Public informed today in meeting agenda for City Council which will discuss filling vacancy created by Melissa Rhodes less than one year into her position – in April election or appointment until Nov. 2026 election.

“There are some things to learn from this and we’ll correct it.” – Mayor Pro Tem Louie Rocha

UPDATE: Freitas says a draft press release was prepared but it announced a special election this November

By Allen D. Payton

After less than a year in her new position Antioch City Clerk Melissa Rhodes resigned effective immediately on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, without explanation or announcing it to the public. Instead, it was revealed in the City Council meeting agenda for next Tuesday, which was issued today, Friday, August 8, 2025.

According to the City staff report for the item, #3 on the agenda, “Ms. Rhodes submitted her written resignation on July 30, 2025. The City Council must accordingly take action to fill the vacant council seat by no later than September 30, 2025. Effectively, this means final action must be taken by the Council’s second September meeting on September 23, 2025.”

In her letter Rhodes wrote without explanation:

“July 30, 2025

Dear Mayor and City Council Members,

I hereby resign effective July 30, 2025 from the seat of the City Clerk for the City of Antioch.

It has been my honor serving the constituents of the City of Antioch. I am hoping for the continued success of the City.

Respectfully,

Melissa Rhodes”

———-

The City staff report also explained, “As noted, the Council may appoint the vacant position. To ensure a fair and transparent process, the City Council may choose to solicit applications from interested individuals and conduct interviews to determine the most qualified candidate. The City Council may also consider input from the public and other stakeholders during the appointment process. The appointment would need to occur in the open session of a City Council meeting.

“But there is an important qualification. Because Ms. Rhodes has resigned during the first year of her term, the appointment would only be effective for the first half of her term. In other words, the appointment would only last through the end of next year. A special election would need to be called during the November 2026 General Election and the appointment term would end once the results of that election are certified.

“The vacant City Clerk position may also be filled by the calling of a special election” and for the City of Antioch, “the next election date is April 14, 2026.”

Efforts to reach Rhodes asking why she resigned and why she didn’t announce it to the public, since they’re the ones who elected her were unsuccessful prior to publication time.

Attempts to reach Mayor Ron Bernal, District 3 Councilman Don Freitas, City Manager Bessie Scott, Jaden Baird, the City’s Public Information Officer late Friday afternoon, asking why she resigned and why it wasn’t immediately announced to the public, also were initially unsuccessful.

However, when reached for comment about why there was no public announcement the day she resigned Mayor Pro Tem and District 2 Councilman Louie Rocha said, “I’m not sure if there was a press release. We all (council members) got notification. I think I first saw it on August 1st.”

“I don’t know about the protocol procedures of what former councils have done with such vacancies. It’s the first time I’ve been in this seat as an elected official dealing with this,” he shared and pointed out, “We have a public information officer.”

“If you’ve been watching you saw she didn’t attend the last couple of meetings,” Rocha continued. “I wasn’t aware of her reasons. There must have been something going on behind the scenes.”

“The last meeting the city clerk from Clayton stepped in to help us and at another meeting the County Clerk helped out,” he stated.

“Ron, Don and I coming in are all about transparency. There are some things to learn from this and we’ll correct it,” Rocha added.

Freitas Says Council Received Resignation Letter from Rhodes via Text, Press Release was Prepared

UPDATE: Later, when asked why the public wasn’t informed immediately of Rhodes’ resignation Freitas said, “I have no idea. The first time I learned about it was on Facebook. I got a text later on July 30th from Melissa with her resignation letter.”

“The first thing I received from Bessie was on August 1st. She was basically telling the council of a draft release ‘for your review,’” the councilman continued. “The prepared press release read, ‘The City of Antioch will hold a special election on November 4th.’”

“That was not her decision,” he stated. “I immediately told her this is a policy matter that should be on the next City Council meeting agenda for discussion.”

“My bias is not to have a special election because of the costs, and the City Council should open it up for application and appointment for about one year,” Freitas added.

He said the press release also mentioned Assistant City Clerk Christina Garcia will serve in the interim position.

UPDATE: City Manager Scott responded later with, “We added this topic to our meeting on this upcoming Tuesday, August 12th as an emergency addition. Given that there needs to be a council discussion to vote on how to proceed, we felt that it was more transparent to have this discussion in public.

