Chooses former Antioch Councilman Tiscareno for Personnel Commission

By Allen Payton

At their meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018, the Antioch School Board welcomed two new members elected in November, Mary Rocha and Ellie Householder. Both held ceremonial oaths of office in front of the audience inside the Lone Tree Elementary School auditorium, as they had each been sworn in as new members previously, so they could participate in a closed session meeting earlier that evening.

Householder was first to take her ceremonial oath, with Antioch Councilman Lamar Thorpe swearing her in. She then introduced her family who was in attendance.

“My mother flew all the way from Arizona to be here tonight,” she said.

Former Antioch mayor, councilwoman and school board trustee Rocha held two ceremonies. First, with her son Louie Rocha, Jr., the principal of Antioch High School, administering her oath. She said she had asked State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson to swear her in, but he was late. When he showed up a few minutes later, Rocha had him give her the oath, again.

Following Rocha’s second ceremony, Torlakson said, “yay, you’re in again.”

Rocha introduced the rest of her family, including her husband Louie, Sr.  She mentioned her “40 years of friendship and working together” with Tom Torlakson.

Each new trustee was then seated on the dais and given the opportunity to speak

“I’m really excited about moving forward,” said Householder. “There’s a lot of positive momentum from the election.”

Rocha asked her family members to stand and thanked them, getting choked up as she spoke.

“I just want to thank everyone of you because each of you have done something special for me,” she said.

“This time I’m excited. I have three grandchildren going to school and my son who has never graduated,” Rocha added to laughter from the audience. “I will do my best for all of you. We will have disagreements, but it doesn’t mean we don’t care about each other.”

Tiscareno Chosen for Personnel Commission

The new board’s first major issue was to appoint a replacement for Rocha, who resigned on Dec. 7 following her election to the school board. Three people applied, including former Antioch Councilman Tony Tiscareno who lost for reelection in November, and Shagoofa Khan and Dr. Clyde Lewis, Jr. who were unsuccessful candidates for school board, also in the November election.

Khan did not show up for the public interview, so only Tiscareno and Lewis participated.in the question and answer process.

At the conclusion, the board voted 4-1, with Vice President Crystal Sawyer-White opposing, and Tiscareno was announced as the choice for the commission. However, a public hearing must be held in January, which was scheduled for the board meeting on the 23rd, “to provide the public, employees, and employee organizations the opportunity to express their views on the qualifications of the person recommended by the Board of Trustees for appointment. The Board at that time may make its appointment or may make a substitute appointment without further notification or public hearing. If the Board is unable to agree upon an appointment within thirty (30) days after the notification of the vacancy, the appointment to fill the unexpired term shall be made by the Superintendent of Public Instruction within thirty (30) days.”

By Allen Payton

Two Antioch council members were given their oaths of office Tuesday night, Dec. 11, 2018 and the top vote-getter in the November election became the city’s new Mayor Pro Tem. Joy Motts received the most votes in the council race, earning her the designation of Mayor Pro Tem for the next two years.

Before the ceremony began, outgoing Councilman Tony Tiscareno shared his thoughts and thanked those who supported him and applauded his fellow candidates for running a clean campaign on the issues.

“I appreciated serving with you,” said Mayor Sean Wright. “But most thanks go to your wife.”
Tiscareno responded, by saying to his wife, who was in the audience, “I do appreciate the sacrifices you’ve given to us, to me.”

“I was doing chores, today. She has plans for me. If the chores keep up, I may have to do something else,” he added with a laugh.

Tiscareno was then presented with his photo that hung on the wall inside the lobby of City Hall, as well as certificates honoring his public service from local, state and federal elected officials who represent Antioch.

First to take the oath was reelected Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock, administered by Antioch Police Chief Tammany Brooks. He daughter Audra Ogorchock and son Jared Ogorchock, who held the Bible upon which she placed her left hand, joined her.

“I’m going to keep this short,” Ogorchock said, after she was sworn in. “I want to thank my family. Everyone wants to know where my husband is. He’s at work.”

She thanked her son and daughter, as well.

“Thanks to all those who voted for me,” she continued.

Motts then took her oath of office, administered by her daughter Rachel Motts, who was deputized by City Clerk Arne Simonsen for the ceremony. John Moglia held the Bible on which Motts placed her left hand.

Following her oath, Ogorchock got choked up as she congratulated Motts.

