Lionel Largaespada, chair of the Economic Development Board, is in the midst of his second run for a City Council seat. (Courtesy photo)
A defeat in 2016 did not deter Lionel Largaespada from running again for the Benicia City Council. If anything, he says it has made him more energized.
“Friends, residents, voters asked me to keep at it,” he said. “Momentum was on our side, and that really inspired and motivated me to stay in the race.”
Largaespada moved to Benicia in 2005. He currently serves as a marketing director for F3 & Associates, a Benicia-based professional services firm specializing in land surveying, laser scanning, underground utility locating and concrete scanning for architects, contractors, engineers and government agencies. He has been married to his wife Jennifer for 19 years and is the father of Graciela, 13, and Viviana, 9.
Largaespada, then a vice chair for the Economic Development Board (EDB), made his first bid for the council in 2016. Despite picking up endorsements from such groups as the Benicia Police Officers Association, Benicia Firefighters Association (IAFF Local 1186), Benicia Teachers Association and Napa/Solano Central Labor Council & Building Trades Council, he only placed fourth among five candidates, which was not enough to earn him a seat on the council.
“I’ve continued to give my time and energy and ideas to a myriad of groups around town,” he said.
Since the election, has maintained his community involvement. He was elevated from vice chair to chair of the EDB, became an adviser for the senior services organization Carquinez Village and a Memorial Day ceremony volunteer for the Benicia Historical Society and continued his work as a mentor and volunteer for his daughters’ respective schools, Benicia Middle School and Matthew Turner Elementary. He also is on the Design Committee for Benicia Main Street and is a member of Benicia’s chapter of Native Sons of the Golden West.
Largaespada said another big motivator for him to continue to run was that the 2016 council election seemed to reflect the community’s desire for change on the council.
“There was a change,” he said. “Steve Young earned a seat on the council, but that spirit, that desire, demand from the community for change on the council is still there. That, along with support from voters and friends inspired me to keep at it.”
Despite the previous outcome, Largaespada said he has not changed his strategies from the previous campaign. He continues to go door to door to seek feedback from the community.
“The strategy and elements of my campaign remain the same between the two elections, and that is to seek out what the needs are from the community,” he said. “This comes from a variety of groups.”
From this feedback, Largaespada said he developed a campaign based around the priorities of residents. The four main issues he hopes to address are public safety, water and sewer rate increases which he said have put “too many Benicia residents in a bad spot financially,” street conditions and having a balance of views on the council. To the third point, Largaespada said a big problem is that many roads are not on the “fix list.”
“They’re not scheduled for being repaired,” he said. “We need to basically take that list and almost turn it upside down and then address and fix the streets that are at most risk.”
To the fourth point, he said that many residents have been concerned that Mayor Elizabeth Patterson is “one seat away from having a monopoly on the City Council.”
“That is not a personal attack on the mayor,” he added, “but the residents are concerned about a monopoly of power on the City Council.”
Another top priority for Largaespada is economic development.
“I’m gonna fight hard to make sure that we keep the services and expand wherever we can,” he said. “No one wants to see cuts to anything, but the only way to get through that is to really get serious about economic development and really think about it strategically.”
To that end, Largaespada supports exploring development on the Northern Gateway site, located at the corner of Lake Herman Road and East 2nd Street. He does not support the development of 900 homes, as had previously been proposed, but is in favor of finding an investor to work with the community to develop small-scale manufacturing.
“Essentially, we are gonna be a spot where small to mid-sized communities are gonna build and make stuff, people are gonna come to Benicia to buy that stuff and the city will benefit from the revenue,” he said.
“I want people to understand Benicia is open for business,” he added.
Largesapda said he would intend to reach out to various stakeholders, including labor and environmental groups, to take their input into account if such a project were to be moved forward.
“This needs to be a community effort,” he said.
Other goals for Largaespada include improving the existing marina agreement, adding street repair as a line item in the General Fund and budget and reaching out to state and federal representatives to seek more money for roads.
Overall, Largaespada wants to be part of a council that aims to “pass along an even better Benicia to the next generation.”
For more information on Largaespada’s campaign, go to votelionel.com.
The other candidates in the City Council race are Planning Commission Chair Kari Birdseye, retired carpenter William Emes and former Councilmember Christina Strawbridge. The top two vote-getters will serve on the council with the candidate getting the most votes earning the title of vice mayor. The election is Tuesday, Nov. 6.
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Like a true bought and paid for stooge, [___________]’s outside money is running a classic push poll in our city in an attempt to beat Birdseye, since he cannot beat {___________}, considering the gap in their tallies of 2016, and those are not likely to change much if at all. The gutter is now open for the 2018 Benicia city council race. {___________} has already come out blasting Birdseye. So much for civility in this years contest.
http://beniciaindependent.com/
Stan you apparently no nothing about politics. Of all people Vice Mayor Young should not be talking about negative polling questions. In the 2016 City Council election the continued heading on his Face Book page “900 Homes”. That was a false statement. That proposal was turned down by guess who. #1 the Planning Commission on a straw poll and the City Council also. Who was on the planning Commission. yes you are correct candidate Birdseye and Vice Mayor Young. Who was the Mayor, guess what Mayor Patterson.; Vice Mayor Young and Mayor Patterson are both backers of Birdseye. The Mayor has two Birdseye signs in her yard. Yes this elections will be no different than any other. Stan you appear to be a big Birdseye backer even though she also was against cannabis on First Street. I believe you think that the Mayor, Vice Mayor with candidate Birdseye will change all that an allow cannabis on First Street. You are wrong and a “One Trick Pony”. But that’s ok she wanted three retail outlets. Did not happen.Come on Man get WOKE.