We had to wait on this due to summer absences among Council and Staff. Internally our staffing levels are being increased within the Clerk’s Office as well, so the Council will also discuss who should be Acting City Clerk for now when we meet on Tuesday.”

The Council’s regular meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at 200 H Street in historic, downtown Rivertown. It can also be viewed via livestream on the City’s website, on Comcast local access cable channel 24 or on AT&T U-verse channel 99. See the complete meeting agenda packet.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

1 Civil Engineer, 1 Electrical Engineer and 1 Certified Public Accountant

By San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District

BART is recruiting volunteer candidates to fill three vacant seats on the Measure RR Bond Oversight Committee. The committee provides diligent and public oversight of the expenditure of funds from bond sales associated with Measure RR, which is a $3.5 billion bond measure approved by BART District voters in 2016 to rebuild the system’s core infrastructure. Members of the Bond Oversight Committee represent a diversity of expertise, geography, and demographic characteristics. BART is looking for candidates to fill the electrical engineer, civil engineer, and Certified Public Accountant seats on the committee. All committee members are unpaid volunteers. 

Candidates must live in either Alameda County, Contra Costa County or San Francisco City and County.

About Measure RR

Voters approved Measure RR, a $3.5 billion bond, in November 2016. The bond proceeds fund a portfolio of projects including replacing 90 miles of severely worn tracks, repair tunnels damaged by water intrusion and upgrade the aging train control system. Learn more at bart.gov/rebuilding/projects.

About the Committee

The independent Measure RR Bond Oversight Committee consists of five professionals in the areas of engineering, auditing, public finance, construction project management, and two members from the League of Women Voters. Learn more at bart.gov/bondoversight.

Committee Responsibilities

Members of the Committee are responsible for the following:

• Assess how bond proceeds are spent.

• Assess that work is completed in a timely, cost effective and quality manner.

• Communicate its findings and recommendations to the public.

• Publish an annual report.

Time Commitment

The minimum time commitment is about 10 to 15 hours per year. There are typically four in person meetings annually, which are open to the public

Compensation

Committee members are volunteers. However, BART will compensate members for their travel on BART to and from meetings.

INTERESTED?

Contact Rachel Russell at (510) 418-0859 or measurerrcommittee@bart.gov to discuss next steps.

DEADLINE

Friday, August 15, 2025, 5pm Pacific Time. Submit cover letter and resume to Rachel Russell for consideration.

Learn more about applying here.

CCC Deputy Sheriff’s contribute $50K; Antioch Police Officers Association explains reasons for $5,000 contribution

By Allen D. Payton

In a post on Facebook on Monday, July 28, 2025, the Becton for DA campaign surprisingly announced new support for her recall from the Deputy Sheriff’s Association and two other “major law enforcement associations.” According to recall organizer Gwynn Gabe the other two are the Antioch Police Officers Association (APOA) and Concord Police Officers Association.

“She’s been keeping track of the people who are giving us money,” he added.

The post by “Team Becton” reads “They’ve launched their attack. Now it’s our turn,” in the header with the statement below:

“The recall against District Attorney Diana Becton just escalated.

Three major law enforcement associations, including the Contra Costa County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, just poured tens of thousands into the recall effort—including a single $50,000 donation. Even more telling? They’ve hired the strategist behind the recalls of DAs in San Francisco and Alameda County.

This isn’t just a warning. This is a coordinated, well-funded effort to undo the will of the voters and take Contra Costa backwards.

But here’s the truth they don’t want you to remember: we’ve already won twice. And with your help, we will again, because here’s what they’re underestimating: you. Us. This community.

This is not the time to sit back. We need you on the front lines —because what’s at stake is bigger than any one election. It’s about protecting real public safety solutions, and standing up to those who want to take us backward. DA Becton has stood up for equity, justice, and real public safety. Now we must stand up for her.”

It then offers ways for opponents of the recall to “Take Action Now” including volunteering and donating through the Act Blue campaign fundraising website for Democrats currently under investigation for possible fraudulent political contributions.

The APOA Board issued the following statement about their contribution of $5,000 to the campaign to recall Becton: “The APOA was approached by members of the recall movement who asked if we would be willing to support them in their efforts to recall the DA. After careful consideration, we agreed as a board to support this endeavor in hopes that this would ultimately lead to a more transparent DA’s office that holds criminals accountable and keeps our streets safe. Whatever the outcome, we know the officers represented by the APOA will continue to work hard to keep our community safe and have a great working relationship with the DA’s office.”

