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It’s a rare thing in municipal elections: Every Antioch City Council seat is on the ballot for the Nov. 3 election.
That leaves voters with a chance to install a completely new set of leaders. But we wouldn’t recommend it.
Instead, voters should elect Councilman Lamar Thorpe as mayor, Councilwoman Joy Motts in District 1, real estate broker Michael Barbanica in District 2, homeless advocate Nichole Gardner in District 3, and Councilwoman Monica Wilson in District 4.
This is the first time the city has used district elections. Other cities making the transition from at-large have generally phased in district elections over two election cycles.
But Antioch is doing it all at once. Elections in Districts 1 and 4 will be for two-year terms this year and then four-year terms staring in 2022. This years’ elections for mayor and in Districts 2 and 3 are for four-year terms.
It comes at a crucial time for the city. Although city finances are much improved from the extraordinarily lean years after the Great Recession, Antioch still faces major financial challenges.
The retirement plans for public employees were, at last count, underfunded by $148 million, a debt likely to increase because of the current economic downturn. On a positive note, the city has started making full annual payments to workers’ retiree health care plans, which stops that part of the debt from continuing to balloon.
Early indications are that most of the city’s large retailers are holding up during the current downturn; that’s good for a city heavily dependent on sales tax revenue. And the city has reaped about $1 million a year from taxing marijuana operations. But rough projections show the city could be in for significant budget cuts in the next few years.
Meanwhile, Antioch maintains a horrible housing-jobs imbalance with fewer than half as many jobs as residents who are employed. Consequently, once the pandemic recedes, the abysmal Highway 4 commute will likely return. Unless the city curtails its sprawling growth, the congestion will only get worse.
And the city is embroiled in a debate over law enforcement reform after the Police Department hired a cop who had resigned from the San Francisco force before he could be disciplined for actions that led to the fatal shooting of a homeless man.
It’s against this background that voters will pick all five council members for the first time since 1872, when the city was incorporated.
Mayor — Thorpe
Thorpe has been a council leader who understands the city’s finances, the need to curtail suburban sprawl and the need for more police accountability, both in its hiring practices and in officers’ use of force.
While incumbent Sean Wright is a smart leader — we previously endorsed him for mayor — Thorpe is the better pick at a time when the city will confront the financial effects of the pandemic and concern about law enforcement.
District 1 — Motts
Motts, a former school board trustee in her first City Council term, brings breadth on the issues, especially her understanding of city finances and her recognition that the city should stop approving sprawl development.
Tamisha Walker, executive director of a group aimed at ending mass incarceration, needs experience in local government, perhaps on a city commission, and lacks understanding of city finances.
Manny Soliz, who served on the council from 1996-2000, lost us when he advocated for building $1 million-plus homes to attract businesses. That if-we-build-it-they-will-come mentality hasn’t worked in Antioch for four decades.
District 2 — Barbanica
Barbanica, a real estate broker and retired police lieutenant, emphasizes curbing crime but appreciates that law enforcement transparency is important, starting with body cameras for all officers. He is not averse to more housing but emphasizes that controlling crime and attracting jobs must come first.
Tony Tiscareno lacked basic financial knowledge when he ran for reelection in 2018 after six years on the City Council. Last week, he said he was out of town and too busy for a video interview.
District 3 — Gardner
All four candidates have strengths and weaknesses. What Gardner brings is a deep understanding of those who are struggling, first as an in-home support services provider for seven years and now as director of Facing Homelessness, a group that provides food and other assistance to the homeless of Antioch.
Gardner understands the need to control sprawl and for police oversight, which to her does not mean cutting the department’s budget but rather providing civilians to handle social service issues that drain time from crime prevention. If elected, she needs to develop a better understanding of city finances.
District 4 — Wilson
Two-term Councilwoman Wilson is the standout in this race. She understands basic details of the city’s budget, not as well as we’d like for an incumbent but far better than the other candidates.
She has a smart approach to housing, advocating smaller homes on infill land near transit. In contrast, Alex John Astorga wants to build on land farthest from transit, and Sandra White is stuck in the outdated thinking that more homes, especially high-end, will bring in businesses.