Motts then said, “I’m absolutely thrilled to be here. I can’t believe it. I owe it all to people who believed in me.”

“I love Antioch,” she continued. “I was going to keep working with the community whether I was up here, or not.”

“I promise everyone I will give 150% to this community,” Motts stated. “I’m just really excited about going to work for you. We’re going to make this a fantastic place. If you want to reach out to me, I’m all about transparency, integrity and honesty.”

“I’m excited it’s predominantly a female council,” said Councilwoman Monica Wilson. “I’m just looking forward to the work that’s ahead of us. So, congratulations to you both.”

Wright then shared his thoughts.

“Tonight, is a fantastic evening,” he said. “I just want to say thank you for your passion and commitment to this community. We aren’t always going to agree one with another. But, the disagreements aren’t because we’re getting paid off. It’s because we love Antioch…and we choose what we feel is best. I know your heart is with Antioch and that you’ve served Antioch already all along. I congratulate you…on having the trust of the people, right here. I look forward to working with you.”

The council then underwent a reorganization, with Motts being elected, according to city ordinance, the Mayor Pro Tem.

Ogorchock moved and Wilson seconded the motion to appoint Motts the city’s new Mayor Pro Tem, replacing Councilman Lamar Thorpe who held the position for the past two years. It passed unanimously 4-0 as Thorpe was absent during the meeting.

The Antioch City Council will hold the oath of office ceremony for Council Member-elect Joy Motts and re-elected Council Member Lori Ogorchock, tonight, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the Antioch Council Chambers.

On her Facebook page, Motts posted on Monday, “I hope you can join me…Tuesday December 11th at 6pm at Antioch City Council Chambers where I will be sworn in as the newest member of the Antioch City Council and as top vote getter, Mayor Pro Tem. I am so excited and grateful to the voters of Antioch that supported me and I am honored to be your representative for the next two years. With honesty, integrity, passion and transparency, I will do my very best to make all of you proud of me and proud of our community!”

Following the ceremony and reorganization of the council, the new council members will get straight to business, including an increase of the authorization of police officers in the budget from the current 104 to 110, getting the city closer to the 111 promised in Measure C. In addition, the council will deal with authorizing an expenditure of almost $400,000 for an ad buy for the city’s rebranding effort. See full complete agenda, here: ACC121118

The council chambers are located at City Hall, 200 W. Third Street in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown.

By Paul Burgarino, Community Education and Engagement Specialist, Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department

Results from the November 6, 2018 General Election have been updated on the Contra Costa Elections website as of Friday, Nov. 16 at 2:07 P.M. You can view them here.

A couple of points of interest: voter turnout is now at 62.2 percent for this election. Also, the Contra Costa Elections Division has processed nearly 2.3 million ballot cards to this point.

The Elections Division estimates that there are about 10,000 Vote-By-Mail ballots left to process, along with 25,000 Provisionals and 1,000 Conditional Voter Registrations.

Our next scheduled results update is at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, November 21st.

Antioch Election Results

In the Antioch School Board race, Ellie Householder expanded her lead over former Antioch Mayor Jim Davis to 1,399 votes, securing her victory along with Mary Rocha. The former Antioch Mayor, Council Member and School Board Trustee, Rocha overwhelmingly took first place in the race, with 27.37% of the vote, so far and currently leads Householder by 3,945 votes.

In the Antioch City Council race, Council Member Lori Ogorchock leads fellow Council Member Tony Tiscareno by 1,575 votes. She trails former Antioch School Board Trustee Joy Motts who finished first, by 2,039 votes. As a result, Motts will be the city’s next Mayor Pro Tem.

Finally, the results for Antioch’s Measure W, which increased the city’s sales tax from a half- to one-percent, show it passing by 8,004 votes with 65.26% of the vote. That almost reaches the two-thirds requirement for a special tax to pass. Measure W is a general tax and only required a simple majority or 50% plus one vote to pass.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

By Paul Burgarino, Community Education and Engagement Specialist, Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department

Results from the November 6th General Election have been updated on the Contra Costa Elections website, as of Friday, Nov. 9th at 5:00 p.m. You can view the Update 1 here. The Contra Costa Elections Division has processed over 1.7 million ballot cards to this point.

Please note that the updated results are still unofficial.

