Will receive findings of Community Outreach, Land Use Introduction
Top Quality of Life issue: Jobs
By Allen D. Payton
The second meeting of the General Plan Advisory Committee will be held on Tuesday, September 1st at 6:00 PM. It’s part of the process to update the City’s General Plan, the long-term policy document that guides the community’s growth and development, addressing physical, economic, social and environmental changes for years to come. (See related articles here and here)
There are two items on the agenda.
Under item 5.1, Beth Thompson and Elise Laws of the De Novo Planning Group, the City’s consultants for the General Plan Update, will present the Community Outreach Findings which includes the Visioning Outreach Summary from the Community Visioning Workshops, Online Visioning Survey and Pop-up Events.
Source: City of Antioch
According to the staff report, the update process is currently in Phase One, Visioning. Across all Phase One activities, the City received 100 online survey responses, hosted two community workshops attended by approximately 80 participants, and held ten pop-up events.
In the findings, under Quality of Life Issues in response to the question, “What would you like to see more of in Antioch?” the top responses in order are Jobs, Public gathering places and community spaces and Restaurants.
Source: City of Antioch
Under item 5.2, the committee members will be provided with a Land Use Introduction by Thompson and Laws. As part of the General Plan Update process, the City will revise the General Plan Land Use Map.
The meeting will be held in the Antioch City Council Chambers at City Hall located at 200 H Street in historic, downtown Rivertown.
The agenda and meeting materials can be found here.
Source: City of Antioch
The updated General Plan is expected to be adopted by the city council in August 2027. To stay up to date on the General Plan Update process you can visit the project website at: https://antioch.generalplan.org/
Finalize agreement to expand DOJ-required monitoring consultant’s contract
Consider potential whistleblower lawsuit
By Allen D. Payton
During a special meeting Monday, August 31, 2026, the Antioch City Council will consider hiring an Economic Development Director and forming a separate Economic Development Department, again. They will also finalize the discussion and vote on expanding the contract with the monitoring consultant required by the settlement agreements with the U.S. Department of Justice, City of Antioch and police department. That will follow a Closed Session to discuss the lawsuit by the natural gas pipeline company and a potential lawsuit by a City employee whistleblower.
Economic Development Director & Department Redo
Under Item 2. on the Special Meeting agenda, the Council will consider once again forming an Economic Development Department and hiring a director for it, following its merger with the Community Development Department by City Manager Bessie Scott, last year.
It also follows the current vacancy in the position of Director of the Community and Economic Development Department since March 3, 2026, when Zach Seal was no longer in the position after being hired less than six months earlier. (See related article)
According to the City staff report, the Council “has identified economic development as an important policy priority, including business attraction and retention, investment recruitment, development incentives, redevelopment, workforce partnerships and strategies to strengthen the City’s economic base. At the August 25th budget study session, City Council expressed the desire to explore separating Economic Development from Community Development and re-establishing a separate department with its own Director to have a focused strategy…at a time when economic development and revenue generation are most vital to the City.”
The staff report continues, “the Fiscal Year 2026/27 Economic Development division in the Community and Economic Development Department includes $436,759 in personnel budget for three positions: Senior Economic Development Program Manager, Economic Development Program Manager and Economic Development Specialist. Projected vacancy savings were built into the 2026/27 budget figure assuming it would take several months to fill the positions. There could be a budget impact should City Council decide to add back the Director position.”
The recommended organizational structure of the department would include an Economic Development Director, Senior Economic Development Coordinator and Specialist, eliminating the position and cost for the Economic Development Program Manager.
The staff report also shared, the current salary range for the Antioch Economic Development Director is $13,021-$15,828 per month, which is on the low end of a salary comparison with surrounding cities that’s included. “If a new salary range were established beyond that, it should fall within Antioch’s existing range of executive leadership salaries. If City Council would desire to increase the existing established salary range for the department’s Director, it is recommended to be at a range of $14,185-$17,242, slightly above Brentwood and within the City’s existing structure. The 2026/27 estimated annual salary and benefit cost of the position at this range at Step E would be $393,027.”
