For the first time since 2007, no incumbents will be running in the Benicia City Council election. Councilmember Mark Hughes announced on Friday that he would not seek re-election, and Alan Schwartzman told the Herald today that he would not be running either. After 13 years on the council preceded by six […]
Councilmember Mark Hughes will not seek re-election
After 13 years on the Benicia City Council, Mark Hughes announced Friday that he would not seek re-election in November. In an email sent out Friday, the councilmember said he had given a lot of thought to the decision but ultimately decided to focus on his family. “Spending more time with […]
Local candidates emerge as filing deadline nears
(This post has been updated from the print edition.) The last day for candidates to declare their candidacies and submit nomination papers is Friday, but some fields are emerging in Benicia’s City Council and school board races. The Benicia City Council has two seats open in this year’s race, those belonging to councilmembers Mark Hughes […]
Letter: Whose city is this?
Whose city is this? It seems like a simple enough question, but is it? Benicia appears to be in the process of being taken away by what I call quasi-shadow government groups. The simple explanation of a shadow government is they are run by non-elected officials who are bound together by a common cause or […]
Photo: Benicia having a Night Out
Stewart Hall: What I took away from attending a City Council meeting
By Stewart Hall Special to the Herald On July 17, I was able to attend the Benicia City Council meeting. It had been several months since attending meetings after the yearlong debate over cannabis. After seeing how that topic and how it was handled, I considered not attending or witnessing another session. I read in […]
Photos: Election season begins in Benicia
Council to vote on pension trusts at Tuesday’s meeting
The Benicia City Council will hear an update on California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) actuarial issues at Tuesday’s meeting. According to a staff report by Finance Director Cindy Mosser, the city provides retirement benefits for employees through its participation in CalPERS, which allows the city to spend roughly $5.5 million per year to fund […]
Throwback Thursday: Herald headlines for the week of July 22, 1943, 1968 and 1993
Compiled by Nick Sestanovich 75 years ago Plan For New Streets Are Progressing (July 22, 1943) According to the tabulation of returns from property owners less than 5 per cent of the property owners opposed to the simplified form submitted for forming the proposed Street Improvement Assessment District in Benicia, The City Council recently sent […]
Council denies mayor’s request for ISO rehearing
In yet another marathon meeting that lasted almost until midnight, the Benicia City Council voted 3-2 to reject Mayor Elizabeth Patterson’s request to rehear the council’s June 19 vote on reviewing a draft Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO) for the city. The matter will not be heard again until November at the earliest. Patterson first requested […]