To oversee process for Bay Area transit tax on Nov. ballot

By Metropolitan Transportation Commission

OAKLAND, CA – Updated Aug. 17, 2026 – The Public Transit Revenue Measure District (PTRMD) was established under Government Code Title 7.85, by Senate Bill 63 (2025), which also authorizes a regional transportation revenue measure to be placed on the November 2026 ballot, known as the Connect Bay Area Transit Initiative.

District Members

The Public Transit Revenue Measure District is comprised of the same individuals that govern the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC).

The PTRMD on Jan. 16, 2026, received a notice of intent from the Connect Bay Area Transit Committee to place a citizen’s initiative on the November 2026 ballot. Senate Bill 63, authored by state senators Scott Wiener of San Francisco and Jesse Arreguín of Berkeley, authorized a qualified voter initiative to impose a retail transactions and use tax ordinance applicable to the entire district for a duration of 14 years, in an amount of 0.5% in each of the counties located within the district and 1% in the City and County of San Francisco, subject to voter approval at the November 3, 2026, statewide general election. 

On July 1, 2026, the District Elections Official issued a Certificate to Initiative Petition, certifying that proponents of the Connect Bay Area Transit Initiative submitted sufficient valid signatures for the measure to qualify for placement on the ballot.

The District at its July 24, 2026, meeting formally approved a resolution accepting the District Elections Official’s certification of the Connect Bay Area Transit initiative measure and requesting the Boards of Supervisors in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties to call a special election on the measure and to consolidate this special election with the November 3, 2026, statewide general election. 

Impartial Analysis of Regional Transit Measure 

Legal counsel for the Public Transit Revenue Measure District has prepared an impartial analysis of the  Regional Transit Measure pursuant to subdivision (d) of Government Code 67740. This text will also be included in each county’s voter information guide per state law. 

Notices of Election Provided by Santa Clara County

Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters provided the following notices of election:

• Notice of General Election
• 大選通告
• AVISO DE ELECCIÓN GENERAL
• THÔNG BÁO TỔNG TUYỂN CỬ
• Paunawa Sa Pangkalahatang Halalan

Election-Related Deadlines 

Established election dates related to the measure can be found on the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters (ROV) website. Please reference the most recently published Public Transit Revenue Measure District (PTRMD) calendars, which may be accessed at the SantaClaraCounty.gov website.  If you are unable to access the link, please contact the Santa Clara County ROV directly for assistance.  

Staff Contact

Kimberly Ward, District Elections Official
Phone: 415-778-5367
Email: kward@bayareametro.gov

請求協助! | ¡Solicita ayuda! | Request assistance! 

您是否需要我們翻譯其中一份文件的內容? 您是否需要大字體或盲文印刷的書面資料? 您是否需要手語或您所說語言的口譯服務才能參與?  

如需協助，請致電 (415) 778-6757。若需使用 TDD 或為聽障人士，請致電 711，加州轉接服務，或 (800) 735-2929 (TTY) ，(800) 735-2922 (語音)，然後要求轉接至(415) 778-6700。請至少提前三個工作日提出申請，以便我們能為您提供適當的安排。 

¿Necesita que alguno de nuestros documentos sea traducido? ¿Necesita nuestras comunicaciones escritas en letra grande o en Braille? ¿Necesita un intérprete del lenguaje de señas o un intérprete que hable su idioma para poder participar?  

Para solicitar asistencia, por favor llamemos al (415) 778-6757. Para telecomunicaciones para personas sordas y discapacitadas, favor de llamar al 711, el Servicio de Retransmisión de California (CRS) para TTY/VCO/HCO a Voz o para Voz a TTY/VCO/HCO al (800) 855-3000 y pedir que lo conecten al (415) 778-6700. Necesitamos aviso de al menos tres días hábiles de anticipación para proporcionar la asistencia adecuada. 

Do you need one of our documents translated? Do you need written materials in large type or in Braille? Do you need a sign language interpreter or an interpreter who speaks your language in order to participate?  

To request accommodation, please call (415) 778-6757. For TDD or hearing impaired, call 711, California Relay Service, or (800) 735-2929 (TTY), (800) 735-2922 (voice) and ask to be relayed to (415) 778-6700. We require at least three working days’ notice to accommodate requests.

For more information visit Public Transit Revenue Measure District.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Vote in Senate as early as Thursday

New language by Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee chaired by Senator Scott Wiener also exempts crimes against disabled victims and, in some cases, children under 14.