Recall organizers have until 5:00 PM on Thursday, September 25, 2025, to submit 72,556 valid signatures to qualify the effort for the ballot.

The Contra Costa Taxpayers Association (CoCoTax) invites you to attend a Board and Members Meeting Meeting at Denny’s Restaurant at 1313 Willow Pass Road, Concord, on Friday June 27, 2025, at 11:45 am. Please register in advance on the CoCoTax website where you can pay online or bring cash or check on Friday and pay at the door: $25 for members, $30 for guests.

MEET OUR SPEAKER: SENECA SCOTT

Seneca Scott moved to Oakland in 2012 to work as the East Bay Director for SEIU Local 1021, representing and negotiating improvements to wages and working conditions for thousands of workers in East Bay cities, most notably Oakland. He also co-founded community groups Bottoms Up Community Gardens and Oakhella.

In 2020, Seneca ran for City Council to bring a voice to his neighbors that he felt was being ignored.

His Neighbors Together movement has since exploded across the city, demanding accountability from its Mayor and City Council.

He later led the successful effort to recall Mayor Sheng Thao and started the YouTube channel Gotham Oakland. He also frequently posts on X about the failures of Oakland’s progressive leadership.

Seneca has worked as a Labor leader and community organizer for over 20 years. He earned his B.S. from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

Oakland’s Crisis and Its Implications for Other Cities and Counties

Despite levying high taxes, Oakland suffers from high crime, business closures, blight, and uncontrolled homeless encampments. The City has also faced repeated fiscal crises in recent years.

As Seneca will discuss, the explanations for Oakland’s problems include public corruption and the dominance of a progressive ideology which sounds noble but does a disservice to most residents.

We’ll also learn what lessons Oakland’s troubles might hold for neighboring cities, and whether we in Contra Costa County have anything to worry about

June 27, 2025  11:45 AM – 1:10 PM

Denny’s, 1313 Willow Pass Road, Concord

Registration

• Member – $25.00
• Non-Member – $30.00

www.cocotax.org/event-6189658/Registration

Paid advertisement

Says she “has taken bold actions to protect our communities” recall “misrepresents her record”

Recall supporters claim Becton “publicly opposed Proposition 36”; “failed to provide the justice” and for “disgraceful treatment of…families of…crime victims”

By Allen D. Payton

Although she had seven days to respond to being served with recall papers on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2025, just four days later, on March 21, 2025, Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton provided her answer to the effort against her

She signed the letter written in third person which reads:

“The recall against DA Becton is an effort to undermine the will of the people of Contra Costa County. In 2018 and 2022, the voters decisively chose DA Becton because they agreed with and trust her steadfast dedication to public safety, fairness, and justice for all.

DA Becton has taken bold actions to protect our communities – aggressively prosecuting violent offenders, addressing organized retail theft, human trafficking, hate crimes, and eliminating backlogs of untested sexual assault kits. Becton expanded victim support services and pioneered proactive crime prevention programs, to reduce crime before it happens. This recall is not about safety – it’s a politically motivated attack that misrepresents her record and undermines the will of Contra Costa voters. DA Becton’s approach balances accountability with smart, evidence-based policies that reduce crime and keep our neighborhoods safe. DA Becton remains committed to justice, transparency, and creating communities where all residents can thrive. We urge you to reject the recall and stand with DA Becton in continuing to build a safer, more just Contra Costa County. NO on the recall. Let’s move forward together.

Diana Becton

—————-

Although not a required step in the process, in response to Becton’s answer, recall supporters sent the following letter to her, today, signed by Gwyn Gabe, the father of Alexis Gabe, the young Oakley woman who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 2022:

April 15, 2025

Dear District Attorney Diana Becton,

This letter serves as our response to your Answer to our Notice of Intent to Recall you from office.

Your claim that the Recall is a politically motivated attack against you is false. I am a democrat, just as you are, and I even voted for you when you ran for District Attorney in 2017. I believed that you would excel as the District Attorney of Contra Costa County, but you have proven that not to be true. The recall effort against you is not about your political affiliation; it is solely focused on your abysmal performance in office. Your failure to enforce our laws has increased crime and endangered our community.

