High-density, high-rise housing construction would have been funded by the bond measure. Photo: BAHFA
Removed from all nine Bay Area counties after Contra Costa attorney opposed to measure filed lawsuit claiming ballot language was slanted, forced BAHFA to correct more than $240 million error
20 Billion Reasons opposition campaign responds
By Allen D. Payton
Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) Chair Alfredo Pedroza and Belia Ramos, president of the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)’s Executive Board today, Wednesday, August 14, 2024, issued a joint statement following BAHFA’s decision this morning to remove a $20 billion general obligation bond measure for the production and preservation of affordable housing from the November 5 general election ballot in all nine Bay Area counties:
“The BAHFA Board’s decision to withdraw the affordable housing bond measure from this November’s ballot is not one that was taken lightly. The Bay Area’s housing affordability crisis has been decades in the making and is far too big for any one city or county to solve on its own. This is the reason the state Legislature established BAHFA. A robust source of funding for safe and affordable housing across our diverse, nine-county region is essential to the Bay Area’s economic and environmental health and to its residents’ quality of life.
The decision followed the action of a group of Bay Area residents, known as Opportunity Now, who opposed the $20 billion regional housing bond measure and filed a court challenge on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, to Regional Measure 4’s (RM4) 75-word ballot question claiming it was slanted.
Source: Opportunity Now
Following is the press release from the group announcing the lawsuit, entitled “BAHFA blunders on ballot language for Bay Area tax measure” and “Gets busted for wildly lowballing cost to taxpayers”:
“Talk about misinformation. The discredited Bay Area Housing Finance Authority yesterday admitted that they’d misrepresented in ballot language the annual cost to taxpayers of the mammoth bond by (hold on) more than $240 million (you read that right) per year.
“The Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA), a recently created regional agency, placed RM4 on the November 5 ballot. The unprecedented size of the bond measure has already drawn opposition.
The 20BillionReasons.com group helped pull together ballot arguments rebutting the claims for the measure. The lawsuit asserts that the ballot question is slanted to prejudice voters to vote in favor of the measure.
BAHFA conducted multiple polls to test various phrases in relation to the measure and picked the most popular ones. The lawsuit asserts that the ballot question contains a series of phrases that are not found in the language of the measure. The legal standard is that the ballot question must be an accurate synopsis.
Opponents’ Attorney Jason Bezis sent BAHFA a letter last Friday demanding a series of nine language changes to remove prejudicial language. Opponents assert that the true annual cost of the measure is nearly 36% higher than the amount shown in the ballot question.
The very name of the measure is deceptive: Bay Area Affordable Plan. This measure’s taxes will make the Bay Area even less affordable. In response, BAHFA held a special meeting of its Executive Committee this morning.
The lawsuit has already had success: The Committee adopted General Counsel Kathleen Kane’s recommendation “to correct the Ballot Question for Regional Measure 4 by deleting ‘$670,000,000’ from the Ballot Question and replacing it with ‘$910,976,423’.” No other changes to the ballot question were adopted today.
General Counsel Kane described this as a “mathematical error”. Plaintiff Marc Joffe retorted: “How can the public trust an agency that can’t do basic arithmetic with nearly $50 billion of its taxes? Ridiculous.”
“By law, Regional Measure 4 is coordinated by the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, so the Santa Clara County Superior Court is where this challenge was filed. The final language of the RM4 ballot question will now be determined by the court. See www.NoOnRM4.com for further information.”
“This public body, MTC in the form BAHFA, they finally acknowledged the public is not willing to support more taxes. It’s completely new to them. They’ve never recognized it before. They exist in this world in which the public is there to give them all the resources they want to monkey around with,” said David Schonbrunn, paralegal for the lawsuit said after the measure was removed from the ballot. “The worst part is MTC, when it comes to their transportation decision making, they have a dismal record on outcomes. Their outcomes are horrible. What I see them doing is it’s all about political deal making and it’s not about delivering solutions to the public.”
The BAHFA statement continued, “The BAHFA Board has always understood that it would be a steep climb to establish this source of funding. Recent developments have led the Board to conclude that the wise choice is to look ahead to another election season for a regional housing measure when there is more certainty and the voters have weighed in affirmatively on Proposition 5.
“In the meantime, BAHFA will continue to work on increasing the production of housing at all income levels, to preserve existing affordable housing, and to protect current residents from displacement. This includes maintaining, refining and expanding pilot programs such as the online Doorway Housing portal that makes it easier for prospective tenants to find and apply for affordable housing throughout the region and easier for developers and property managers to lease up their apartments; working to move thousands of planned housing units through the predevelopment pipeline; and implementing innovative programs to preserve affordable housing and prevent homelessness.
“BAHFA’s commitment to a regional approach toward solving the Bay Area’s housing affordability problems is stronger than ever. When the climb toward passage of a regional revenue measure resumes, the Board looks forward to teaming with every one of the Bay Area’s nine counties and 101 cities; and with the hundreds of other public, private and nonprofit partners who already have invested so much energy into this effort. Their work to prepare for a November bond measure, and the relationships built along the way, have laid a strong foundation for future success. Each step brings us closer to the summit.”
BAHFA is jointly governed by the ABAG’s Executive Board and by the BAHFA Board, which is comprised of the same membership as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). BAHFA and MTC Chair Pedroza and ABAG Executive Board President Ramos both also serve as members of the Napa County Board of Supervisors.
20 Billion Reasons Campaign Responds
In response to the withdrawal of the measure from the ballot, the opposition campaign, 20 Billion Reasons, responded with their own statement on Wednesday, August 14, 2024:
“This morning, the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) voted to pull Regional Measure 4, the $20 billion dollar regional bond measure, off the November ballot. Gus Mattammal, President of the 20 Billion Reasons campaign to defeat the bond measure in November, hailed the move.
Said Mattammal, “This decision is a win for Bay Area taxpayers, and a win for affordable housing. To address housing affordability in a meaningful way, we have to address root causes, not soak taxpayers for billions of dollars to pay bonds that would waste two thirds of their tax money on interest and overhead while barely making a dent in the issue.”