Monitoring Consultant Contract
After discussing then postponing the matter during their Aug. 25th meeting, under Item 1 on the Special Meeting agenda, the Council will again consider approving 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 (ASA); and authorizing an additional annual compensation amount of $150,000 for ASA monitoring services and associated Fiscal Year 2026/27 General Fund budget amendment.
According the company’s website, the Principal, Manjit Sappal “served in three California police departments, culminating in his tenure as Chief of Police for the City of Martinez…he also served twice as Interim City Manager…oversaw all municipal departments and guided the City through strategic budget initiatives, ballot measures, and community safety priorities.”
He earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration, a CA Private Investigator License, he’s a Certified Protection Professional, a graduate of the FBI National Academy Session 241 and the Police Executive Research Forum Senior Management Institute and has received DEA Federal Law Enforcement Analysis Training and CA Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Executive, Management, Supervisory, Advance, Intermediate and Basic.
According to the City staff report, “The existing Professional Services Agreement…provides compensation of up to $250,000 annually for consulting and monitoring services required under the USDOJ Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). The proposed First Amendment increases compensation by $150,000 annually to compensate the Consultant for the expanded monitoring responsibilities required under the Allen Settlement Agreement. The additional compensation will be paid hourly at the rate of $210 not to exceed $150,000.”
If the First Amendment is approved, total annual compensation for monitoring services under both agreements will not exceed $400,000 annually. Amending the contract requires a Fiscal Year 2026/27 General Fund budget amendment of $150,000 which will increase the projected deficit of $4,567,879 by $150,000. Funding for future years will be included in draft budgets brought forth for consideration.
Background
According to the City staff report, in April 2023, the USDOJ initiated an investigation into the Antioch Police Department following the public disclosure of text messages exchanged by Antioch police officers containing racist, sexist and discriminatory language. As a result, in Jan. 2025, the City of Antioch, Antioch Police Department and the USDOJ entered into the MOA, requiring implementation of reforms related to constitutional policing, accountability systems, data collection, complaint investigations, community engagement, hiring practices, supervision and oversight.
A key component of the MOA required the City and the USDOJ to jointly select an Independent Consultant to provide technical assistance, compliance monitoring and implementation oversight. Following a competitive and joint evaluation process with USDOJ representatives, MS Investigative Services and Consulting, LLC was selected as the Independent Consultant.
Then, on March 27, 2026, the City entered into the Settlement Agreement in Allen et al. v. City of Antioch, et al, a class action civil rights lawsuit. The Settlement Agreement incorporates many of the same constitutional policing reforms and accountability measures already required under the DOJ MOA and expressly requires that the existing DOJ Monitor also serve as the Monitor under the ASA.
The monitoring consultant submitted the Antioch Police Department’s First Compliance Report in April this year, pursuant to the MOA signed January 2, 2025. The report assesses the Department’s compliance with the MOA for the reporting from that date through March 31, 2026.
That followed the police department’s Self-Assessment Report 1 issued by Chief Joe Vigil on October 15, 2025.
Closed Session
During their Closed Session meeting beginning at 5:30 p.m., under Item 1. the Council will hold a Conference with Legal Counsel on existing litigation by the California Resources Pipeline Corporation (CPRC) v. City of Antioch, Contra Costa Superior Court Case No. MSN21-2354. The lawsuit continues following the Antioch City Council’s 4-0 vote during their meeting on July 28, 2026, to deny the company’s Encroachment Permit Appeal. CPRC is the owner of the low-pressure, natural gas pipeline that runs under the city and has been shut off since 2021. (See related articles here, here and here)
Under Item 2., the Council will hear about and discuss “Significant exposure to one case of litigation pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(e)(2). The staff report reads, “The City is in receipt of information concerning facts and circumstances that might result in litigation against the City which are known to a potential plaintiff or plaintiffs pertaining to possible Labor Code Section 1102.5, and Fair Employment and Housing Act violations.” According to Employment Law Aid, “California Labor Code § 1102.5 protects whistleblowers who report violations.”