You publicly opposed Proposition 36 which created felony accountability for drug and theft offenses, proving your troubling alignment with criminal interests. Proposition 36 was passed in Contra Costa County by an overwhelming majority of the voters. Clearly, your policies which encouraged crime are not in line with the will of the voters in Contra Costa County. Additionally, your lack of transparency concerning crime rates in our county and your efforts to keep criminals out of jail to commit more crimes have left many residents disillusioned. We stand with crime victims who have been victimized during your administration, who are frustrated with the lack of accountability for criminals, and who are hopeless in their quest for justice. And we stand with the business owners who face rampant on-going thefts and burglaries from repeat offenders while you ignore the issue.

Your disgraceful treatment of my family, and the families of other crime victims, violated our constitutional Marsy’s Law Rights and failed to provide the justice we rightfully deserve. However, our decision to pursue this recall is not driven by a desire for revenge. Our only goal is to ensure that you are removed from office and prevented from continuing to deny justice to other families in the future.  We deserve a District Attorney who shows compassion for victims while holding criminals accountable for their actions.  We stand united to ensure that your time in office comes to an end.

Sincerely,

Gwyn Gabe

(Father of Alexis Gabe)

Organizer & Proponent for the Recall of District Attorney Diana Becton

Process

According to the California Secretary of State’s Procedures for Recalling State and Local Officials, the next step in the recall process for local officials requires the proponents to prepare the recall petition for circulation.

Recall organizers said, “we expect to learn this week whether our second submission of the Petition to Recall has been approved, allowing us to begin collecting signatures.”

Once the petition is approved, the organizers will then have 160 days to gather about 730,000 signatures of registered voters in the county. (See related article)

By Gail Murray, League of Women Voters

Americans feel concerned about the growing partisanship in our country and the difficulty it has created in communicating with one another. Join a Community Conversation webinar on February 20, 2025, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. titled Bridging the Gap through Respectful Conversation.

People are looking for tools to help them have civil and respectful conversations with one another. Expert panelists will offer resources, skills, and opportunities for individuals to help build bridges across divides in our families, communities, and country.

· Ellie Sears, Braver Angels organization
· Dick Patterson, Braver Angels organization
· Kristin Connelly, Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Registrar
· Cheryl Graeves, National Institute for Civil Discourse

Register for the webinar here: https://ccclib.bibliocommons.com/events/678976d6018bbb1c3de19a17

Information on how to access the Zoom webinar will be sent to your email address 24 hours before the program. Audience questions will be collected and answered through the Zoom chat.

The Library will provide closed captioning and simultaneous Spanish translation for this event. The program will be recorded and posted on the following sites after the meeting: Contra Costa County Library YouTube channel or https://www.youtube.com/c/LeagueofWomenVotersofDiabloValley.

Sponsors include the League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley, the League of Women Voters of West Contra Costa County, the Contra Costa County Library and Contra Costa TV.

Contact programs@lwvdv.org for more information.

Last of three voter-approved increases takes effect Jan. 1st; failed in Contra Costa

BATA board also voted last week to increase tolls to $11.50 by 2030 for bridge maintenance and repairs

By John Goodwin, Assistant Director of Communications & Rebecca Long, Director, Legislation & Public Affairs, Metropolitan Transportation Commission

The Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) reminds drivers that tolls at the region’s seven state-owned toll bridges will go up by $1 next Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. This will be the third of the three $1 toll increases approved by the California Legislature in 2017 through state Senate Bill 595 and by voters through Regional Measure 3 (RM3) in June 2018 which passed by 55.07% to 44.93%. The first of these toll hikes went into effect on Jan. 1, 2019, and the second on Jan. 1, 2022. It funds $4.45 billion slate of highway and transit improvements but did not include bridge maintenance and repairs.

Regular tolls for two-axle cars and trucks (as well as for motorcycles) at the Antioch, San Francisco-Oakland Bay, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael and San Mateo-Hayward bridges will rise to $8 from the current $7 on Jan. 1, 2025.

Tolls for vehicles with three or more axles also will rise by $1 on Jan. 1, 2025, at all seven of the state-owned toll bridges: to $18 for three axles, $23 for four-axles, $28 for five axles, $33 for six axles, and $38 for combinations with seven or more axles.