The 20 Billion Reasons campaign brought together Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, and Independents in a single campaign, a rarity in recent times, but a necessity.
“Actually, working on the root causes of the housing crisis in California – a crisis created by our legislature and the corporate interests to which they are beholden – is politically difficult. It’s much easier to simply raise taxes,” said Mattammal. “That’s why it’s so important for voters to say ‘no’ to deeply flawed proposals such as Regional Measure 4: every time we do say no, it helps create the political conditions to work on the problem in a meaningful way.”
Though Regional Measure 4 is off the ballot for November, many other expensive proposals remain on that ballot. The $20 Billion Reasons campaign team is excited to regroup and consider the best way forward to help ensure that Bay Area taxpayers are getting real solutions for the taxes they pay and that they have a real voice in what is done with their tax money.”
John Goodwin, Assistant Director of Communications, Rebecca Long, Director, Legislation & Public Affairs, Metropolitan Transportation Commission contributed to this report.
Photo sources: Bernal campaign. Hernandez-Thorpe Official Faceebook page.
Challenger raised almost $128K since January launch a majority from within Antioch
Incumbent raised $59K this year mostly from outside Antioch but transferred $58K from recall opposition committee after reimbursing it $5,700 giving him $117K to spend on re-election.
Mayor’s reports show $5,200 in travel expenses this year; plus, multiple errors including incorrect dates, amounts, but corrected after Herald inquiry; fails to disclose all required information; refuses to answer most questions; state watchdog agency reviewing reports
By Allen D. Payton
In the race for Mayor of Antioch for the November election, former city manager Ron Bernal has outraised incumbent Lamar Hernández-Thorpe by more than double this year, according to the most recent campaign finance reports. Known as a 460 Recipient Committee Statement required by state law for transparency, Bernal’s report, covering Jan. 1 through June 30, 2024, show he raised $127,645.34 in cash and in-kind contributions, of which almost $111,000 was cash, while the mayor’s reports show he raised $58,794 in cash. But Hernandez-Thorpe transferred $58,221.60 from his recall opposition campaign giving him $117,015.60 to spend in support of his re-election.
As of June 30th, Bernal’s campaign had spent $39,847.37 leaving him with $87,797.97 cash remaining to spend. (See Bernal for Mayor 460 report for 01/01-06/30/24)
The Lamar Hernández-Thorpe for Antioch Mayor 2024 committee’s 460 report for the period Jan. 1 and June 30, 2024, shows $58,794 in contributions in the totals. It also includes the amount of $58,221.60 shown on the Termination Statement for his Stop the #KAREN Recall of Mayor Lamar Thorpe 2022 committee, for the period beginning Jan. 1, 2024, ending on Feb. 14, 2024, and filed the next day, that was transferred to his mayoral campaign committee. So, Hernandez-Thorpe’s total funds available during the period were $117,015.60. His re-election committee spent $17,761.29 leaving the mayor with $99,204.31 to spend. (See Hernández-Thorpe’s re-election committee 460 report)
He formed his re-election committee on Sept. 26, 2023, but didn’t begin raising funds for it until this year.
Another contrast between the two candidates’ campaign finances is that most of the funds received by Bernal were from within Antioch while most of the mayor’s funds came from outside the city.
Mayor’s Multiple Mistakes, Miscalculations, Missing Money and Information
Although he previously ran three times for the Antioch City Council, including once for mayor, and raised funds to defeat the attempted recall against him in 2022, Hernández-Thorpe and his treasurer Vicki Robinson haven’t been reporting his campaign finances properly as they show multiple mistakes in both calculations and dates, and have not provided required disclosure information. However, after questions from the Herald, his campaign submitted corrected versions of the two final reports for his Stop the #KAREN Recall Committee covering July 1 through Dec. 31, 2023, and Jan. 1 through Feb. 14, 2024, when he terminated the committee and transferred the balance to his re-election committee.
Recall Opposition Committee Reports Were Missing $4,000
The mayor’s original recall opposition committee report for July 1 through Dec. 31, 2023, showed an Ending Cash Balance of $59,936.54 (p.3). But the committee’s original 460 report for Jan. 1 through Feb. 14, 2024, the date it was terminated, shows a Beginning Cash Balance of $55,929.86 on the Summary Page (p.3) a difference of $4,006.68. He was asked where did that money go, and if he borrowed the funds, not report it and later reimburse the recall opposition committee $4,099.02 on Feb. 12, 2024, to cover it. (See Stop the #KAREN Recall Committee 460 for 01/01-06/30/23 amended prior to the Herald’s review, original 460 report for 07/01-12/31/23, and original Termination 460 Report for 01/01-02/14/24)
Instead of responding, Hernandez-Thorpe submitted Amendments to the reports on Monday, Aug. 5. (See below)
Hernández-Thorpe Reimbursed Recall Opposition Committee Almost $5,700
Hernández-Thorpe’s Stop the #KAREN Recall committee original report for July 1 through Dec. 31, 2023, has incorrect dates on the Schedule I, Miscellaneous Increases to Cash (p.8) showing the “Statement covers period from 07/01/2024 through 12/31/2024” and an amount of $1,331.09 reimbursed by the mayor on Jan. 29, 2024. While the subtotal shows $1,339.09 the correct $1,331.09 figure appears on the Summary Page (p.3).
In addition, his recall committee’s original Termination Statement 460 dated Feb. 14, 2024, on Schedule I, Miscellaneous Increases to Cash, shows he reimbursed the committee an additional $4,099.02 on Feb. 12, 2024 (p.5).
His Amended 460 for the recall opposition committee for Jan. 1 through June 30, 2023, shows another $251.02 in “Returneding [sic] funds”.
That totals $5,681.31 that Hernández-Thorpe reimbursed his recall opposition committee before terminating it and transferring the remaining funds to the re-election committee.
He was asked if those amounts were for personal expenditures on which he shouldn’t have spent committee funds. But Hernández-Thorpe did not respond.
