of the California Democratic Party, Democratic Party of Contra Costa County, Contra Costa Young Democrats and East Contra Costa Democrats for Action. But that doesn’t mean she will only represent Democrats.

“I examine each issue closely, hear all sides and then come to the decision that works best for East County,” said Diane Burgis, candidate for Supervisor in District Three. “One size doesn’t fit all. Our district deserves a representative who has proven that they can work together with every member of the community. I’m honored to have earned the trust and confidence of our current Republican County Supervisor, Mary Piepho, as well as a long list of local Democrats, Republicans and Independents who put community before party.”

Voters can learn more about her and her platform at www.dianeburgis.com.

When asked about making local office partisan, Burgis did not respond.