Contra Costa Voters Opposed Ballot Measure

According to Ballotpedia, RM3 raised bridge tolls in the Bay Area—excluding tolls for the Golden Gate Bridge—by $3 over six years to fund the Bay Area Traffic Relief Plan, including a $4.5 billion slate of transportation projects. It was on the ballot for voters in the city and county of San Francisco and the following counties: Contra Costa, Alameda, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma.

Voters in two of the counties most affected by the bridge tolls rejected RM3. The vote in Contra Costa County was 44.54% opposed to 55.465 in favor and Solano County voters overwhelmingly opposed it 30.03% to 69.97%. But voters in the other seven counties approved the measure. Alameda County where voters and commuters are also most affected by bridge toll increases passed RM3 by 53.89% to 46.11% The vote margin was closest in Napa County, where voters approved the measure 50.7 percent to 49.3 percent.

Regional Measure 3 continues the peak-period toll discount for motorcycles, qualifying carpools and qualifying clean-air vehicles crossing any of the state-owned toll bridges on weekdays from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The discounted toll will rise to $4 on Jan. 1 from the current $3.50. To qualify for this discount, carpoolers, motorcyclists and drivers of clean-air vehicles must use FasTrak^® to pay their tolls electronically and must use a designated carpool lane at each toll plaza.

Senate Bill 595 and Regional Measure 3 also established a 50-cent toll discount for two-axle vehicles crossing more than one of the state-owned toll bridges during weekday commute hours of 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. To be eligible for the toll discount, which is to be applied to the second toll crossing of the day, motorists must pay their tolls electronically with FasTrak^®. Carpools, motorcycles and qualifying clean-air vehicles making a second peak-period toll crossing in a single day will qualify for an additional 25-cent discount off the already-discounted carpool toll. 

New FasTrak^® customers can obtain toll tags at Costco warehouse stores and select Walgreens stores around Northern California. A complete list of participating locations — as well as an online enrollment and registration feature — is available on the FasTrak^® Web site at bayareafastrak.org. Customers also may enroll in the FasTrak^® program by phone at 1-877-229-8655; by calling 511 and asking for “FasTrak” at the first prompt; or in person at the FasTrak^® customer service center at 375 Beale Street in San Francisco. FasTrak^® can be used in all lanes at all Bay Area toll plazas. 

Major projects in the Regional Measure 3 expenditure plan include improvements to State Route 37 in the North Bay, freeway interchange improvements in Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano counties, the purchase of more new BART cars, extension of the BART system from Berryessa to downtown San Jose and Santa Clara, extension of the Caltrain corridor to the Salesforce Transit Center in downtown San Francisco, expansion of Muni’s transit vehicle fleet, expansion of San Francisco Bay Ferry service and more frequent transbay bus service, an improved connection between northbound U.S. 101 and the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge in Marin County, upgrades to the Dumbarton Bridge corridor, and extension of the SMART rail system to Windsor and Healdsburg in Sonoma County.

In Addition to Recently Approved Toll Hikes Beginning Jan. 1, 2026

The Regional Measure 3 toll hike that takes effect next week is separate from the 50 cents per year toll hikes approved by BATA earlier this month, which will be phased in over five years, beginning Jan. 1, 2026, to pay for the maintenance, rehabilitation and operation of the seven state-owned toll bridges. It will increase tolls by 2030 to $11.50 for those who don’t use FasTrak and $10.50 for those who do. BATA this month also approved updates to the policies for high-occupancy vehicles on approaches to the state-owned bridges, which will similarly go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026. (See related article)

BATA, which is directed by the same policy board as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), administers toll revenues from the Bay Area’s seven state-owned toll bridges. Toll revenues from the Golden Gate Bridge are administered by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, which joined with BATA to operate a single regional FasTrak^® customer service center in San Francisco. MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Vehicle towed

By Antioch Police Department

Would you look at that! Prop 36, VOTED ON BY YOU, is making immediate impacts on the community!

Yesterday, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, Target called 9-1-1 to report a sneaky thief was inside shoplifting! The man arrived in a white Escalade and was stealing multiple items inside the store! Officer Pedreira was quick on scene with a response time of 1 minute and 5 seconds! The would-be pilferer was located placing the stolen items in the vehicle! He was detained and thanks to Prop 36 and his history of theft, his misdemeanor is now a FELONY! He was transported and booked into jail!!

Last week, this habitual swindler’s five-finger-discount would have earned him a citation, today it earned him a Felony charge and a trip to jail!

We even took his car-to-car jail for its role in the crime!