During special Closed Session meeting last Friday, less than two weeks before the election

“…the selection of the City Manager should be made by the new council members after the election.” – Councilman Louie Rocha

By Allen D. Payton

During the report out from the Closed Session at the end of the Antioch City Council’s special meeting on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, Acting City Manager Ana Cortez said, “Today, City Council met on the item entitled, ‘Public Employee Appointment: Position Interim City Manager…the Council took no reportable action.”

However, the agenda for tomorrow night’s Oct. 27th Council meeting, under Item 19.3 entitled, Discussion of Recruitment Strategy and Plan for Council Identified Key Positions and Citywide Recruitment and Staffing Status Update, it shows under City Manager, the Status is Active Recruitment and the Plan is, “Council provided direction to post the RFQ (Request for Quote), which closes on 10/30/2026, Firm to be selected week of 11/9/2026, Position to be posted early January and Acting City Manager/firm to work with Council on the timeline for interviews prior to position closing.”

That means the city council decided to move forward with choosing a search firm for the hiring of the city manager with the deadline for the firms to submit their proposals by this Friday, just four days before the election. Plus, the current council will choose the firm before whichever candidates get elected and are seated in December. But the position of city manager will not be posted until January, so the new council members will be involved in the vote to hire one.

When contacted about waiting until after the election and the candidates who are elected are seated in December, District 2 Councilman Louie Rocha responded, “I agree that the selection of the City Manager should be made by the new council members after the election. However, when it comes to selecting an Interim City Manager to fill the gap until we are able to search for a permanent CM, we need to take action sooner than later.”

During Tuesday’s meeting Council will also discuss 44 other vacant City positions.

Questions for City Staff

Both Cortez and City Attorney Lori Asuncion were asked why the Council’s direction to Cortez wasn’t reported out and kept secret until the agenda was released early Saturday morning. They were also asked to clarify the aforementioned description regarding the city manager recruitment included in Tuesday’s meeting agenda.

In response Asuncion wrote, “At the October 7, 2026, special council meeting, there were two reports made regarding the Interim and Permanent City Manager positions:

1. For the Interim, Council gave general direction that Ms. Cortez would remain Acting (no change) while the Council completes the process of selecting an Interim City Manager, authorized Ms. Cortez to negotiate an employment agreement with a candidate when selected, and that the appointment and agreement for an Interim City Manager would come to the council in open session at a regular city council meeting for consideration.
2. For the Permanent, Council gave general direction for staff to move forward with a Request for Proposal process for the Permanent City Manager recruitment.  

“For clarity, the Brown Act does not require a report out every time the Council meets in closed session. It requires a report of action taken in closed session for specified items (e.g., final action related to real property, litigation, appointment, dismissal, acceptance of resignation, etc.). Here in Antioch, the Council often opts for more transparency beyond what the law requires by reporting out general direction, where appropriate.

“I will of course defer to Acting CM Cortez regarding the specifics of the RFQ process that was used and the timeline for the permanent city manager, but it is my understanding that the RFQ was circulated for 2 weeks ending October 30, 2026, consistent with the October 7, 2026, direction. It is also my understanding, consistent with the report out on October 7, 2026, that the selection of an Interim City Manager and the selection of a Permanent City Manager are separate processes.”

Asuncion was then asked how and why would giving direction on hiring a search firm to fill a position even be a matter for Closed Session and shouldn’t that have been brought back to open session for discussion and direction. But she did not respond nor did Cortez, prior to publication time.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

New name. Same commitment to our community!

By City of Antioch

Effective Oct. 22, 2026, the City of Antioch’s Public Safety and Community Resources Department will officially become the Community Services Department. It follows the Council’s decision on May 26 and vote on September 5th.

This name change reflects the Department’s evolving role and its commitment to supporting residents, strengthening neighborhoods, and connecting individuals and families with resources and opportunities.

The Community Services Department will continue its work in four key areas:

• Housing & Homelessness: Advancing housing stability, homelessness prevention, and access to housing and supportive services.
• Violence Intervention & Prevention: Building safer, stronger neighborhoods through community-based violence prevention, intervention, outreach, and partnerships.
• Youth Services: Empowering youth and young adults through leadership development, education, workforce opportunities, and positive engagement.
• Community Engagement: Strengthening relationships with residents, community organizations, and partners to ensure community voices help shape our work.