His 460 report for Jan. 1 through June 30, 2023, for the Stop the #KAREN Recall committee shows expenditures including a contribution to his former employee, Nichole Gardner’s non-profit, Facing Homelessness in Antioch of $500, and another contribution to Team Jesus Ministries in Bay Point of $100, to which he contributed an additional $1,500 this year.
The amounts on the original 460 report for the time period of July 1 through Dec. 31, 2023, for the Stop the #KAREN Recall committee under Schedule E Payments Made are also incorrect (see pages 4-7). The total of Itemized payments (for amounts $100 or more) for the period from the four pages was actually $4,005.34, but the amount shows only $3,098.84, a difference of $906.50. The report also shows a total of $999 in payments made of less than $100 for a total of what should be $5,004.34. Yet, the Total Cash Payments on the Summary Page (p.3) show only $4,097.84. The Ending Cash Balance shows $59,956.34 but it should have been $59,049.84. But without any additional contributions, only $58,171.60 was transferred to his 2024 re-election committee, a difference of $878.24.
Combined with the correct Beginning Cash Balance of $62,221.05, the Ending Cash Balance for the recall opposition committee Termination Report should have shown as $58,547.80 of which $58,171.60 was transferred to his re-election committee leaving a balance of $376.20. But with expenditures this year by the recall opposition committee of $1,809.98 and the reimbursement of $4,099.02, that leaves a discrepancy of $2,665.24 in missing funds.
However, as mentioned, the mayor submitted an amended form earlier this week with the correct figures. (See below)
Spent $5,200 on Travel This Year
Hernández-Thorpe’s re-election committee report shows he spent almost $5,200 in the category of “candidate travel, lodging and meals” labeled as TRC. (See pages 13-18) That includes $198.10 paid to United Airlines, $131.09 to Spirit Airlines, $185 for the Delphi Hotel in Los Angeles, $1,389.08 for a stay at the Hotel Washington in D.C., $549 to the Bethesdan Hotel in Bethesda, Maryland, and another $641 was paid to the Morrison Hotel, also in Washington, D.C. and $150 and $178 for parking at SFO, two payments for $554.11 each to United Airlines and spent $651.70 at the Marriott Metro Center hotel, also in Washington D.C. for a total of $5,181.19.
The mayor was asked what those trips were for and how they benefited his re-election campaign.
The FPPC was asked if that is allowed for a local candidate running for re-election if he’s not there for campaign events benefitting his campaign, such as fundraisers, etc.
Most Questions for Hernández-Thorpe Go Unanswered
The mayor was again asked about his campaign finances specifically, why a reimbursement in January of this year was included in the report ending Dec. 31, 2023, why did he reimburse the recall opposition committee those amounts, was he informed those are considered personal expenditures that weren’t allowed to be spent using committee funds and for which previous committee expenditures did those reimbursements cover.
He was also asked where the $502.40 came from and where did the $2,665.24 in missing funds from the Stop the #KAREN Recall committee Termination Report go. But those were later answered with the amended reports.
The mayor was also asked how the trips he took were connected to his re-election campaign and was he holding fundraisers or meeting with major contributors in D.C. and L.A., and to provide the dates he traveled to both cities and the events he held and/or attended.
He was also asked why he didn’t, instead hire a business in Antioch to handle his website design in order to shop local, what the payment of $259.66 to the Best Western in Oakley was for and when, and what the payment of $698.00 to the AUSD Transportation Division, listed as a civic donation, was for and when.
Finally, regarding his committee paying $621.95 to Holy Rosary Catholic School he was asked what it was for and when, and if his daughter attends there. That’s the only question that was directly answered, and it’s allowed if the childcare occurred while the mayor was campaigning.
Hernández-Thorpe’s Campaign Consultant Responds
Instead of responding directly, Hernández-Thorpe had his campaign spokesperson, former City of Antioch Public Information Officer, Rolando Bonilla respond. He wrote incorrectly, “Thank you for reaching out. As the mayor mentioned, you’re reviewing the wrong report. Please see attached. Also, please remember that CA Government Code 89510(b) states all ‘contributions deposited into the campaign account shall be deemed to be held in trust for expenses associated with the election of the candidate or for expenses associated with holding office.’ Lastly, before he became CA’s Attorney General, Rob Bonta sponsored AB 220, signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom that says, ‘officeholder may use campaign funds for childcare expenses resulting from directly engaging in campaign activity including that which is both political and legislative or governmental.’”
In response, he and Hernández-Thorpe were informed the information was from the Amended report for Jan. 1 through June 30, 2023. They were asked the same questions, again with a few changes in light of the information provided by Bonilla, including how those trips were connected to the mayor’s re-election campaign, was he holding fundraisers or meeting with major contributors in D.C. and L.A. or were they “for expenses associated with holding office” and to provide the dates he traveled to both cities, the events he held and/or attended while there, and if they were campaign or City-related.
Finally, Hernández-Thorpe was asked, as has been asked of other candidates in the past who submit incorrect campaign financial disclosure reports, if he can’t handle properly reporting of thousands of dollars, how can he expect the public to trust him in making decisions about millions of their hard-earned tax dollars.
Bonilla responded on Monday, August 5, 2024, at 8:26 AM first writing, “We will look into your questions.” Then at 9:31 PM he wrote, “Forms were amended and submitted to city clerk today. Should be posted within the next 24 hours,” without providing copies to the Herald as requested. Nor did either he or the mayor answer the other questions posed to them about the campaign finance reports.
Hernández-Thorpe Submits Two Amended Finance Reports for Recall Opposition Committee
After being asked by the Herald about the mistakes and discrepancies in his campaign finance reports, the mayor submitted Amendments to his final two 460 forms for the Stop the #KAREN Recall committee on Monday, Aug. 5. On Wednesday, Aug. 7th, the City Clerk’s office posted the reports on the Office’s campaign finance portal and provided copies to the Herald.