The Elections Division estimates that there are about 82,000 Vote-By-Mail envelopes remaining to be counted, as well as 25,000 Provisionals and 1,000 Conditional Voter Registrations.

Our next scheduled update is at 5:00 pm on Friday, November 16th.

The Elections Department has 28 days to certify the election results. So, close races may not be decided until the beginning of December.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

By Allen Payton

It appears to be the Year of the Woman in Antioch elections. As of the Interim Update 3 Report from the Contra Costa County Elections Department at 11:10:39 PM PST, with 32% of the precincts reporting Antioch’s Measure W sales tax increase was passing overwhelmingly with 63.27% of the vote. In the council race, challenger Joy Motts was leading with 27.38% of the vote, trailed by incumbent Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock at 24.05%, with Councilman Tony Tiscareno in third place at 20.34%. In the Antioch School Board race, former Antioch mayor and school board member, Mary Rocha had a strong, first place lead with 26.84% of the vote and newcomer Ellie Householder in second place with a 189-vote lead over former Antioch mayor Jim Davis. (See all election results in the county, here).

Measure W

When reached for comment about Measure W, Mayor Sean Wright said “It looks positive, should things continue I thank the voters. I look forward to hiring more officers and improving Antioch’s quality of life throughout town.”

“With 17% reported, Measure W is passing at 62.77%,” he continued. “I am feeling extremely confident that this trend will continue.”

“Thank you to all the volunteers who put their time and energy into supporting this measure. Thank you to all of the voters for supporting this opportunity for Antioch. I promise that I will push the council to increase our police force, create more youth programs and hire more code enforcement personnel to make our community cleaner.”

Economic Development Commissioner Tim McCall, one of the organizers of the Yes on Measure W campaign, offered his thoughts on the success of the campaign.

“It’s the right thing to do,” he said. “I’m very proud of our residents for taking the time to understand what Measure W is and the willingness to invest their hard-earned money into helping Antioch reach its potential. There truly are great opportunities in Antioch’s future.”

Council Race

Ogorchock, who was celebrating election night with supporters at Celia’s Mexican Restaurant, said, “It’s not over, yet. Many votes are still left to be counted. City Clerk Arne Simonsen said there were 1,000 absentee ballots turned in at City Hall, today. We saw what happened in two years ago. So, it’s too soon to say.”

Motts who was celebrating with supporters at her home in the Rivertown area, said “Things look positive. We don’t know for sure, yet.”

Asked about her campaign, she said “I ran a grassroots campaign. I didn’t have a lot of money. They probably outspent me four or five times. But we really ran a good campaign.”

“I fought hard,” Motts continued. “Here’s the thing. I’m just all about a better Antioch. It’s not rocket science. You have to work hard, collaborate and do what we need to do to take us to the next level.”

“We have 115,000 people, we have incredible opportunities. We need to fight for that,” she said. “We have a beautiful waterfront. We have the new BART Station. Wilbur corridor, a deep-water port. Downtown, we’ve had plans that have come and gone.

“I’m all about putting our best practices in place. I’m not coming here thinking I have all the answers,” Motts shared. “What I have is the passion and dedication to put in the hard work to make a difference, and a resume of getting things done.”

Mayor Pro Tem Lamar Thorpe and Councilwoman Monica Wilson had a big night with the passage of Measure W, and two of the three candidates they backed for council and school board winning.

“I’m delighted that the good people of Antioch agreed with me and Councilwoman Wilson that we have to invest in public safety, before and after school programs and quality of life,” he said. “Ellie is neck and neck with Jim Davis.”

He said he thinks that she will end up winning.

“The big one is Joy Motts, having her come in as the top vote getter (in the council race),” Thorpe stated. “We look forward to supporting her and making sure she’s a successful Mayor Pro Tem.”

Absentee ballots will still be received by mail by the county Elections Department through Friday, and they have 28 days to certify the election. So, close races might not be decided for a few more weeks.

Please check back later for more details and updates.