While our name is changing, our commitment to serving Antioch remains the same. Our programs, services, and partnerships will continue without interruption.

We look forward to continuing this important work as the City of Antioch’s Community Services Department.

In addition, the renamed department’s director, Monserrat Cabral, has the new title of Community Services Director and Alicia Espinoza has the new title of Community Engagement Manager.

As previously reported, the previous name was the brainchild of District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker who attempted to redefine and expand the meaning of public safety, by including “quality of life, environmental justice, youth services, housing…economic dignity, access to jobs, clean water, clean air.” However, the name caused confusion as the majority of people don’t define the term the same as she does and the department has nothing to do with police or fire services, other than a connection with the Crisis Response Team.

In addition, when the department was approved by the Council and formed in 2022, it took on the responsibility for overseeing five existing City services already handled by other departments, and two new services. At that time, the plan was to include, but not be limited to, the existing services of Animal Control, currently part of the Police Department; Youth Services Network Manager, which was part of the Recreation Department; Code Enforcement and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program that were currently part of the Community Development Department, and the Unhoused Resident Coordinator, which was part of the city manager’s office. The two new services were the mental health crisis response and violence intervention and prevention.

According to the staff report for the Sept. 5th Council meeting, “As the department’s responsibilities continued to expand, the City Council also began discussing whether the department’s name accurately reflected its mission and public facing role. During several public and administrative discussions, Council considered various naming alternatives intended to better describe the department’s functions and distinguish its community-based services from the law enforcement responsibilities of the Antioch Police Department.”

The Council settled on the name Community Services Department.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

To meet Nov. 30 deadline for 2027-28 Fiscal Year General Fund reductions

By Allen D. Payton

The Antioch Unified School District Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting for a Budget Study Session on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. According to the meeting agenda, “The Board will review the District’s current fiscal status and discuss potential budget strategies.”

An overview entitled, “Fiscal Recovery & Financial Stability” will be provided by Rosa Ma Loza, the District’s Assistant Superintendent for Business and Operations, which explains the purpose of the study session is to “Understand Where the revised General Fund budget is allocated; Prioritize What to protect and which unrestricted expenditures to evaluate first; and Direct Board to give staff a clear direction toward October 28 and November 18.”

After having made actual cuts of $10.28 million from the General Fund budget, the Board needs to make an additional $7.99 million in reductions previously reported as attained but as of Oct. 8, now updated as unattained.

Note: S&C refers to Standards and Contract dollars. According to the California Department of Education (CDE), in California school finance, “standard dollars” generally refer to the state’s per‑student Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and related budget standards, while “contract dollars” refer to the actual contractual amounts districts must spend or bid for services, often tied to specific agreements or procurement rules.

Standard Dollars — State Funding Standards

The CDE defines “standard” criteria in its Criteria and Standards for Fiscal Solvency for school district budgets. These are the benchmarks used to review and approve district budgets.

Contract Dollars — Procurement and Contractual Obligations

“Contract dollars” are the actual dollar amounts in contracts that districts must follow, often set by law or regulation.

Meetings with Parents, Community, District Leadership & Staff Oct. 26 & 27before Nov. 30 Deadline

The District must submit the detailed list of Board-approved budget reductions for 2027–28 to the Contra Costa County Office of Education by Nov. 30th. Prior to that the Board will hold meetings with parents and the community on October 26, in the morning and afternoon, and with District leadership and staff on October 27.

Meeting Details

The school board meeting will be held in the District Office Board Room at 510 G Street in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown. It can be viewed livestream on the District’s website or the District’s YouTube channel.

By Allen D. Payton

During a special Closed Session meeting on Monday afternoon, Oct. 19, 2026, the Antioch City Council discussed hiring an interim city manager to take the place of current, Acting City Manager Ana Cortez, who is also the City’s Human Resources Director, until a permanent city manager is hired. But after two hours they took no reportable action City Attorney Lori Asuncion reported out after she and the council members returned to the dais inside the Council Chambers. (See related article)

The one item on the meeting’s agenda read, Public Employee Appointment:Interim City Manager. However, as previously reported, during the Council’s special meeting on Oct. 7th, Asuncion reported out from that meeting’s Closed Session, “If and when an interim city manager is chosen and an agreement reached, the appointment and agreement will be brought to open session during a regular city council meeting for consideration.”