Meeting Details
Before entering Closed Session and during their Regular Meeting, which begins at 6:30 p.m., the Council will meet in the Council Chambers at 200 H Street, and both can be viewed via livestream on the City’s website, on the City’s YouTube channel or on Comcast cable TV channel 24 or AT&T U-verse channel 99.
We were at the Antioch Library today, Wednesday, July 29, 2026, for a General Plan Visioning Workshop, as part of the General Plan Update process, connecting with residents to hear what they love about Antioch and what they’d like to see in the years ahead.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by to share ideas, ask questions, and help shape the vision for our community’s future.
Missed us today? There’s still another opportunity!
Roadmap toward transit recovery and an affordable, connected, diverse, healthy and vibrant region for all
By John Goodwin, Assistant Director Of Communications & Leslie Lara-Enríquez, Assistant Director, Public Engagement, Metropolitan Transportation Commission
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) today unanimously adopted Plan Bay Area 2050+ and certified the plan’s associated Environmental Impact Report — giving final approval to the Bay Area’s long-range plan for transportation, housing, economic resiliency and environmental sustainability.
Plan Bay Area 2050+ was adopted unanimously by the Association of Bay Area Governments’ (ABAG) Executive Board last week. The votes by both boards cap a nearly three-year process during which over 17,600 Bay Area residents, community organizations, advocacy groups and public sector partners contributed to the development of the new plan, which MTC and ABAG are required to develop jointly.
Defined by 35 strategies for transportation, housing, the economy and the environment, Plan Bay Area 2050+ lays out a suite of policies and investments that define what it would take to make the nine-county region more affordable, connected, diverse, healthy and economically vibrant for all residents through 2050 and beyond. From housing and transportation strategies that would reduce cost of living and construct more affordable housing to investments in public transit that prioritize service improvements in Equity Priority Communities, the goal of a more equitable Bay Area is interwoven throughout the plan. With a major focus on climate change, strategies also are crafted for resilience, including protection from hazards such as sea level rise and wildfires.
Source: Plan Bay Area
ABAG Executive Board President and Napa County Supervisor Belia Ramos, who also serves as an MTC Commissioner, acknowledged some of the region’s biggest challenges the plan seeks to address. “Today, our communities face rising costs, widening inequality and persistent housing shortages,” said Ramos. “This is not the future we want for the generations of Bay Area residents to come. Plan Bay Area 2050+ charts a course for how we can bring about our shared vision for a Bay Area where everyone has access to opportunity and a better quality of life.”
Unique to this plan cycle is the parallel Transit 2050+ planning effort, developed in partnership with Bay Area transit agencies, which culminated in the first-of-its-kind plan to re-envision the future of public transportation across the region.
“Plan Bay Area 2050+ will help shape the vital service improvements and funding solutions we need to keep Bay Area transit running, while also making it faster, more frequent, more reliable, safer and better connected,” explained MTC Commission Chair and Pleasant Hill City Councilmember Sue Noack. “Plan Bay Area 2050+ lays the groundwork for how our region can meet the challenges of today, while also advancing a shared vision for an even better tomorrow.”
Plan Bay Area 2050+’s policy and investment framework has the potential to strengthen the region for decades to come, representing a major step toward a stronger, more resilient future.
ABAG is the council of governments and the regional planning agency for the 101 cities and towns, and nine counties of the Bay Area. Contra Costa County is represented by District 4 Supervisor Ken Carlson, District 5 Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston, El Cerrito Councilwoman Lisa Motoyama and Walnut Creek Councilwoman Cindy Silva.
MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. Contra Costa County is representatives include Chair Sue Noack Mayor of Pleasant Hill representing the cities of Contra Costa County and District 2 Supervisor Candace Andersen representing Contra Costa County.
Proposed Plan for housing, transportation, the economy and environment in the nine counties will go to committee for review on Friday, March 13
Offers strategies, investments and outcomes for Contra Costa County
By John Goodwin, Assistant Director of Communications & Leslie Lara-Enríquez Assistant Director, Public Engagement, Metropolitan Transportation Commission
Plan Bay Area 2050+ is the latest long-range plan to guide growth and investment across the region’s nine counties and 101 cities. The plan seeks to advance an integrated vision for a Bay Area that is affordable, connected, diverse, healthy and vibrant for all by 2050. It focuses on the four areas of housing, transportation, the economy and environment.