Following are the latest finance reports for the Antioch City Council candidates who have raised and spent more than $2,000 during their campaigns, and for the Yes on Measure W campaign. Any contribution of $1,000 or more close to the election, has to be reported within 24 hours of receipt. The election is Tuesday, Nov. 6. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order of their last name:

Joy Motts for City Council

Form 460 – Citizens for Joy Motts 2018 1-1 thru 6-30-18

Form 460 1st Preelection – Joy Motts 2018

Form 460 2nd Preelection – Joy Motts 2018

Form 497 Report #1 – Joy Motts 2018

Lori Ogorchock for City Council

Form 460 – Lori Ogorchock for Mayor 2016 Part 1 – Semi-annual 1-1 to 6-30-18 rcvd 7-31-18

Form 460 – Lori Ogorchock for Mayor 2016 Part 2 – Semi-annual 1-1 to 6-30-18 rcvd 7-31-18

Form 497 Report #10 – Lori Ogorchock Antioch City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #9 – Lori Ogorchock Antioch City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #8 – Lori Ogorchock Antioch City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #7 – Lori Ogorchoch Antioch City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #6 – Lori Ogorchock Antioch City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #5 – Lori Ogorchock Antioch City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #4 – Lori Ogorchock Antioch City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #3 – Lori Ogorchock Antioch City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #2 – Lori Ogorchock Antioch City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #1 – Lori Ogorchock Antioch City Council 2018

Form 460 2nd Preelection – Lori Ogorchock Antioch City Council 2018

Form 460 1st Preelection – Lori Ogorchock Antioch City Council 2018

Tony Tiscareno for City Council

Form 460 – Semi-Annual Tony Tiscareno for City Council 2018 rcvd 7-30-18

Form 460 2nd Preelection – Tony Tiscareno for City Council 2018

Form 460 First Pre-Election rcvd 9-26-18 – Tony Tiscareno for City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #1 Tony Tiscareno for City Council 2018 rcvd 9-6-18

Form 497 Report #2 – Tony Tiscareno for City Council 2018 rcvd 9-11-18

Form 497 Report #3 – Tony Tiscareno for City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #4 – Tony Tiscareno for City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #5 – Tony Tiscareno for City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #6 – Tony Tiscareno for City Council 2018

Form 497 Report #7 – Tony Tiscareno for City Council 2018  

Yes on W Campaign

Form 410 Initial – Yes on Measure W

Form 410 SOS Copy – Yes on Measure W

Form 460 2nd Preelection – Yes on Measure W

Form 497 Report #1 – Yes on Measure W

Form 497 Report #2 – Yes on Measure W

Form 497 Report #3 – Yes on Measure W

Form 497 Report #4 – Yes on Measure W

Form 497 Report #5 Yes on Measure W

Form 497 Report #6 Yes on Measure W

Form 497 Report #7 – Yes on Measure W

 

By Allen Payton, Publisher

Usually, I don’t recommend elected officials serving in the same office for 24 years, such as Joel Keller, who was elected to the BART Board on the same night in November 1994 that I was elected to the Antioch City Council. That’s because elected representatives tend to become complacent or arrogant in office and stop listening to their constituents, and end up doing the bidding of the powerful, special interests who support them and contribute to their re-election campaigns.

However, Joel is different. Having served on the Contra Costa Transportation Authority and three of the four transportation boards in East County, including as Chairman of the Bypass Authority in 1998 when we purchased the right-of-way for the State Route 4 extension (aka The Bypass) from Lone Tree Way to Balfour Road, I’ve learned the difficult lesson that infrastructure projects can take a long time. Too much time for most all of our liking. But, that’s another issue. My point is, it’s taken that time for Joel to get BART extended to Antioch.

Although it’s not full or “real” BART, as we Antioch residents would have preferred, the bottom line is Joel was able to wade through the funding limitations from BART and the federal government, as well as the opposition by other regions in the BART District and directors who represent those regions and make his promise and commitment a reality. Antioch has a BART station. During his next four years, if re-elected, I believe Joel will be able to help deliver further extensions in East County, first to Laurel Road – which will benefit Antioch’s economic development area for job creation and serve the residents of Oakley – then to Brentwood near Sand Creek Road.

Joel has done what he said he would do, and he listens to his constituents. Most recently, Joel heard the complaints about safety on the BART system. In order to ensure the rest of the board members heard the complaints from the people in his district who can’t attend their normal day time meetings in Oakland, had the board hold a night time meeting in Pittsburg. Then, due to the overwhelming response by riders to the opening of the Antioch BART Station, Joel heard the outcry for more parking spaces, and he delivered by getting the other BART Board Members to join him in voting to fund 800 more spaces.

I believe Joel has earned one more term on the BART Board, which most likely will be his last, and recommend we re-elect him.