WARNING: Graphic content

By California Family Council

SACRAMENTO, CA — AB 2691, the Public Trust Protection Act, could be voted on the Senate floor as soon as tomorrow morning, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. On August 4, the bill’s authors quietly rewrote its central definition. They did not fix the problem California Family Council (CFC) raised in June. They made it bigger, and harder to see.

Background

AB 2691, authored by Assemblywoman Dawn Addis (D-Dawn Addis), passed the Assembly floor 67 to 0. It would bar people convicted of felony sexual assault or human trafficking from holding public office, a policy CFC supports. On June 24, the Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee, chaired by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), added language exempting felony sodomy, oral copulation and sexual penetration when the victim is a minor age 14 to 17.

CFC Vice President Greg Burt testified against that exemption on June 30 and asked the committee to restore the bill to the form the Assembly passed unanimously. The committee advanced the bill anyway, 4 to 1, with only Senator Steven Choi (R-Irvine) voting no.

What Changed on August 4, and How California’s Sex Offender Registry Actually Works

The named exemption for ages 14 to 17 is gone from the bill text. In its place, Addis rewrote the bill to define “sexual assault” using California’s sex offender registration system, and only the most severe part of it.

California sorts every registerable sex offense into one of three tiers, based on how serious the offense is:

• Tier 1 requires registration for 10 years. It covers misdemeanor sex offenses and the least serious felony sex offenses.
• Tier 2 requires registration for 20 years. It covers felony sex offenses that state law separately classifies as “serious” or “violent”, along with a short list of specifically named crimes.
• Tier 3 requires registration for life. It is reserved for the most serious sex crimes: forcible rape, forcible sodomy, aggravated sexual assault of a child, and similar offenses.

Under the bill the Assembly passed, a felony conviction under any of six penal code sections covering rape, sodomy, oral copulation, and sexual penetration disqualified a candidate, full stop. Under the August 4 rewrite, a conviction only disqualifies a candidate if it happens to fall into Tier 3 of the sex registry list. A conviction that falls into Tier 1 or Tier 2, no matter how serious the underlying crime actually was, no longer counts.

That single change does not narrow the original exemption. It widens it.

• Crimes against minors age 14 to 17 remain exempted. The specific carve-out is gone by name, but the conduct it covered, non-forcible sodomy, oral copulation, and sexual penetration of a 14-to-17-year-old, is a Tier 1 offense. It still falls outside the bill’s new definition.
• Sex crimes against disabled victims are now exempted. Non-forcible sodomy and sexual penetration of a victim who cannot legally consent because of a mental disorder or a developmental or physical disability are Tier 2 offenses and fall below the bill’s new threshold.
• Under certain circumstances, so do sex crimes against children under 10. A first-time, non-forcible conviction for molesting a child under 14, which includes children under 10, is a Tier 2 offense and no longer disqualifies a candidate under the bill’s new language, unless the act specifically involved intercourse, sodomy, oral copulation, or penetration, which remain covered under a separate, Tier 3 statute.

“We asked this Assemblywoman Addis in June to send this bill back to the form the Assembly passed unanimously. Instead, she took the exemption we objected to, deleted the sentence that named it, and buried the same result inside a much bigger loophole,” said CFC Vice President Burt. “Sex crimes against 14 to 17-year-olds are still exempted. Now sex crimes against people with disabilities are exempted too. And under the right circumstances, so is molesting a child under 14. This bill was supposed to keep sex offenders out of public office. As written, it tells some of them they’re still welcome to run.”

Call to Action

The Senate could vote on AB 2691 as early as tomorrow morning. California Family Council urges senators to vote no on the bill as currently written and urges Californians to contact their state senator today.

About California Family Council

California Family Council works to advance God’s design for life, family, and liberty through California’s Church, Capitol, and Culture. By advocating for policies that reinforce the sanctity of life, the strength of traditional marriages, and the essential freedoms of religion, CFC is dedicated to preserving California’s moral and social foundation.

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APPENDIX: Affected Crimes, With Penal Code Citations

This list is limited to items independently confirmed against the text of Penal Code section 290, subdivisions (d)(1) through (d)(3), and Penal Code section 667.5(c). Additional items appear in supplemental research from a California State Senate office; those are not included here pending independent confirmation.

No Longer Disqualifying: Tier 1 Offenses (10-Year Registration)

Penal Code 286(b) — sodomy, non-forcible, victim under 18

Penal Code 287(b), or former 288a(b) — oral copulation, non-forcible, victim under 18

Penal Code 289(h) and (i) — sexual penetration by foreign object, non-forcible, victim under 18

Penal Code 289.5 — fleeing to California to avoid prosecution or custody for a registerable sex offense committed in another state (misdemeanor)

No Longer Disqualifying: Tier 2 Offenses (20-Year Registration)

Penal Code 285 — incest

Penal Code 286(g) — sodomy of a victim who cannot legally consent due to a mental disorder or a developmental or physical disability

Penal Code 286(c)(1) — sodomy of a victim under 14, where the offender is more than 10 years older, without force

Penal Code 288(a) — a lewd or lascivious act on a child under 14, first offense, without force. This is California’s basic child molestation statute.