The Contra Costa Centre Transit Village. Photo credit: Karl Nielsen
The plan and its related reports will be presented for review and consideration at a joint meeting of the MTC Planning Committee with the ABAG Administrative Committee on Friday, March 13, before the documents are referred to their respective approving bodies. The ABAG Executive Board will consider certification of the Final EIR and adoption of the final plan at its March 19 meeting. At its March 25 meeting, MTC will consider certifying the Final EIR and adopting the final plan, as well as adopting the accompanying Air Quality Conformity Analysis and an amendment to the 2025 Transportation Improvement Program.
The release of the proposed final Plan Bay Area 2050+ follows a 59-day public comment period for the Draft Plan and the Draft EIR that closed on December 18, 2025. The proposed final plan and Final EIR have been updated to reflect feedback received during the public comment period.
The map above shows Contra Costa County’s Growth Geographies, which are areas identified in Plan Bay Area 2050+ to help guide future housing and job growth. These areas are designated by local jurisdictions or based on their proximity to transit and access to opportunity. Source: MTG/ABAG
The Plan includes Partner Resources: Regional Tools for Local Action that local jurisdictions and partner agencies can use to develop plans, seek funding and take action to make a better Bay Area. It offers a fact sheet for each county, including Contra Costa, which spotlights strategies, investments and outcomes.
Plan Bay Area 2050+ is the latest long-range regional plan for the nine-county Bay Area. The plan lays out a series of funding and policy strategies that can create a more affordable, connected, diverse, healthy and vibrant future for all Bay Area residents in 2050. Unique to this plan cycle is the parallel Transit 2050+ planning effort, which culminated in the first-of-its-kind plan to re-envision the future of Bay Area public transit, in partnership with transit agencies across the region.
Help shape the Community Vision for Land Use, Housing & Growth Management, Transportation, Economic Development, Parks & Recreation and more
By Jaden Baird, PIO, City of Antioch
ANTIOCH, CA — The City of Antioch is pleased to announce the launch of the official website for the General Plan Update: antioch.generalplan.org. This site serves as the central information hub for all things related to the General Plan: a long-range blueprint that will shape the future of Antioch’s development, infrastructure, housing, and environmental planning.
Residents, stakeholders, and community members are encouraged to explore the new platform, which offers project background, timelines, public documents, and opportunities for civic input throughout the update process.
Since its founding as Smith’s Landing in 1849 as a port town on the San Joaquin River, Antioch has been a community of pioneers and a vital “Gateway to the Delta.” From our historic riverfront to our diverse neighborhoods, Antioch has a rich heritage to build upon as we look to the future.
The City is excited to embark on this process of updating our General Plan, creating a new blueprint for our community. A lot has changed since the last comprehensive General Plan update in 2003. Antioch has grown, new housing developments have been built, business and industry needs are different, the way people get around town has changed, and our needs and priorities have evolved.
Each city in California is required to have a General Plan, which provides long-term policy guidance for the community’s growth and development, addressing physical, economic, social, and environmental changes. The General Plan provides opportunities to improve the quality of life in Antioch – enhancing public safety and fostering the vibrant, safe community we all deserve. This General Plan Update is our direct opportunity to address key challenges and set a new course. After the General Plan Update is complete, the zoning code will be revised to reflect the updated General Plan.
Your Voice, Our Future
This General Plan Update is a way for you to share your vision for the future of Antioch. We need your help to make the General Plan a success.
Looking forward 20 years, how will state and regional trends impact life in Antioch? What new technologies and innovations will change how we live, work, and play? While we can’t see exactly what the future holds, we are preparing for it by updating our General Plan.
What do you love about Antioch? What opportunities and challenges do you think face Antioch as it evolves over the next 10, 15, or 20 years?