The Ending and Beginning Cash Balances now match, and his Termination Report now shows an expense of $3,167.98to Waikiikii Designs of Antioch for Social Media Support and Content Design Services resulting in all the figures being correct. But the reports still show the two amounts that he “returned” or “reimbursed” to the closed committee, plus the amount returned between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2023. (See Amended Stop the #KAREN Recall Committee 460’s for 07/01-12/31/23 and 01/01-02/14/24)
FPPC Says Using Campaign Funds for Personal Use is “Egregious” Violation; All Complaints Against Hernández-Thorpe Rejected
The Fair Political Practices Commission, the state’s campaign watchdog and enforcement agency, was asked about Hernández-Thorpe’s reimbursements to his recall opposition campaign, specifically, if he spent those amounts for personal use are they violations of campaign finance law, as written in Chapter 6 Use of Funds of the FPPC’s Manual 1 dated August 2023. Manual 1, Chapter 6 Use of Campaign Funds
They were also asked, if not, shouldn’t he have instead reported them as contributions on Schedule A Monetary Contributions rather than listed as “Returned” or “Reimbursed”. Finally, they were asked to verify if a complaint, that the Herald was informed of, had been filed about the mayor’s campaign finance reports and if they are under investigation.
Jay Wierenga, FPPC Communications Director responded with the following:
“Before I delve into and/or ask some of my colleagues to delve into the 460’s, the first thing I’m going to do is check to see if any recent complaints came in to FPPC Enforcement Division regarding this committee/individual. On our public portal it shows a few complaints from the past few years, and the portal shows they were all rejected. (our public portal is on our homepage, the transparency tab, and the enforcement tab).
Generally speaking, I/my office usually refrains from actually looking at one individual, or a specific situation, and saying something is ‘wrong’ or ‘violating the law’ or the like, as that is a public accusation of wrongdoing before and lacking any investigation by the appropriate entity, which is usually the FPPC Enforcement Division, or potentially any DA or the AG’s Office. To do so would not only be a public accusation which could prejudice any investigation but also I/my office could be wrong (after an investigation finds no wrongdoing), thereby harming and damaging my credibility as a Communications Director as well as our credibility as an agency.
What I/my office tries to do is to point to the specific statutes and/or regulations that may be pertinent to show what the law says.
I am willing to do so in this case after I hear back from our Enforcement Division, because, if there is a complaint, we can’t comment on any complaint or open case, per regulation. Again, all I can do is point you to pertinent statute/regulation.
What I also can say is a couple of things. First, how people/committee’s file their reports is something I/we can’t speculate as to why they do or don’t do some things. They are obviously supposed to follow the instructions, the law, to the best of their ability, ask for advice or help to do so if needed (we have our Advice unit for just such requests), and the candidate/officeholder/treasurer are responsible for filling out and filing forms accurately, truthfully, and to the best of their knowledge under penalty of perjury.
Second, recognize mistakes can be made, things can be forgotten, etc. That is why we always encourage compliance first, to bring folks into compliance, before worrying about or acting on potential violations, so the public gets the information they are legally entitled to as quickly as possible. Then comes the determination of consequences.
Finally, while we take all violations of the Political Reform Act seriously, we recognize some are more harmful than others. Using campaign funds for personal use is one of the most egregious violations of the Act and violations of public trust, as it is taking money from people who are donating to a campaign and using it instead on one’s self. The Commission is on record and has a history of seeking the highest possible penalties in such cases.”
Weirenga later shared, “We (FPPC Enforcement Division) did receive a recent complaint against Hernandez-Thorpe that was rejected.”
Former DA, County Clerk Fined, Forced to Resign, Latter Given Jail Time for Personal Use of Campaign Funds, Lying About It
Spending campaign funds for personal use is a very serious matter as it is what caused former Contra Costa District Attorney Mark Peterson and later, County Clerk-Registrar of Voters Joe Canciamilla to be fined thousands of dollars. Plus, according to an NBC Bay Area news report, “The state attorney general’s office filed 12 counts of felony perjury and one count of felony grand theft against Peterson” to which he plead no contest. “In exchange for his plea and resignation, the state agreed to dismiss the other charges” and he “was sentenced to 250 hours of community service and will be on probation for three years.”
Later, the State Bar placed Peterson on interim suspension, and “effective Aug. 21, 2017, Peterson cannot practice law pending the outcome of the discipline case. The California Supreme Court has the final say in attorney discipline matters.” He was disbarred on March 31, 2018.
In addition, Canciamilla was charged with 34 felonies including four for grand theft of campaign funds for his personal use, pled guilty to nine and was sentenced to one year in jail which he served under electronic home detention. According to a Mercury News editorial, “under a plea deal…with District Attorney Diana Becton, he will probably spend six months on home detention at his oceanfront Hawaii home while continuing to draw his full public pension.” (See related articles here, here, here, here and here)
Most of Bernal’s Contributions from Within Antioch
Because Antioch doesn’t have its own campaign finance limitation ordinance, state law limits contributions to a candidate’s campaign committee to $5,500 per individual or business. In his only report covering the period Jan. 1 through June 30, 2024, Bernal shows $16,823.78 in Non-Monetary or what are referred to as in-kind contributions, with the largest amount from local business and commercial property owner, Sean McCauley and his family members totaling $15,923.78 for fundraisers held at his family’s home and olive and wine grape business on Deer Valley Road in Antioch. The next highest in-kind contribution Bernal received was $600 of campaign buttons from Tom Baldwin of Antioch who is listed as retired. (See Schedule C, pages 51 & 52)
Bernal received a total of $110,821.86 in cash contributions, of which only $5,703.56 was from less than $100. Of the $105,118.30 in reportable contributions of $100, a majority were from within Antioch, $54,846 compared to $50,272 from outside the city, unless you take into account $11,000 from the owners of Drill Tech located on Fulton Shipyard Road but live in Byron. That would make the totals $65,846 from within Antioch and $39,272 from outside the city.