Penal Code 288.3 — contacting a minor with intent to commit a felony, specifically when the underlying intent was to violate 286(b), 287(b), or 289(h)/(i)

Penal Code 289(b) — sexual penetration of a victim who cannot legally consent due to a mental disorder or a developmental or physical disability

Penal Code 647.6 — annoying or molesting a child, second or subsequent offense

Still Disqualifying: Tier 3 Offenses (Lifetime Registration)

Penal Code 236.1(c) — human trafficking of a minor for a commercial sex act

Penal Code 266h(b) — aggravated pimping of a minor

Penal Code 266i(b) — aggravated pandering of a minor

Penal Code 266j — procuring a child under 16 for a lewd act

Penal Code 269 — aggravated sexual assault of a child

Penal Code 286(c)(2) and (d) — forcible sodomy of a child under 14, including in concert

Penal Code 287(c) and (d), or former 288a — forcible oral copulation of a child under 14, including in concert

Penal Code 288(b) — a lewd act on a child under 14 committed by force

Penal Code 288(c) — a lewd act on a 14- or 15-year-old, where the offender is at least 10 years older

Penal Code 288.2 — sending harmful matter to a minor with intent to seduce, felony

Penal Code 288.3 — contacting a minor with intent to commit a felony, except when the intent was to violate 286(b), 287(b), or 289(h)/(i)

Penal Code 288.5 — continuous sexual abuse of a child

Penal Code 288.7 — sexual intercourse, sodomy, oral copulation, or sexual penetration with a child age 10 or younger

Penal Code 289(a) — forcible sexual penetration

Penal Code 653f(c) — soliciting another person to commit rape, sodomy, oral copulation, or a lewd act on a child

A felony sentenced to a mandatory life term under Penal Code 667.61 (“One Strike” law)

Designation as a habitual sex offender under Penal Code 667.71

A second, separately tried conviction under Penal Code 288(a)

Sources: California Penal Code section 290, subdivisions (d)(1) through (d)(3), and Penal Code section 667.5(c), both available at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.

Deadline is Wed. Aug 12 at 5:00 p.m.

By Allen D. Payton

In the elections for the two seats on the Antioch School Board, the race for Area 5 Trustee is set as of last Friday, while the filing period for Area 2 Trustee has been extended until Wednesday, Aug. 12th at 5:00 p.m. because incumbent Dr. Jag Lathan did not seek re-election.

In Trustee Area 5, incumbent Mary Rocha will face only one opponent, Brandon Dawkins, as Brandon William Lawson did not complete the filing process. As previously reported, according to his campaign Facebook page and his campaign website, Dawkins is a “Healthcare Worker, Labor and Community Organizer” and “a father of five, with four of his children attending Antioch Unified schools.” His campaign slogan is “Whole Student, Whole Community.”

In Trustee Area 2, Oakley resident Roxanne Reece so far faces no opponent. But because the incumbent didn’t file to run for re-election by last Friday’s deadline, the filing period has been extended five days until 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12th.

According to Reece’s campaign Facebook page she is a “Parent, Advocate, Community Voice” and is “Committed to students, families, educators, accountability and a stronger future for Antioch schools.” A portion of Oakley is within the Antioch School District boundaries.

To run, candidates must live within the Trustee Area, acquire nomination papers at and submit them to the Contra Costa Elections office, 555 Escobar Street in Martinez. Interested candidates can schedule an appointment by emailing candidate.services@vote.cccounty.us or by calling (925) 335-7800. Walk-ins are accepted, but service is subject to the availability of staff. Appointments are available on weekdays from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Filing documents and information will be provided to interested constituents at their appointment. The process takes approximately 20 minutes. For more information visit www.contracostavote.gov/elections/candidates-campaigns-measures/run-for-office.

The election is Tuesday, November 3rd.

Third-time rematches in both council campaigns

By Allen D. Payton

With the close of filing on Friday, August 7, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., according to Appointed City Clerk Michael Mandy, all those who pulled nomination papers, except for Diane Gibson-Gray, have filed them to run for the Antioch City Council. Incumbent Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker will face former Antioch Councilwoman and School Board Trustee Joy Motts for a third time in District 1 and incumbent Monica Wilson will face three challengers in the race for District 4. Gibson-Gray announced earlier Friday in a letter to the editor she will not be running in District 1, again.