Sharing your ideas at community workshops, open houses, and online will help make sure that the updated General Plan conveys the values and priorities of its residents and businesses. With your help, we can set the stage for a future that honors our history and builds a more prosperous, vibrant, and safe Antioch. Let’s build our next chapter, together.
To stay informed, visitors are strongly encouraged to sign up for email and text notifications via the City’s Notify Me platform. Select “General Plan Update” under the News Flash section here: antiochca.gov/list.aspx
“Public involvement is critical to developing a General Plan that reflects Antioch’s values and vision,” said City Manager Bessie Marie Scott. “We’re making it easy for the community to stay informed and engaged every step of the way.”
Following complaint from one grant recipient’s leader, mayor challenges panel’s decision; opens rift with City Manager who finds matter “concerning…alarming”;City Attorney issues opinion
“…none of the proposers are entitled to any City funds and every group was given the opportunity to be heard and was equally assessed in determining the awards.” – City Manager Bessie Scott
Celebrate Antioch Foundation has history of working with, receiving funds from City for community events; was not going to receive funds, but Torres-Walker secured a small amount
Misinterpretations of language in Request for Proposals
By Allen D. Payton
During their meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, the Antioch City Council will again reconsider Citywide Economic Development Initiative grants totaling $60,000 to three community organizations awarded in September. The matter has become controversial with Mayor Ron Bernal challenging the decision during the Council’s Nov. 20th meeting. two council members were absent and District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker left the dais during discussion of the agenda item to prevent a vote. (See 1:59:38 mark of video)
According to the City staff report for item #1 on Tuesday’s agenda, “The Mayor instructed the City Manager to bring for discussion the 2025 Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Citywide Economic Development and associated Grants which were awarded on September 12, 2025, outside of the 90-Day City Council Request List.”
The RFP states that the goal was “to award up to three (3) grants of $20,000 each to the best projects” to help with the City’s economic development efforts. Instead, after a panel, consisting of Torres-Walker, City Manager Bessie Scott, then-Assistant City Manager Brad Helfenberger, then-Interim Community and Economic Development Director David Storer, Public Information Officer Jaden Baird and then-Economic Development Program Manager Bret Sweet, reviewed the proposals, they chose to allocate two grants in the amount of $27,500 each and one in the amount of $5,000. The first two were awarded to Delta Business Group, to support the efforts by the newly organized Downtown Antioch Association of business owners, and Prison From-The-Inside-Out. The smaller grant was awarded to Celebrate Antioch Foundation because the Review Panel determined their proposal “did not align fully with the parameters of the RFP.”
Purpose of Grants
The RFP solicited qualified organizations, nonprofits and business support entities to implement projects that aim to achieve at least two or more of the following outcomes:
• Increased Economic Activity – Boost foot traffic, sales, or commercial occupancy rates in key corridors.
• Business Retention or Expansion – Provide support or services that result in business stabilization, retention, or physical/operational growth.
• Entrepreneurial Development – Foster new business creation, especially among underserved populations or within underutilized areas.
• Job Creation or Workforce Upskilling – Generate new employment opportunities or improve job readiness among residents.
• Community Engagement – Increase stakeholder participation, visibility of small businesses, or community pride in economic corridors.
Grant Awards
The process included a Blind Review with a group discussion at the end. According to the staff report, the Review Panel chose to issue the following grants for their proposed efforts:
• Celebrate Antioch Foundation– $5,000to perform Antioch Farmers’ Market promotion and signature event promotion. Although this proposal did not align fully with the parameters of the RFP, the organization was awarded an amount due to their services being complimentary to city services such as the farmers’ market.
• Delta Business Group– $27,500to work with the Downtown Antioch Association to build city-wide business-centered digital infrastructure development, city-wide and downtown capacity building, community building, collaboration and transition planning.
• Prison From-The-Inside-Out– $27,500to perform commercial corridor revitalization, city-wide community engagement, workforce development and job creation, and workforce upskilling.
Celebrate Antioch Foundation Leader Appeals Smaller Grant
But former Antioch Councilwoman Joy Motts, who is president of Celebrate Antioch Foundation (CAF), was not satisfied with the amount of her organization’s grant and shared her concerns with Bernal. He in turn chose to bring it to the City Council for a decision that could override the allocations by the Review Panel. The matter was first placed on the Nov. 20th meeting agenda for discussion and a possible decision. That’s when things turned controversial.