Bernal’s Largest Contributors are Business Owners, Developers, Other Real Estate Interests, Contractors
The former city manager’s largest contributors include the following:
$5,500 each from Bryan Bento of Antioch, listed as an Investor, Beehive Hospitality; Ann Creson of Byron, Owner, Drill Tech in Antioch and Shannon Creson of Byron, Owner, Drill Tech in Antioch;
$4,500 each from Jeffrey Voss of Belmont, Business Owner, The Zeka Group, Inc. and Robert Katin of Antioch, retired;
$2,500 from Charles Wall of Walnut Creek, Contractor, Brosamer & Wall, LLC;
$2,200 from Dennis Bernal of Walnut Creek, his brother, listed as self-employed roofing contractor;
$2,050 from Perry Realty Team Inc, Oakley;
$2,000 from Robert McGrew of Dixon, Ranch/Farming, Self-employed;
$1,500 each from Martin Fernandez of Antioch, retired; Marjorie Katin of Antioch, Engineer, Katin Engineering Consulting; Bradley Jacob of Danville, Sales, McKesson Corporation and Patricia Curtin of Lafayette, Attorney, Wendel Rosen LLP;
$1,050 from Joseph Mitchell, Retired/Part time Antioch Police Dept;
$1,000 each from Gabriel Chiu of Pleasanton, listed as retired, but is the owner of two shopping centers in Antioch; Glen McCauley Investments of Brentwood; Sharon Hannaford of Oakley, retired; Information Technology, Data & Security Solutions LLC of Concord; former Antioch Economic Development Commission Chairman Tim McCall listed as Business Owner, Genesis Landscape, Inc.; Louisa Zee Kao of Hillsborough, CA, President/CEO, The Zeka Group, Inc. owners and developers of The Zeka Ranch; Joseph Goralka of Antioch, retired; Lisa Carter of Antioch, Vice President, CD & Power; Desmond Bittner of Lafayette, Police Lieutenant, City of Antioch; Duane Anderson of Antioch, retired; Scott Dellinger of Antioch, Owner, Restoring Dreams LLC; Andrea Fontana of Antioch, retired; Gordon Gravelle of Alamo, retired Antioch developer and professional football player; Terry Ramus of Antioch, Scientist, Diablo Analytical, Inc.; SIAFU Enterprises, Inc. of Antioch and two-time Antioch City Council candidate Sandra White of Antioch, VP Human Resources Center for Social Dynamics.
Bernal’s Report Shows Almost $21,000 Paid to Consultant, $3,500 to Out-of-County Businesses
In addition, Bernal’s 460 shows $20,985.90 was paid to Praetorian Public Relations of Walnut Creek for campaign consulting.
Like Hernandez-Thorpe, Bernal paid out-of-town and out-of-county businesses for work that could have been done by either Antioch or other local businesses in East County or Contra Costa. He paid Goprint.com of Burbank, CA $2,258.48 to print his door hangers and Imprint.com of Houston $1,300.97 for yard signs.
While there is no longer a printer in Antioch, there are in East County, and two sign companies in Antioch and others in East County. Bernal was asked why he didn’t shop local and use Antioch or other businesses in East County or Contra Costa to print his door hangers and yard signs.
The campaign responded, “Since there’s no longer a printer in Antioch we shopped the best prices and found one in Burbank. They’re a California vendor. Ron will do the same when he’s in office to ensure fiscal responsibility and use of taxpayer dollars.”
He was also asked about the correct reporting on two of his contributors, one about their city of record for the contribution, which was later confirmed to be correct, and about another’s employment, specifically, Gabriel Chiu of Pleasanton who is listed as retired. Yet, Chiu is the owner of two shopping centers in Antioch, including the Deer Valley Plaza on Lone Tree Way where the Food Maxx store is now located, and the Delta Fair Shopping Center where the Food Maxx store was previously located, for which the council majority, including Hernández-Thorpe, voted in 2020 to postpone indefinitely Chiu’s improvement plans. Those plans included a new 210-apartment complex, 4,000 square feet of new retail and renovation of the remaining existing 73,535 sf of retail space. (See related articles here and here)
Bernal responded, “Gabriel Chie is a Business Owner.”
Most of Hernández-Thorpe’s Contributions from Outside Antioch
The mayor raised a total of $58,794 in cash contributions, of which only $1,067 was less than $100. Of the reportable contributions of $100 or more, he received $57,727, of which only $7,375 was from within Antioch and most, or $36,652 was from outside the city, not including $13,700 from political action committees (PACs) and unions.
Largest Contributors are Unions, Business Owners, Building Industry, Real Estate Interests, Garbage Company, Cannabis
Hernández-Thorpe’s largest contributors include the following:
$5,500 each from Build Jobs PAC ID# 761102, Sponsored by the Building Industry Association of the Bay Area; Yua Huan Li of San Francisco, no information was provided. But according to Bizpedia, he is the Manager of ON Dog Dog LLC also in San Francisco; Longlife A LLC in Oakland; EL W Estate Management in San Francisco; LH Real Estate Management LLC of San Francisco; Republic Services in Concord, Antioch’s garbage collection company; and Manuel Robles of Los Angeles, self-employed;
$5,000 from Richard Hoke of Antioch, owner, Delta Dispensary cannabis/marijuana business in Antioch;
$2,500 from Sheet Metal Workers Union Political Committee ID 850381 in Livermore; and
$1,002 from Rolando Bonilla of San Jose, Strategist, Voler.
Hernández-Thorpe’s Greatest Expenses Were for Travel, Event Catering, Photography
Of the Payments Made totaling $17,761.29 for the period, the aforementioned $5,181.19 was spent for travel expenses and $4,226 was paid to Chef Clarise LaGrone of Antioch for three different events, plus, $1,200 to Bronze Girl Productions for an event performance, and $1,059.61 to LowKii Photography in Antioch.
08/09/24 5:45 PM UPDATE: Filing for the mayor’s race closed today, Friday, Aug. 9 at 5:00 p.m., and Hernández-Thorpe filed to run for re-election according to the report by the City Clerk. As of Thursday, he hadn’t completed filing his paperwork. Another candidate has also filed to run for mayor, Rakesh Kumar Christian, who ran in 2020 and placed last out of the five candidates. The election is November 5th.
Please check back later for any updates to this report.
399,000 positions paid almost $29 billion in total wages
Includes Contra Costa Superior Court and Cal State East Bay data
SACRAMENTO — State Controller Malia M. Cohen has published the 2023 self-reported payroll data for state departments, superior courts, and California State Universities (CSU) on the Government Compensation in California website. The data covers more than 399,000 positions and approximately $28.87 billion in total wages for those agencies and institutions.