Before adjourning to the closed-door meeting on Monday, the mayor allowed public comments on the matter, which does not usually occur during special meetings but is if the comments are not general but specifically focused on the agendized matters. Yet, no member of the public spoke in person, via Zoom or call-in about the appointment.

Report Out from Closed Session

After returning from Closed Session shortly after 4:00 p.m., City Attorney Asuncion said, “there’s nothing to report out.”

For now, the City will continue to operate with an acting city manager, acting director for the Community and Economic Development Department and no assistant city manager. However, the Council has begun the process to hire an economic development director after voting to re-establish that department, again.

Application deadline: Nov. 23

By Diana Oyler, Sr. Deputy, Contra Costa County Administrator’s Office & Office of Communications & Media

(Martinez, CA) – Contra Costa County is seeking applicants to fill one vacancy on the Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District Board of Trustees. County residents age 18 and older are encouraged to apply. The appointment, made by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, will be for a two or four-year term beginning January 7, 2027.

Established in 1927, the District provides public health services throughout Contra Costa County by controlling mosquitoes, rats, skunks, yellowjackets and other vectors that can transmit disease. These efforts help protect public health and prevent outbreaks that could disrupt recreational, residential, agricultural and industrial activities.

The District Board of Trustees meets at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of every other month in Concord. Trustees receive a $100 monthly expense stipend, contingent on meeting attendance.

Applications are available by calling the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors at (925) 655-2000 or by visiting https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/3418. Completed applications must be submitted to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, County Administration Building, 1025 Escobar St., Martinez, CA 94553, by 5 p.m. Monday, November 9, 2026.

Applicants should be available to participate in public interviews conducted virtually via Zoom on Monday, November 23, 2026.

For more information about the Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District, visit http://www.contracostamosquito.gov.

Representing Contra Costa County; Application deadline: Nov. 9

By Diana Oyler, Sr. Deputy, Contra Costa County Administrator’s Office & Office of Communications & Media

(Martinez, CA) – The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors is seeking an individual who is interested in park land use to represent the County on the East Bay Regional Parks District Park Advisory Committee (PAC).  The PAC is a 21-member citizens’ advisory group that studies issues and makes recommendations and comments on myriad policy issues, such as grazing, dogs, horses and bikes in parks, the Park District budget, naming of park facilities, park land use plans, new concessions, and more.

Members are appointed for two-year terms and may serve a total of four consecutive terms, or eight years. The term of office for this appointment will be January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2028. Service is voluntary and members receive no compensation. Meetings are held on the fourth Monday of each month at 4 p.m.

Application forms for the Contra Costa County seat can be obtained from the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors by calling (925) 655-2000, or the application can be completed online by visiting the County website at  https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/3418.  Applications should be submitted to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, County Administration Building, 1025 Escobar St., Martinez, CA  94553, no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 9, 2026.

Applicants should plan to be available for public interviews to be held virtually via Zoom on Monday, November 23, 2026. 

More information about the Park Advisory Committee can be obtained on their website at: https://www.ebparks.org/public-meetings/park-advisory or by calling Erich Pfuehler at the East Bay Regional Parks District at (510) 544-2006.

Shares accomplishments

UDPATE: Scott writes, “After Antioch: When You Love the Work, but the Politics Break Your Heart”

By Allen D. Payton

Today, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, the two-year contract for Antioch City Manager Bessie M. Scott ended.

After being hired in August 2024, she began her tenure in October, just a month before that year’s elections when a new mayor and two new council members were elected, forming a new council majority. As a result, Scott was not expected to last in her position for more than six months. Instead, she served 19 months before being placed on paid leave on May 5th. Less than two weeks before that occurred, Scott shared her thoughts on the role and position of city manager saying, “It sounds hard, and it is – but JOY abounds here!”

In response to the end of her contract, Scott issued the following farewell message to Antioch residents, offering a list of accomplishments during her time in the position:

Statement from Bessie Scott

On the Conclusion of My Service as Antioch City Manager

“As my tenure as Antioch City Manager concludes on October 7, 2026, I want to express my gratitude for the opportunity to serve this community. It has been an honor to hold this position and to serve as the first woman City Manager in Antioch’s history.

I entered this role with a commitment to strengthen city operations, support employees, improve public services, strengthen police and community relations, and build a more responsive and accountable government. My tenure included significant challenges—from staffing shortages and financial pressures to organizational and leadership difficulties. Some of those challenges were deeply personal and professionally painful. I acknowledge them honestly while remaining proud of the work we accomplished and the people who made it possible.