CAF has a history of working with and receiving funds from the City for the multiple, annual community events they’ve organized, mostly in downtown Rivertown including annual July 4th Celebration. They worked together on this past Saturday’s Holiday Delites Celebration. CAF’s largest project with the City was the year-long Sesquicentennial Celebration with multiple events in 2022. This year, the group added the Farmer’s Market on Sundays, for which their grant application was focused.
According to a report by City Finance Director Dawn Merchant, CAF received $95,000 in City funds for the Sesquicentennial events, including a $25,000 Administration Fee, and $50,000 for the 2022 July 4th event. (For full disclosure, this reporter named and helped form CAF).
City Attorney Gets Involved
Before the meeting, the City Attorney’s Office reviewed the RFP, along with emails from Motts and all attachments included in the agenda packet. According to Scott’s staff report, in the opinion of Interim City Attorney Derek Cole, “there is no legal issue with the way the City handled this RFP” which “clearly outlines the scope of the services being sought and the amount of the award does not exceed the amount authorized” of $60,000.
Furthermore, Scott states, “none of the proposers are entitled to any City funds and everygroup was given the opportunity to be heard and was equally assessed in determining the awards.”
City Manager Finds Mayor’s Challenge “Concerning…Alarming”, Claims it Diminishes Her Authority, Independence
Scott’s staff report further addressed the mayor’s challenge of the panel’s decision writing, “The City Manager finds it concerning and alarming that members of the City Council would request to diminish her legal and longstanding authority to award routine contracts and grants regardless of value, even if it is within her signing authority amounts. At no time in the past was this authority questioned of prior City Managers, including when the Mayor himself was the City Manager.”
Bernal served as Antioch City Manager from 2017-21. (See related articles here and here)
Scott wrote, “Within the Findings (of the Grand Jury Report), it is stated that a new City Manager’s success will depend, in part, on the Mayor and City Council creating an environment that while maintaining the oversight required by city ordinances, enables the City Manager to operate with independence, as also mandated by city ordinances.”
The City of Antioch has a Council-Manager form of government in which the council members are policy makers and hire a professional city manager to oversee day-to-day operations. The only other staff member the Council hires is the City Attorney.
“The actions described in this Staff Report reflect a departure from the governance structure mandated by the Antioch Municipal Code, as well as the essential duties and functions as outlined in the City Manager’s job description, and they pose significant operational, legal, and ethical risks,” Scott’s staff report states. “Continued encroachment on administrative authority undermines organizational stability and exposes the City to liability.”
She also claims Bernal’s challenge of the grant decisions is delaying the City’s economic development efforts.
“Too, non-adherence to established protocols has caused a significant delay in the carrying out of the 2025 Citywide Economic Development Initiative Grant Awards, as we push for, and desperately are in need of, economic development initiatives across the city,” Scott wrote. “Ensuring a well-functioning government requires that both the City Council and the City Manager operate within their defined roles and collaborate together with a shared goal of moving the city forward.”
Misinterpretations of Language in RFP
During public comments, Motts pointed out that Scott’s staff report incorrectly quotes that, “the RFP states that the goal was to award three groups up to $20,000” because it actually reads on page 4, “This RFP aims to award up to three (3) grants of $20,000 each.”
Yet, Motts was also incorrect in stating, “the RFP is clear that the City will award $60,000 in $20,000 grants to up to three projects. It does not say up to $20,000 and it does not say the grants will be changed to fit a project application.”
“Why would you manipulate the intent of the RFP?” she asked, directing her question to Scott.
However, the word “will” is not included and by using the word “aims” the language in the RFP allowed the panel to award all of the $60,000 allocated for the program to just one group or split the total among two organizations. They didn’t have to award funds to all three and the panel didn’t plan to according to Torres-Walker.