Users of the site can view compensation levels on maps and search by region, narrow results by name of the entity or by job title, and export raw data or custom reports.
The newly published data were reported by:
• 24 CSU institutions (116,235 employees),
• 56 superior courts (20,884 employees), and
• 157 state departments (262,097 employees).
California law requires cities, counties, and special districts to annually report compensation data to the State Controller. The State Controller also maintains and publishes state and CSU salary data. However, no such statutory requirement exists for the University of California, California community colleges, superior courts, fairs and expositions, First 5 commissions, or K-12 education providers; their reporting is voluntary. Two superior courts either did not file or filed a report that was non-compliant, including those in Alameda County and Tuolumne County.
The site contains pay and benefit information on more than two million government jobs in California, as reported annually by each entity.
In addition, the report shares, “This California State University includes payments toward the unfunded liability of the employer sponsored retirement plan.” For more information visit www.csueastbay.edu/hr.
The State Controller’s Government Compensation in California website provides information on employee pay and benefits for approximately 2 million positions at more than 5,000 public employers. Public employers annually report employee compensation to the State Controller’s Office. It allows the public to view and search employee job titles, build charts and graphics, and download custom reports and raw data.
About Controller Cohen
As the chief fiscal officer of California, Controller Cohen is responsible for accountability and disbursement of the state’s financial resources. The Controller has independent auditing authority over government agencies that spend state funds. She is a member of numerous financing authorities, and fiscal and financial oversight entities including the Franchise Tax Board. She also serves on the boards for the nation’s two largest public pension funds. Follow the Controller on X at @CAController and on Facebook at California State Controller’s Office.
By Office of Contra Costa County Supervisor Federal Glover
We need your feedback!
The Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County (WDBCCC) and the Contra Costa County Employment & Human Services Department (EHSD) invite you to review and provide feedback on the draft document titled “Implementation Plan for Measure X-Funded Youth Centers.”
According to the county’s website, “Measure X is a countywide 20-year, ½ cent sales tax approved by Contra Costa County voters on November 3, 2020. The ballot measure language stated that the intent of Measure X is ‘to keep Contra Costa’s regional hospital open and staffed; fund community health centers, emergency response; support crucial safety-net services; invest in early childhood services; protect vulnerable populations; and for other essential county services.’”
This document outlines the plans for three new youth centers in Supervisorial Districts 3, 4, and 5. Your input is crucial and will help county policymakers and administrators shape the design and implementation of these centers.
Public Review Period: July 1 – July 10, 2024, until 5:00 PM.
First-of-its-kind measure to help build and preserve more than 70,000 homes
Contra Costa County would receive $1.9 billion
By John Goodwin, Assistant Director of Communications & Rebecca Long, Director, Legislation & Public Affairs, Metropolitan Transportation Commission
The Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, adopted a resolution to place a general obligation bond measure on the November 5 general election ballot in each of the nine Bay Area counties to raise and distribute $20 billion for the production of new affordable housing and the preservation of existing affordable housing throughout the region. BAHFA is jointly governed by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)’s Executive Board and by the BAHFA Board, which is comprised of the same membership as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC).
The bond could create 72,000 new affordable homes – more than double what would be possible without a bond. Without more funding, only about 71,000 affordable homes will be built or preserved in the Bay Area over the next 15 years – a status quo that is failing to meet the needs of the people who live and work here.
Currently, the Bay Area doesn’t have enough homes for the people who live here. As a result of the region’s housing shortage:
In 2022, 37,000 people were unhoused in the Bay Area.
1.4 million people—23% of Bay Area renters—spend over half their income on rent.
High rents and home prices force people to live far from work, making congestion and pollution much worse, and putting a major strain on working families.
Too many Bay Area residents live in overcrowded and unsafe housing.
Vital employees and community members are leaving the area.
Wednesday’s unanimous vote by the BAHFA Board marks the final discretionary step in the process to place the measure on the November ballot. Under state law, each Bay Area county will now take a non-discretionary, ministerial vote to place the measure on the ballot in that county, in accordance with election deadlines.
The BAHFA bond measure currently would require approval by at least two-thirds of voters to pass. Voters throughout California this November will consider Assembly Constitutional Amendment 1 (ACA 1) — which would set the voter threshold at 55 percent for voter approval of bond measures for affordable housing and infrastructure. If a majority of California voters support ACA 1, the 55 percent threshold will apply to the BAHFA bond measure.
“Today’s vote is the culmination of so many years of effort by so many people all around our region,” observed BAHFA Chair and Napa County Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza. “The Bay Area’s longstanding housing affordability problems affect all of us, our friends, our neighbors and our family members. This vote is about preserving opportunity for everyone.”
Source: BAHFA
The proposed BAHFA bond measure calls for 80 percent of the funds to go directly to the nine Bay Area counties (and to the cities of San Jose, Oakland, Santa Rosa and Napa, each of which carries more than 30 percent of their county’s low-income housing need), in proportion to each county’s tax contribution to the bond. In consultation with its cities and towns, each county would determine how to distribute bond funds to best meet its jurisdictions’ most pressing housing needs. These distributions would include:
Contra Costa County: $1.9 billion
Alameda County: $2 billion
Marin County: $699 million
Napa County: $118 million
San Francisco County: $2.4 billion
San Mateo County: $2.1 billion
Santa Clara County: $2.4 billion
Solano County: $489 million
Sonoma County: $553 million
City of Napa: $246 million
City of Oakland: $765 million
City of San Jose: $2.1 billion
City of Santa Rosa: $242 million
The remaining 20 percent, or $4 billion, would be used by BAHFA to establish a new regional program to fund affordable housing construction and preservation projects throughout the Bay Area. Most of this money (at least 52 percent) must be spent on new construction of affordable homes, but every city and county receiving a bond allocation must also spend at least 15 percent of the funds to preserve existing affordable housing. Almost one-third of funds may be used for the production or preservation of affordable housing, or for housing-related uses such as infrastructure needed to support new housing.