“Together with dedicated staff and regional, county and community partners, we advanced meaningful priorities and made great strides. These efforts included securing a $35 million Homekey+ award to address homelessness, obtaining additional emergency homelessness funding, and strengthening housing services through rental assistance, fair housing, and landlord-tenant support. We moved forward with efforts to address illegal dumping, beautify our Amtrak – Gold Runner downtown train stop, improve wayfinding, modernize agenda and records management, update outdated city policies, and address the public records request backlog.

“We also advanced police accountability and community engagement, including filling Police Oversight Commission seats, reinstating Neighborhood Watch, and supporting work to implement the City’s police settlement obligations. Our investment in young people helped send ten students to the State Capitol through Youth and Government, with one student selected to participate in National Advocacy Days in Washington, D.C.

“These accomplishments belong to the employees, residents, and partners who worked alongside me. To City staff: thank you for your expertise, persistence, and care for Antioch. I saw the demands you carried, and the effort you made to keep essential services moving, often under difficult circumstances. Your work matters, and I am grateful for your dedication.

“To the Antioch community: thank you for welcoming me, sharing your concerns, challenging us to do better, and contributing your time and ideas. Your advocacy and commitment to your neighborhoods strengthened our work and reminded me why public service matters.

“I leave this role proud of what we advanced and mindful that meaningful work remains. My hope is that Antioch continues to invest in its employees, strengthen public trust, and pursue opportunities that truly and positively improve the lives of all of its residents in a sustainable and equitable manner.

“Thank you for the privilege of serving as your City Manager.”

Bessie Marie Scott, CIG, EMPA

—————-

UPDATE: Scott Offers Additional Thoughts Entitled, “After Antioch: When You Love the Work, but the Politics Break Your Heart”

In a post on her LinkedIn account on Thursday, Scott offered additional thoughts about the end of her role as Antioch city manager, which District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker shared on her own official Facebook page that same day. Scott wrote, “After Antioch: When You Love the Work, but the Politics Break Your Heart…

“There is a particular kind of heartbreak that comes from losing a job you loved. You grieve the people. The unfinished plans. The problems you understood deeply and still wanted to solve. You think about the promises you made, the relationships you built, and the future you could see taking shape.

“For leaders who enter public service with a strong sense of purpose, the work becomes so very personal. Behind a budget line, we see a family. Behind a staffing decision, we see an employee carrying too much. Behind an operational problem, we see a community waiting for government to work better. That connection makes us committed.

“It also makes the ending hurt.

“Over these last two years, I have had to confront the painful reality that loving the work and being capable of doing it do not guarantee that you will be given the conditions to succeed. Leadership depends on more than individual effort. It requires clear authority, workable relationships, consistent expectations, and enough trust to make difficult decisions. When those conditions erode, and principled leadership is lacking, even meaningful progress can become overshadowed by political conflict. That is a difficult truth for someone like me who believes in working harder.

“My instinct has often been to prepare more, explain more, produce more, and keep showing up. Sometimes those efforts resolve a problem. Sometimes the problem persists because the disagreement concerns who should have influence, whose judgment will be trusted, or what others are willing to support.

“I am learning to hold two truths together: I can examine my decisions honestly, and I can recognize the limits of what I could control.

“I can acknowledge what I would do differently without taking responsibility for every condition around me.

“And I can love the work without allowing its ending to define my worth.

“If you are grieving a role you cared about like I am currently, give yourself permission to name the loss. You do not have to turn it into a lesson immediately.

“Some work matters enough to break your heart.

“Healing begins when you give that heartbreak the same care you once gave the job. Keep going, it will all work out in the end.”

Public comments before the Closed Session decisions both positive, negative

By Allen D. Payton

During a special Closed Session meeting Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 7, 2026, the City Council chose to keep Antioch Human Resources Director Ana Cortez as acting city manager and begin the process to appoint an interim city manager. The Council also agreed to begin the recruitment process to search for a permanent city manager. The meeting was held on the last day of outgoing City Manager Bessie M. Scott’s two-year contract. (See related article)

Public Comments

During Public Comments at the beginning of the meeting, four residents spoke but only two on the matters to be discussed.