Torres-Walker defeated Motts who ran for re-election in 2020, then Motts lost again to Torres-Walker in 2022 by just four votes following a recount.

Former Antioch Police Crime Prevention Commission Chair Sandra White will run for a third time against Wilson, having also run in 2020 and 2022. First-time council candidates Andrew Becker, a local homeless advocate and regular public speaker at council meetings, as well as Metty Mathews Alappat have also entered the race. According to her LinkedIn page, Alappat was a Senior Technical Account Manager for Amazon Web Services until July 2025.

Wilson is running for a fifth term, or a rather fourth-and-a-half term. She was first elected in 2012, then re-elected in 2016, then re-elected in 2020 for a two-year term following the City’s move to district elections, and again re-elected in 2022 for another full, four-year term.

Mandy will not face an opponent in the City Clerk’s race and will be elected for the two remaining years of the four-year term. He was appointed in September 2025 following the sudden departure two months earlier of Melissa Rhodes, who was elected in November 2024.

The election is Tuesday, November 3rd.

“This isn’t stepping away from the fight for accountability in Antioch.” – Diane Gibson-Gray

To the Editor:

In 2022, I ran for Antioch City Council, District 1, because I believe in serving the greater good of this community. That race came down to four votes — Tamisha Torres-Walker’s margin of victory over Joy Motts. I finished just 128 votes behind Torres-Walker myself.

I’ve thought hard about what that result actually tells us. Together, Joy and I represented roughly 60% of the vote in that race. We split it, and a three-vote margin decided the outcome for all of District 1.

I fully intended to run again in 2026. My commitment to fiscal accountability and transparent government in Antioch hasn’t wavered. My reason for running was, and always has been, the greater good — making sound decisions for District 1 and for Antioch as a whole.

Yesterday, Joy Motts and I had a conversation about the race. We talked through the reasons each of us is qualified to serve, and the reasons we each felt called to run. The call ended the same way it began, with both of us still in the race.

I’ve seen comments on social media about vote-splitting, and I’ve had conversations with valued friends and family who share that concern. After a great deal of thought, I’ve decided to withdraw — for the greater good. Joy Motts and I have real differences in experience, style and approach, and in many ways have similar ideas and values. District 1 voters deserve to hear those differences clearly, head-to-head with Tamisha Torres-Walker, not blurred across a three-way field.

This isn’t stepping away from the fight for accountability in Antioch — it’s making sure that fight is decided by voters, not by how the numbers happen to fall. I’ll continue doing the work I’ve always done in this community, watching the budgets and asking hard questions, from outside the ballot box this time.

I wish both candidates a hard-fought, honest campaign. District 1 deserves nothing less. The outcome is theirs to decide.

Finally, I want to thank everyone who signed my nomination papers, and everyone who encouraged and supported me along the way. Your belief in me and in this community means more than I can say.

Sincerely,

Diane Gibson-Gray

Antioch, CA

By Allen D. Payton

In the race for the Antioch School Board, as of Tuesday, August 4, 2026, Area 2 incumbent Dr. Jag Lathan has not yet pulled nomination papers to run for re-election and Area 5 incumbent Mary Rocha has. Only one candidate, Roxanne Reece, has filed to run for Area 2 Trustee and two potential challengers have also pulled papers to run for Area 5 Trustee.

They include Brandon William Lawson and Brandon Kenyetta Dawkins. But none of the three in that Area have filed papers which are due by this Friday, August 7 at 5:00 p.m. If Lathan does not run for a second term, the filing period for Area 2 is extended until Wednesday, Aug. 13th at 5:00 p.m.

According to her Roxanne Reece for Antioch School Board campaign Facebook page, she is a “Parent, Advocate, Community Voice” and is “Committed to students, families, educators, accountability, and a stronger future for Antioch schools.”

According to his campaign Facebook page at facebook.com/bdawkinsforantioch, and his campaign website, bdawkinsforantioch.com, Dawkins is a “Healthcare Worker, Labor and Community Organizer” and “a father of five, with four of his children attending Antioch Unified schools.” His campaign slogan is “Whole Student, Whole Community.”

Rocha hasn’t yet updated her campaign Facebook page, facebook.com/MaryRocha4Antioch, for this year’s race and doesn’t have a campaign website yet. No website or social media for Lawson could be found.

The trustee terms last four years.