Source: BAHFA
The California Constitution currently does not allow bond funds to be used for tenant protections such as rental assistance, but planned investments in new housing and affordable housing preservation will protect tens of thousands of low-income renters and vulnerable residents.
The BAHFA Board also adopted, on Wednesday, resolutions approving the Authority’s Business Plan and its Regional Expenditure Plan, which explain the prioritization for use of the funds that would be directly administered by BAHFA.
Oversight and accountability provisions to be included in the BAHFA bond measure include the creation of a special bond proceeds account; establishment of a Citizens’ Oversight Committee that would review the expenditure of bond proceeds and report to the BAHFA and ABAG Executive Boards on whether the funds were spent appropriately; an independent annual performance audit; a requirement that all bond-projects be consistent with state laws on labor standards; a requirement that administrative costs not exceed the amount prescribed in state law; and a prohibition against any public official who voted to send the ballot measure to the voters bidding on any work funded with proceeds from the bond.
The ABAG Executive Board voted unanimously at its April meeting to adopt a resolution approving BAHFA’s Business Plan and its Expenditure Plan, as well as to endorse placement of the bond measure on the November ballot. In her remarks preceding the vote, ABAG President and Napa County Supervisor Belia Ramos noted, “This is a remarkable milestone moment for our region. Housing stability is essential for our community to thrive, and this proposal is a once-in-a-generation opportunity.”
Joins the other Assemblymembers representing Contra Costa: Wilson, Bauer-Kahan and Wicks, who support offering up to 20% for down payment or closing costs, not to exceed $150,000
By Allen D. Payton
A bill to make illegal immigrants eligible for the California Dream for All Shared Appreciation Loan Program, which provides up to 20 percent of downpayment assistance to prospective homebuyers, passed the State Assembly last month on a vote of 56-15. All four Assemblymembers representing Contra Costa County voted in favor of Assembly Bill 1840, including Tim Grayson (D-15), who represents Antioch, Lori Wilson (D-11), Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-16) and Buffy Wicks (D-14).
Wicks also voted for the bill, authored by Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula (D-31), as a member of the Assembly Appropriates Committee.
AB1840 Assembly Floor vote on May 21, 2024. Source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
According to CalFHA, “The Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan is a down payment assistance program for first-time homebuyers to be used in conjunction with the Dream For All Conventional first mortgage for down payment and/or closing costs. Upon sale or transfer of the home, the homebuyer repays the original down payment loan, plus a share of the appreciation in the value of the home.”
The program offers up to 20% for down payment or closing costs, not to exceed $150,000 and is not on a first come, first served basis. The homebuyer must register for a voucher and a randomized drawing will select registrants who will receive the voucher. The program requires at least one borrower be a first-generation homebuyer and all borrowers must be first-time homebuyers.
According to the Legislative Counsel’s Digest, “Existing law establishes the California Housing Finance Agency in the Department of Housing and Community Development, and authorizes the agency to, among other things, make loans to finance affordable housing, including residential structures, housing developments, multifamily rental housing, special needs housing, and other forms of housing, as specified. Existing law establishes the California Dream for All Program to provide shared appreciation loans to qualified first-time homebuyers, as specified.
Existing law establishes the California Dream for All Fund, which is continuously appropriated for expenditure pursuant to the program and defraying the administrative costs for the agency. Existing law authorizes moneys deposited into the fund to include, among other moneys, appropriations from the Legislature from the General Fund or other state fund.
This bill would specify that an applicant under the programwho meets all other requirements for a loan under the program, including, but not limited to, any requirements imposed by the Federal National Mortgage Association or other loan servicer, shall not be disqualified solely based on the applicant’s immigration status.
By expanding the persons eligible to receive moneys from a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation. The bill would recast the fund so that appropriations from the Legislature from the General Fund or other state fund are deposited into the California Dream for All Subaccount, which the bill would create and make available upon appropriation by the Legislature for specified purposes.”
AB 1840 is now up for votes by the State Senate Housing and Judiciary Committees before a possible vote on the floor.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Applications are now open for the 2024 McDonald’s Golden Grants program. To apply, eligible entities can visit McDonald’s Golden Grants through October 13.
CORRECTION: McDonald’s Owner/Operators across the San Francisco Bay Area, Eureka, and the Central Coast will be selecting deserving educators, non-profit organizations, and the like, who represent programs that fuel the imagination, education, and growth of students, as recipients of a McDonald’s Golden Grant. Entering its third year, the program has awarded $65,000 in its first two years.
In 2023, 17 grants were awarded throughout San Francisco Bay Area, Eureka, and the Central Coast. Amongst these grants was Sonoma recipient, Kid Scoop News.
“With the generous funding from the McDonald’s Golden Grants, we were able to supply 10 classrooms, or 250 students in Contra Costa County monthly copies of their very own Kid Scoop News, providing access to engaging reading materials and literacy-supporting activities is key to a student’s success in reading,” said Kid Scoop News.
This year, grants will be awarded in the amounts of $10,000, $5,000, $2,500, and $1,000 based on creativity and hands-on application of projects. Please see below for applicable counties.*
Qualifying activities include arts programs, education initiatives, mentorship and empowerment programs, after-school programs, community service, sports activities, and technology.
Recipients of a Golden Grant will be announced on October 13.
*In California: Contra Costa, Alameda,Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma.
About McDonald’s USA
McDonald’s USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to millions of customers every day. Ninety-five percent of McDonald’s approximately 13,500 U.S. restaurants are owned and operated by independent business owners. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mcdonalds.
Opportunity Junction, Rubicon Programs to receive unrestricted grant funding over 3 years as well as access to nation-wide learning community and network of Community Progress Makers
Part of a collective $9 million in grants to 9 Nor Cal nonprofits working locally in latest expansion of the initiative
NEW YORK – The Citi Foundation (“the Foundation”) announced last month that nine nonprofits based in Northern California have been selected as part of the fourth cohort of the Community Progress Makers initiative, among 50 nationwide. Two of the organizations are located in Contra Costa County, including Antioch-based Opportunity Junction and Richmond-based Rubicon Programs which also has offices in Antioch and Concord.