Melissa Case spoke on Item 4.2 saying, “I believe the process of selecting the next city manager should be as transparent as possible…and we’re not just hiring somebody to sit in the city manager’s office. I think we should be very clear about what we’re looking for. I personally want a city manager who understands economic development and knows how to find and pursue grants. Antioch has tremendous needs, right now and there are state and federal resources available to us. I also want someone that knows how to build partnerships and to bring these dollars to Antioch. I want someone who knows how to inspire city employees to do their best work. I want a city manager who is customer service focused. The residents of Antioch are the customers of our local government. The first question should be, ‘how can we solve this’ not ‘that’s not my department’ which I get a lot.”

“I also want someone who understands budgeting, accountability, infrastructure, public safety, economic development, communication…and long-term planning and someone who can actually work professionally with the five of you, as well,” she continued. “Someone who can track the results.”

“I just think it’s important to find someone who knows how to get things done…and how to get the resources to do it. Knows how to inspire the people, here in Antioch, the workers and the citizens and remembers who they’re ultimately serving which is the people of Antioch,” Case concluded.

Another resident who chose to not provide his name or turn in a speaker card spoke about Item 4.3, regarding, “Significant exposure to litigation. So, somebody filed a whistleblower complaint. I guess Because of my efforts at public records requests, I’ve read some of the emails between certain government officials of Antioch.”

So, Bessie was complaining because Ron was trying to get something on the agenda for one of his campaign donors. That’s not ethically correct,” he continued. “Ron was apparently going around telling everybody she’s unexperienced. She’s not doing the job. And somebody in the back of a public meeting said, like, ‘she doesn’t know what she’s doing. She’s a jerk,’ and Bessie ran with that.”

“So, somebody’s a whistleblower,” he stated, then named all of Antioch’s city managers, including acting and interim, dating back to 2017, making a comment about each of them and about his own past arrest.

“Now, we’ve got Ana back. Look how many mistakes she’s made. I’m sorry, Ana. I have to say it. If I had more time I’d say the good things you’ve done. But you’ve screwed up. You’re screwing up. You can’t hire her. We can’t afford it. Look at all the mistakes she’s made. God bless you,” he concluded.

After City Attorney Lori Asuncion read off each of the four agenda items, the council then adjourned to Close Session.

Council Decisions Keep Cortez in Acting Position While Searching for Interim, Permanent City Manager

Following the Closed Session that lasted almost two-and-a-half hours, Asuncion reported out saying, “For agenda items 4.1 and 4.4…Council gave direction that Ana Cortez will continue serving as Acting City Manager while the council completes the process of selecting an interim city manager.”

Item 4.1 was a Public Employment Appointment: Interim City Manager and Item 4.4 was a Conference with Labor Negotiators regarding the Interim City Manager position.

“She’s also authorized as the Human Resources Director to negotiate an employment agreement with the candidate for the interim city manager position,” the city attorney continued. “If and when an interim city manager is chosen and an agreement reached, the appointment and agreement will be brought to open session during a regular city council meeting for consideration.”

Asuncion then said, “For agenda item 4.2…Public Employee Recruitment: City Manager…Council provided direction to staff to move forward with a Request for Proposal process for the permanent city manager recruitment.”

For item 4.3 which reads, “Conference with Legal Counsel – Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(e)(2): Number of potential cases: (1). 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,” the city attorney said, “And there’s nothing to report for that item.”

According to California.Public.Law, Government Code Section 54956.9(e)(2) reads, “Facts and circumstances, including, but not limited to, an accident, disaster, incident, or transactional occurrence that might result in litigation against the agency and that are known to a potential plaintiff or plaintiffs, which facts or circumstances shall be publicly stated on the agenda or announced.”

According to Justia.com, Labor Code Section 1102.5 is referred to as, “Whistleblower Protection” and according to Bluestone Law, it “is the state’s main whistleblower law. It makes it illegal for your employer to retaliate against you — fire you, demote you, cut your hours, or push you out — because you reported something you reasonably believed was illegal.”

Following the meeting Asuncion, Mayor Ron Bernal and Mayor Pro Tem Don Freitas were asked if the council took votes. Bernal said, “It was more of a consensus. We didn’t take any official votes.”

The meeting was adjourned at 3:52 PM.

See the agenda and watch the meeting video at the 2:55 mark for the public comments at the beginning and the 2:23:06 mark for the report out.