Concerns Politics Involved but Torres-Walker’s Efforts Result in Funds for CAF
Some residents are concerned that politics may be involved in the panel’s decision, since Motts ran unsuccessfully for city council placing second against Torres-Walker in 2020 and 2022, when the difference between the two was just four votes following a recount, and is expected to run against the incumbent councilwoman again, next year. But it was actually Torres-Walker who argued in favor of the $5,000 grant to CAF.
During council discussion of the item on Nov. 20th, Torres-Walker said, “I’m the only panelist who gave Celebrate Antioch a high score because they have been in the community and doing a lot of work in downtown…when others on the panel were considering completely denying the group’s proposal.”
“The proposal was not innovative. But I really appreciated the Farmer’s Market,” the councilwoman continued. “After hours of deliberating and actually only choosing two applicants – we did not choose a third applicant – Celebrate Antioch’s proposal was not going to be funded. I made a proposal…through the City Manager to staff that we at least consider a small grant to support the efforts of the Farmer’s Market, which was new and innovative to the City of Antioch,” Torres-Walker explained. “Staff deliberated and agreed with my proposal and moved forward as such.”
Options for Council
The council members can choose to approve the Review Panel’s grant awards by voting for the resolution included with the agenda item, choose different grant amounts for each of the three groups, or scrap the entire program.
The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall located at 200 H Street in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown. It can also be viewed via livestream on the City’s website and the City’s YouTube Channel, on Comcast Cable Channel 24 or AT&T U-verse Channel 99.
From strengthening California’s workforce to contributing billions in statewide industry activity, the CSU’s massive economic impact is undeniable
By Jason Maymon, Senior Director & Amy Bentley-Smith, Director of Strategic Communications, CSU Media Relations & Public Affairs
On Tuesday, November 18, 2025, the California State University (CSU) released its 2025 economic impact report, underscoring the system’s broad contributions to fueling nearly every aspect of California’s economy
The report, Moving California Forward: The Economic Power of the CSU, details the role the CSU plays in strengthening the state’s key industries and preparing a skilled workforce essential to driving economic vitality. The report finds that in 2023–24 alone, CSU-related spending contributed more than $20 billion directly to California’s economy, generating $31.6 billion in statewide industry activity, supporting 210,800 jobs, and producing $2.3 billion in state and local tax revenue.
“This comprehensive report clearly demonstrates that resources entrusted to the CSU should not be considered an expenditure, but rather an investment – and an investment with a powerful and tangible return,” said CSU Chancellor Mildred García. “Importantly, the report measures not only dollars, jobs and industry activity, but also the CSU’s impact on our students’ lives and families, our contributions as a research powerhouse, and the countless benefits our universities deliver to our workforce, to communities across California, and to our nation.”
“Education opens doors — and there is no greater or more prestigious educational system than California’s public universities,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “These schools are a lifeline for first-generation and working-class students and channel vital talent straight into our workforce. From classrooms to clinics, fields to film sets, CSU graduates power the services, industries, and innovation that make California dominate and thrive.”
“Across California, the CSU is moving California and the state’s workforce forward,” said Stewart Knox, secretary of the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency. “Nearly half of all bachelor’s degrees awarded in our state come from the CSU – preparing talent that meets California’s evolving workforce needs in every region and major industry.”
Source: CSU’s 2025 Economic Impact Report
A Strong Return on Investment for California
For every dollar California invests in the CSU, the system generates $7.69 in statewide industry activity, which increases to $35.53 when factoring in alumni earnings, the report finds. CSU alumni, whose incremental earnings totaled $97.8 billion in 2024, create a ripple effect across industries and communities statewide.
Beyond the financial return, CSU’s role in educating more than half a million students delivers transformative social value by expanding access to higher education and accelerating upward mobility for the nearly 125,000 graduates who walk the commencement stage every year prepared to contribute and lead in their fields.
Source: CSU’s 2025 Economic Impact Report
Powering California’s Workforce and Key Industries
As the producer of nearly half of California’s bachelor’s degrees, the CSU is providing the diverse, educated and skilled professionals required to meet workforce needs in the state’s top in-demand industries. Specifically, within the education and health services and professional and business services sectors, which together account for more than 1 million projected job openings by 2033, the CSU is producing over half of related bachelor’s degrees. CSU’s engineering and construction program also provides more than half of the state’s general engineering graduates, which supports infrastructure growth.
