Antioch Council agrees to reestablish Economic Development Department, hire director
May combine with assistant city manager position
Approves expansion of contract with DOJ monitoring consultant for police department
By Allen D. Payton
During their Special Meeting on Monday, August 31, 2026, the Antioch City Council, with District 2 Councilman Louie Rocha absent, voted to reestablish the Economic Development Department and hire its director, and expand the contract with the monitoring consultant for the police department required by the settlement agreement with U.S. Department of Justice. But they took no action during Closed Session.
The economic development department and director, with the option to combine it with the assistant city manager position will return to the Council during their regular meeting on Sept. 22nd.
Before they discussed those items, following their 5:30 p.m. Closed Session, City Attorney Lori Asuncion said there was nothing to report out on either item, regarding the lawsuit by the natural gas pipeline company nor the potential whistleblower lawsuit from either a current or former City employee.
Approve Expansion of Contract for DOJ Required Consultant Monitoring Antioch Police Department
After discussing then postponing the matter during their Aug. 25th meeting, under Item 1 on the Special Meeting agenda, the Council voted 4-0 to approve the First Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with MS Investigative Services and Consulting, LLC, to expand the scope of services to include Independent Monitoring services required under the Allen Settlement Agreement signed March 27, 2026, authorized an additional annual compensation amount of $150,000 for monitoring services and the associated Fiscal Year 2026/27 General Fund budget amendment.
It increases the contract to a total of $400,000 per year. (See related article for more details)
Agree to Reestablish Economic Development Department, Hire Director
Under Item 2 on the Special Meeting agenda the Council discussed reestablishing the City’s Economic Development Department and hiring a Director again and all four agreed.
Public Comments
During Public Comments on the agenda item, former Councilwoman and current candidate Joy Motts spoke first urging the council to support both forming the department, again and hiring a director.
Another council candidate, Sandra White said she “fully supported” both and wanted the Council to form an independent panel consisting of residents to conduct the recruitment process.
“It should be a priority with its own leadership and its own strategy,” another resident said. She also said the department “should work hand in hand with
Ron Mohammed said he agreed “with all the other shareholders, here, moving forward with economic development. The accountability and responsibility has to separate the two.”
“There are too many churches. That’s not an anchor tenant,” he continued. “That can’t be our economic engine and marijuana is oversaturated and overpopulated.
“We need an anchor tenant and churches can’t do it. That’s nothing against the faith-based. They don’t pay taxes,” Mohammed added.
A third council candidate, Andrew Becker, also spoke on the item, via Zoom, saying, “I think that we’ve all been talking about this for a long time. I think the bigger question is are we putting the cart before the horse. We have no direction where our city manager is going to be. There’s no plan for that. Will that city manager support the department and staff?”
“Why are you not looking at the tools that every other city has…for long-term economic development?” he also asked.
“Your previous economic development director brought you a plan that just sits there. You paid hundreds of thousands of dollars, and it just sits there. What is the leadership plan?” Becker asked as he concluded.
Carla Baker Marymee was the final resident to speak on the matter saying, “The person you’re going to hire to lead this, you’re going to be paying that person a lot of money.” She mentioned paying them by establishing goals “and seeing some actual results.”
“It isn’t just a marketing job. It’s a sales job,” Marymee continued. “Because you have to think about Antioch’s reputation right now. You’re going to need someone with a lot of influence to…sell the City.”
Council Discussion
Mayor Pro Tem and District 3 Councilman Don Freitas spoke first said, “Obviously for the past 20 months, the City Council said ED is the most important priority. Part of our ED is sustaining the businesses we already have.
“Some of us have talked about establishing a priority. I think it’s something to look at, to have an assistant city manager whose primary responsibility is economic development.
“I think we need a salary that will attract the right individual. Either he or she is someone who can really move us forward.”
Freitas then spoke of also re-establishing the Economic Development Commission.
“I think that having Economic Development be part of the City Manager’s staff…playing both roles, giving them the power to interact with all City departments…and beyond that with the Antioch School District and local colleges, Los Medanos being one of them…creating internships. I do think this is critical.”
He then asked about “our executive salary range. Is it high enough to attract the right individual?”
Freitas said, “this should be the number one priority of our community. Going back to the 1960’s we’ve probably spent hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars.”
“Look at the previous Economic Development Strategy…working with the community, identify the top three priorities…to immediately focus on,” Freitas suggested.
“It’s been dead for more than six to eight years in the City of Antioch. I think this needs to be a priority,” he added.
District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson then said, “Our Economic Development Department in the past has had no budget or a minimal budget. If we want to do this and for them to be successful, we need to give them a budget. I definitely agree with Mayor Pro Tem Freitas.”
“I’m in agreement with reestablishing…
District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker spoke next saying, “This is something this Council has been hearing not just for 18 months but for 18 years.” She spoke of the vacancy in the position of the department director from 2008 to 2018 and the last director, Kwame Reed. “There were two people and no budget,” she reiterated.
“We have not had an Economic development director since Kwame Reed left, what for 18 months?” Torres-Walker continued. She then mentioned the combining with the Community Development Department by City Manager Bessie Scott, “which “Freitas greatly protested as you can imagine.”
“Why? Because the salary wasn’t competitive enough,” she stated.
“I agree with the separation. If we really want to get serious, there are other issues in this city besides a salary range,” Torres-Walker continued. “Small businesses have held up the City of Antioch, especially in District 1.” She then mentioned the need to “recapture our sales tax leakage. It’s not that people aren’t spending money. They’re just not spending it in Antioch.”
Mayor Ron Bernal said, “Our last City Council budget meeting was rather sobering. Our sales tax revenue is down…trending in the wrong direction.”
“Expecting one person to do both those functions is not really going to happen,” he continued. He then also mentioned, “The salary for this position needs to be increased to…something similar to the current Community and Economic Development Director of $14,800 to $18,000.”
“One person cannot be responsible for the future of the economy of Antioch,” Bernal stated. “It’s going to have to be somebody who’s a hunter…out there with people. To put us in the best position possible as a city.”
He suggested creating just two positions for the new department to stay within this year’s adopted budget and “to budget for marketing and everything needed for the department…and start the recruitment as soon as possible to have it ready by the first of the new year.”
Freitas then reiterated his proposal of a combined position with the Assistant City Manager position (which is currently vacant), “with 80% focused on economic development” and “putting this in the City Manager’s office.”
He also supported an increase in the salary then reiterated forming “the Economic Development Commission after a director is hired.”
“We need to be realistic and provide a budget for this office and give them the discretion to spend money,” Freitas stated. “Waiting here in City Hall for people to walk in is not going to cut it.”
“I’m tired of talking. It’s time for action,” the Mayor Pro Tem stated and suggested bringing it back to a regular council meeting in September.
“Could this come back with both?” Torres-Walker asked.
“I could be prepared to bring back a staff report with both options,” Acting City Manager Ana Cortez responded.
That will be brought back to the next meeting on Sept. 22nd, along with the salary, and hiring a search firm.
“Job descriptions for the two positions the mayor described will also be coming back?” Wilson asked.
“We might want to update the job description, as well, to advertise for the recruitment,” Cortez responded.
The meeting adjourned at 7:33 p.m.
Watch the Council meeting video on the City’s YouTube channel.
the attachments to this post:
City of Antioch org chart 11-24
Antioch_Logo_RGB
Antioch Econ Dev art
