PITTSBURG — Three candidates are vying for two seats on the Pittsburg City Council with a shared focus on economic and youth development, infrastructure improvements and improved public safety.
Two candidates, Mayor Juan Antonio Banales and Vice Mayor Jelani Killings, are veteran council members seeking reelection. First-time hopeful Iztaccuauhtli (pronounced as Iz-tac, Cuauh-tli) Hector Gonzalez, a small business owner, has also thrown in his hat in the race.
While many other Bay Area cities have moved to district-based elections as a means to elect candidates from underrepresented parts, Pittsburg has remained a holdout. That means the top two finishers in the Nov. 5 election will get the open seats.
Banales, who was first elected in 2016, said he plans to push for economic, youth, and infrastructure developments. The UC Berkeley graduate said the city has made progress in those areas, but it is crucial to maintain and continue the momentum.
Banales, who became mayor this term as part of the city’s mayoral rotation process, said the city has spent a lot of resources and time bringing in new businesses, which generate revenue and job opportunities. Some of the newer businesses include Courtyard by Marriott and Home2 Suites on Loveridge Road, which will open soon.
The other big project, which is expected to soon come before the city council for approval, is the Pittsburg Technology Park by Avaio. Avaio acquired the defunct Delta View golf course to develop a technology park and data center.
“I’m really proud to be (part of a council) to bring that kind of development forward in our community, and ultimately, if the city council passes (the project) in a couple of months, it represents a significant project and investment within the city,” he said.
Banales is also a big proponent of road maintenance and other infrastructure investment. The city aims to fully repave its roads over the next decade and beginning this month will begin upgrading the water treatment plant project.
While public safety remains essential, Banales said the city has made significant development over the years, maintaining a key ratio of 1.1 officers per 1,000 residents and improving the police department’s camera networks and servers.
“If you don’t have your public safety addressed, nothing else really matters, right?” said Banales, who has received endorsements from state Senator Steve Glazer, outgoing District 5 Supervisor Federal Glover, Pittsburg council members Shanelle Scales-Preston and Dionne Adams, the Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades Council, as well as the Contra Costa Labor Council, AFL-CIO, among others.
Being raised in Pittsburg, Banales wants to continue prioritizing youth development and recognize the need to invest in local programs that can support recreation and career preparation for younger generations. He said one of the most significant achievements is the reopening of the Marina Center, and he is also looking forward to the fruition of Dream Court, a 40,000-square-foot indoor sports facility for the community’s youth.
Killings hopes Dream Courts will also generate revenue for the city through youth sports tourism, where people can host tournaments and rent the space for various activities.
Killings, who was also first elected in 2016, says he is proud to have initiated the creation of the Economic Development Strategic Action Plan to guide the city’s economic development efforts over the next five to 10 years.
He also spearheaded and led the creation of a Youth and Young Adult Services Master Plan that aligns resources toward youth services in the community.
Killings said many youth in the community have unstructured downtime after they get out of school, as many of their parents work outside of the city.
“If they’re not necessarily in a band or a specific sport activity after school, what do we have for our youth? We’re really trying to bring back youth development and community centers,” said Killings, who has a masters degree in public policy and management from California State University, East Bay.
The government ethics analyst has always been passionate about reviving Pittsburg’s downtown and waterfront area. He said the city has made strides with the opening of many new businesses. Still, Killings said the city is working on ensuring development is not solely focused in the downtown areas.
He also hopes to bring more recreational activities and entertainment to the city for the community to enjoy and to help support local businesses.
Killings said while the city is doing its best in helping the unhoused population, more partnership is needed with the county and the state to help those suffering from mental health and substance use issues.
Newcomer Gonzalez initially ran in the March 5 election to replace Glover, the longtime Contra Costa County supervisor, but only received 10.9% of the votes. He hopes to support literacy programs, bolster business development and collaborate across city, county and state levels to tackle homelessness and promote affordable housing.
Gonzalez feels more programs and activities should be provided for Pittsburg residents, especially the younger community. One way to tackle this is to have internships and literacy programs in collaboration between the city, school district and Los Medanos Community College.
As a business owner, Gonzalez said he can offer his perspective to help attract more businesses.
“We currently don’t have it in our city council,” he said of his life experience.
If he gets elected, Gonzalez said he will encourage more people to run for city council to bring in more ideas and progress.
He also said he plans to serve no more than eight to twelve years on the city council to ensure continuous community involvement.
Also on the ballot is Measure P for the Pittsburg Unified School District, which would authorize $140 million in bonds for classroom repairs and safety measures. Measure P would authorize repairs, upgrades and expand schools, fix their roofs, improve safety and security accessibility for students with disabilities, update classrooms and labs for math, reading, writing and science, and prevent classroom overcrowding.
If voters approve the measure, property owners would pay $60 for each $100,000 of their property’s assessed value. The bond would generate an average of $9.2 million annually over its lifetime.