What’s going on now reminds me of the attack campaign on Mayor Patterson when she first whupped up on the first of three men in a row trying to keep her out of the center seat. Those voters are still here, ready to select Birdseye because the others don’t fit in modern Benicia. Conservative is OK, but to an extreme is not. Claiming NPP does not adequately mask demonstrated hard right conservative views and an unwillingness to evolve. All the platinum endorsed candidates lost in 2016, but clearly this election, {___________} is the default winner based on 2016 spread and no other worthy challengers to a majority of Benicia voters.
Typically, benefactors of successful push polls and hit campaigns assert they knew nothing about it.
https://tinyurl.com/ydarhv45
Nonsensical post.
This is a local issue. Birdseye and Patterson subscribe to the idea that Benicia needs to close down Valero. Both are on record as being anti petroleum. That point can’t be debated.
Other candidates wisely note that Benicia’s financial security and future is tied to Valero. Should Valero leave and the refinery close, how would we make up the shortfall? And let us not forget that city expenditures are increasing with the CalPERS debts.
It would be financial ruin to follow the path of Birdseye and Patterson into the future.
And, no Stan, pot sales cannot fill the hole that Closing Valero would create.
I want to know how the candidates are going to solve Benicia’s budget woes moving forward. That’s not Liberal or Conservative, it is local and real.
Whatever we do let’s try to keep this civil. All candidates need to be respected and listened to. The last thing we need is any kind of character assassination. Being a candidate requires a lot of time and effort and, in most cases, a long track record of service to the community.
Reg your comment is correct but that is not how elections are run. They have always been character assassinations on all candidates. I believe character is the wrong word I would rather it be issue assassination.I try to make comments or write articles that are fact based. Tell the voters what the candidate stands for. Some do not like my use of Socialism. But I did not start the use of Socialism. Bernie did and now Progressive is a synonym for Socialism. They do not like that I say city council is a non-partisan election which it is. But being that all of the Democrat organizations are supporters of a Democrat candidate. There mission is clear election Democrats to all elected positions a appoint Democrats to all those positions also. Pure politics and very biased in a non=partisan election. Birdseye at present is the benefit or should I say negative benefit to that type of campaigning.
Bob,
I have a pretty good idea about how election campaigns are “run”, thank you.
Reg, I did agree with you. Just pointing out that elections are always without civility. After the elections everyone is lovey dovey.
Well, I think we’ve generally had civil campaigns locally. I would hate to see it become as vicious as it has at the national level. The reference to “outside money” can cut both ways and experience has shown that it doesn’t guarantee success here at all. We’ve had several well financed candidates who did not win.
beneficiaries
Good comment matter. Stan is a “One Trick Pony”.
The outsiders running the push poll attempting to diminish Birdseye and uplift [___________] in the minds of voters were sent a basic “knock it off” nastygram from the City Attorney. Seems we have an ordinance violation. Sorry, [______], fair play is back in play.
Our vice mayor was able to draw out some revealing information from a pollster during his push poll call.
“On any given day, she said, 40-80 people were making these calls (on Benicia council race)”
40 to 80 people? This stinks of big oil, not labor, real estate, or teachers. Big oil has a known stooge on the card, the only one last election that believed bomb trains were a good idea, despite getting rejected 12-0 in our community.
Do you think Stan the so called negative comments about candidate BIRDSEYE ARE NEGATIVE? IT APPEARS THEY VERY WELL COULD BE TRUE. The voters will make that decision.
OK. I read the vice mayors comments elsewhere. He claimed the pollster was asking very leading yes or no questions. Negative questions about one candidate and positive about the other. I guess the answer to my question is that these push polls are a bit shady, and they seem more like a marketing ploy. I wonder who paid for the push poll.
I have not heard about a push pole. What exactly is it? I’m not familiar. You make it sound like it is a negative thing.
During his first Forum in/out, [___________] scolded posters about “character assassination”. It’s a fitting poetic justice that the assassins were his pals from the bigs. No repudiation from any of the other candidates about outsiders meddling in Benicia elections. They must have liked it too. Wonder if anybody will address this issue at the next forum?
STAN: “Character Assassination” is brought on by the campaign issues a candidate follows. It really is not “Character Assassination” it is the candidates views on how this city should be run. You will notice Stan you like Birdseye because she wanted three retail cannabis outlets and one of those would have delivery. She also said no on First Street for cannabis retail . The residence did not agree with either and you still like her. She also supported an independent look at the ISO that was supported by a group of “Mayor Patterson Twelve” with a pro bono attorney that tried to hijack this fine city. I called that the “Shadow Government”. That also failed twice. I hope you remember she did not support any kind of housing on the Seeno property. She also was not a supporter of CBR. But strangely enough we still get the crude by ship. She also says she supports clean air and water. JUST WHO DOESNT. Could it be she blames Valero for our so called lack of clean air which is not true. How many folks STAN have you seen wearing the nose and mouth masks in Benicia STAN? TRY NONE. YOUR CANDIDATE BIRDSEYE IS A TRUE BELIEVER OF THE PROGRESSIVE {SOCIALIST} DEMOCRATS OF Benicia AND ALL OTHER democratic GROUPS. SHE HAS NO POSITIVE PLAN FOR THIS FINE CITY OF BENICIA. Just what she is against and all of that has or is being addressed. So just what does your candidate stand for? Try words and words only. Nothing positive about this very fine city. No on BIRDSEYE.
LARGAESPADA: If you can put THE STREET, HILLCREST AVE. IN FRONT OF THE ST DOMINICS CEMETERY. ON THE LIST FOR REPAIR– YOU HAVE MY VOTE! IT’S POTHOLE ALLEY!