To run, candidates must live within the Trustee Area, acquire nomination papers at and submit them to the Contra Costa Elections office, 555 Escobar Street in Martinez. Interested candidates can schedule an appointment by emailing candidate.services@vote.cccounty.us or by calling (925) 335-7800. Walk-ins are accepted, but service is subject to the availability of staff. Appointments are available on weekdays from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Filing documents and information will be provided to interested constituents at their appointment. The process takes approximately 20 minutes. For more information visit www.contracostavote.gov/elections/candidates-campaigns-measures/run-for-office.

The election is Tuesday, November 3rd.

To hold nomination papers signing event Thursday

By Allen D. Payton

In a post on her campaign Facebook page on July 26, 2026, former Antioch councilwoman and school board trustee, Joy Motts, announced a third run for city council against District 1 incumbent Tamisha Torres-Walker. Her slogan is, “A Fierce Advocate for Antioch.”

The post reads, “It’s official! Joy Motts is running for Antioch City Council, District 1. A fierce advocate for Antioch, Joy is committed to building a safer, stronger and thriving community for everyone. She’s ready to lead, listen and work hard for all District 1 residents. Choose Joy. Choose progress. Choose a brighter future for District 1.”

Motts also posted a video announcing her campaign in which she said, ““I’m ready to lead and to listen and to work hard.”

Motts previously served on the Antioch City Council from 2016-2020 and the Antioch School Board from 2010-214. She lost her re-election bid against Torres-Walker in 2020, then lost again in 2022 challenge by just four votes following a recount.

Motts also announced a “Tacos with Joy” nomination papers signing event to be held tomorrow, Thursday, July 30th, at Celia’s Mexican Restaurant, where residents can “learn more about her vision for a safer, stronger and thriving District 1.”

The candidate has also served the community as the long-time president of the Celebrate Antioch Foundation which organizes events throughout the city, each year and has led the effort for the RiverTown Square event center project proposed for the former Antioch Lumber Company lot in downtown.

For more information about Motts and her campaign visit her website, which has not yet been updated for this year, at https://joymotts.org.

UPDATE 1: So far, she is one of two potential challengers in the race for the election on Tuesday, Nov. 3rd. Former Antioch School Board Trustee Diane Gibson-Gray announced on her personal Facebook page on July 25 that she too had pulled papers for a second run to replace Torres-Walker. The incumbent has yet to announce a run for re-election but the website from her last campaign is still up as does Gibson-Gray. UPDATE 2: However, Gibson-Gray later shared that she had actually posted on the home page of her website seven months ago, “Diane Gibson-Gray Antioch City Council District 1 November 2026.”

As of Wednesday, July 29th all three have pulled nomination papers yet none have yet filed them. The filing period closes at 5:00 p.m. Friday, August 7, 2026.

Could face three challengers so far

By Allen D. Payton

Antioch District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson announced on her official Facebook page, Tuesday, July 28, 2026, that she will run for a fifth term. First elected in 2012, she is currently the longest-serving member of the council. Wilson, currently in her fourth, or rather third-and-a-half term as she was re-elected in 2016, then in 2020 for a two-year term following the City’s move to district elections, then again in 2022 for another full, four-year term.

Wilson also posted the above campaign flier with the slogan, “Proven Experience. Trusted Leadership.”

In her announcement Wilson wrote, “I’m proud to announce that I am running for re-election to the Antioch City Council.

“Antioch is at a critical moment. We face real challenges, but we also have important opportunities to strengthen our neighborhoods, support families, and build a more stable and resilient local economy.

“As your Councilmember, I have always believed in collaborative leadership, transparent decision-making, and practical solutions that deliver real results for Antioch residents. I’m proud of the work we have done together, and I know there is more work ahead.

“When I was first elected, I made history as Antioch’s first African American woman to serve on the City Council. Today, I remain just as committed to serving this community with integrity, experience, and a deep belief in Antioch’s future.

“I’m running for re-election because Antioch needs steady, proven leadership focused on results, stability, and long-term progress.

“I would be honored to continue serving the residents of District 4 and working every day to move Antioch forward.”

UPDATE: The election for council districts 1 and 4 will be on Tuesday, Nov. 3rd. So far, Wilson faces one potential opponent, former Antioch Police Crime Prevention Commission Chair Sandra White, who announced her third campaign against Wilson, local homeless advocate Andrew Becker and newcomer Metty Mathews Alappat, neither of whom have announced nor yet have websites or social media for their campaigns. According to her LinkedIn page, Alappat was a Senior Technical Account Manager for Amazon Web Services until July 2025. All four have pulled nomination papers but none of the four have filed as of Wednesday, July 29th. The filing period closes at 5:00 p.m. Friday, August 7, 2026.