First launched in 2015, Community Progress Makers provides unrestricted funding to visionary organizations that work locally to connect low-income communities to greater economic opportunity. With this latest cohort, the Foundation has now committed $115 million in grants to Community Progress Makers since its inception.
The current cohort of Community Progress Makers has been selected through an open request for proposals (RFP) process announced this past fall, which focused on organizations working in the areas of affordable housing and access, economic development, financial health and workforce readiness.
“Unrestricted grant support is in high demand and low supply and we have witnessed how transformational this type of funding can be for community organizations,” said Brandee McHale, President of the Citi Foundation and Head of Citi Community Investing & Development. “This is why we are pleased to support the innovative solutions and deep community work that the organizations in this fourth cohort of Community Progress Makers are leading in Northern California through flexible, trust-based funding.”
“These Northern California-based Community Progress Makers are working at the forefront of pressing local issues, from workforce and economic development to housing and financial health,” said Philip Drury, Head of Global Technology and Communications Banking, Citi. “The flexible philanthropic capital that Citi Foundation is deploying will help these social innovators double down and find new ways to advance their work.”
All recipients will have access to a learning community where they can collaborate and share best practices with a network of Community Progress Makers across the country, as well as receive technical assistance delivered by national experts and leading researchers. Combining their local expertise and track record of community impact with a national network of resources and changemakers, these nonprofits are poised to accelerate their community-based work in Northern California.
Opportunity Junction
Opportunity Junction recently celebrated the expansion of its services with the grand opening and ribbon cutting of their Healthcare Career Pathways Training Center. The organization launched a new Medical Assistant (MA) Training program on June 3rd in the new facility.
In addition, Antioch Mayor Hernandez-Thorpe declared May 15th as ‘Opportunity Junction Day” in honor of the organization’s dedication to empowering individuals and building brighter futures.
Driven by the fundamental belief that everyone who works hard deserves the opportunity to succeed, their mission is “to help motivated Contra Costa County job seekers develop the skills and confidence to launch careers that lead to financial security.”
“We’re not just helping people find jobs; we’re transforming careers and lives,” said Brianna Robinson, President & CEO of Opportunity Junction. “Since 2000, we’ve been building foundations for better futures. Our Healthcare Career Pathway addresses the urgent need for healthcare professionals. With a quarter of Californians projected to be over age 60 by the next decade, we’re facing a critical shortage of healthcare workers.
Rubicon Programs
According to Rubicon’s Marketing & Communications Manager Angelica Huerta, This $1 million grant will significantly support Rubicon’s mission to increase economic opportunities for justice-impacted individuals and those disconnected from the workforce over the next three years. Rubicon is one of nine grant recipients in Northern California.
The Community Progress Makers initiative supports local community organizations that connect low-income communities to greater social and economic opportunities. This grant will provide Rubicon Programs with unrestricted funding, access to technical assistance from national experts, and opportunities to share learnings through virtual and in-person convenings.
“It is a big deal for Rubicon to be seen and welcomed as a valuable contributor within an amazing national network of talent and expertise. In addition to the grant support, we are excited to build community and exchange learnings to collectively strengthen the access to opportunity for justice impacted job seekers across the nation,” said Dr. Carole Dorham-Kelly, Rubicon’s President and CEO.
Rubicon Programs serves a diverse community of low-income adults through comprehensive services that address historic and systemic inequities. By maintaining connections with participants for up to three years, Rubicon prioritizes job placement and retention support, legal services, leadership development, wellness services, and financial health coaching.
“If passion and commitment alone were enough to end poverty, we would have already won the war on poverty. This investment from Citi will support the design and implementation of cutting-edge, win-win solutions that leverage the strengths of and address the complex challenges faced by the communities we serve,” said Adrienne Kimball, Rubicon’s Chief Talent Officer. “It will also equip our team with the tools and knowledge they need to increase their capacity. We are incredibly grateful for this partnership with Citi.”
The grant will enable Rubicon to address two major community challenges: a lack of access to quality jobs for justice-impacted individuals and those displaced from the workforce, and the need for regional employers to remove barriers to quality jobs. Rubicon will expand its influence over employer practices and public systems standards, creating a more equitable and inclusive workforce.
Participants enrolled in Rubicon’s programs benefit from a holistic approach that promotes long-term self-sufficiency through coaching, systems navigation, and experiential opportunities.
Rubicon’s four pillars—income, assets, wellness, and community connections—form the foundation of its theory of change, aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty.
Seven Other Nor Cal Non-Profit Organizations Receive Grants
The other seven community organizations selected to the fourth cohort of Community Progress Makers in Northern California include six located in the San Francisco Bay Area and one in Fresno:
“As an organization working to expand economic mobility for nearly two decades, we’ve learned that it takes innovation and an adaptive multi-pronged approach to address the needs of underserved communities,” said Margaret Libby, Founder & CEO, San Francisco-based MyPath. “That is why the unrestricted support from the Citi Foundation through the Community Progress Makers initiative is so transformational – it puts each nonprofit in the driver’s seat and offers the flexibility and support to maximize impact in our communities.”
About Opportunity Junction
Since 2000, Opportunity Junction has been providing training, support, work experience, and placement assistance, which help motivated Contra Costa County job seekers launch careers that lead to financial security. When we work together, motivated job seekers develop the skills and confidence they need to succeed. Their success makes their families and our community stronger. For more information visit opportunityjunction.org.
About Rubicon Programs
Rubicon Programs transforms East Bay communities by equipping people to break the cycle of poverty. Since 1973, Rubicon Programs has provided job training and placement, financial education, behavioral health, and other supportive services to low-income people in Contra Costa County, and in Alameda County since 2005, to break the cycle of poverty. Today, Rubicon operates sites in Antioch, Concord, Richmond, Oakland and Hayward. Learn more at www.rubiconprograms.org.
For more information about the grant program, please visit citifoundation.com/cpm and follow the impact these organizations are making at #ProgressMakers on social media.