In the 2023-24 academic year, CSU campuses conferred:
29,000 degrees in health care (representing 46% of such degrees awarded in the state)
23,000 degrees in business and professional services (48%)
14,000 degrees in humanities and social sciences (56%)
The CSU also produces:
78% of the state’s agriculture graduates
46% of graduates in public policy and criminal justice
49% of graduates in media, culture and design
37% of new multiple subject credentialed teachers
Source: CSU’s 2025 Economic Impact Report
Regional Impact: Strengthening Communities Across California
Each of the CSU’s 22 universities serve as anchor institutions, fueling job creation, innovation, and opportunity in their local community. The Economic Impact Report highlights significant regional benefits:
Bay Area: $4.8 billion in industry activity and 31,000 jobs supported.
Central Coast: $3 billion in industry activity and 31,500 jobs supported.
Inland Empire: $1 billion in industry activity and 9,218 jobs supported.
Los Angeles: $10 billion in industry activity and 74,900 jobs supported
North Coast: $718 million in industry activity and 6,598 jobs supported.
Sacramento Valley: $2.8 billion in industry activity and 24,613 jobs supported.
San Diego: $3.9 billion in industry activity and 32,760 jobs supported.
San Joaquin Valley: $2.6 billion in industry activity and 25,300 jobs supported.
These impacts demonstrate how the CSU powers California’s regional economies, ensuring that every corner of the state benefits from higher education, innovation, and workforce development.
For more information, view CSU’s 2025 Economic Impact Report at calstate.edu/impact.
Source: CSU’s 2025 Economic Impact Report
Bay Area Regional Impact
CSU spending through campus operations, capital investment and student spending on and off campus stimulate the economy of the Bay Area region. As detailed in Appendix B of the report, the direct spending for each campus is estimated using CSU financial data, enrollment figures, average student budget estimates and an analysis of California-based alumni earnings over time.
CSUs in the Bay Area had a direct spend of over $3.6 billion during the 2023-24 academic year, comprising the following four categories:
$1.7 billion on operational expenditures
$279.6 million on capital expenditures (four-year average)
$206.2 million on auxiliary expenditures
$1.4 billion on student expenditures
Many CSU alumni from campuses in the Bay Area region remain in California, contributing to the local economy. In 2024, they earned $19.5 billion in incremental earnings due to their CSU degree. That money, when spent in the local economy, sparked secondary impacts.
Source: CSU’s 2025 Economic Impact Report
During the 2023-24 academic year, CSUs in the Bay Area region generated a substantial economic impact across the region, supporting over 31,000 jobs and contributing $2.2 billion in labor income. Campus operational activities were the largest driver, accounting for more than 20,000 jobs and $1.4 billion in wages. Student spending and auxiliary services supported more than 8,000 jobs and injected nearly $1.7 billion into industry activity. Capital expenditures, while smaller in scale, supported 2,300 jobs and over $230 million in wages. Altogether, these activities culminated in $4.8 billion in industry activity and $321 million in tax revenues, underscoring the campuses’ vital role in regional economic vitality and public finance. Table 3 provides a further breakdown of results.
About the California State University
The California State University is the nation’s largest four-year public university system, providing transformational opportunities for upward mobility to more than 470,000 students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. More than half of CSU students are from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, and more than one-quarter of undergraduates are first-generation college students. Because the CSU’s 22 universities* provide a high-quality education at an incredible value, they are rated among the best in the nation for promoting social mobility in national college rankings from U.S. News & World Report, the Wall Street Journal and Washington Monthly. The CSU powers California and the nation, sending nearly 125,000 career-ready graduates into the workforce each year. In fact, one in every 20 Americans holding a college degree earned it at the CSU. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU newsroom.
* Transition to 22 universities in progress (Cal Poly SLO and Cal Maritime integrating). The integration process is anticipated to be complete by fall 2026.
