Category Archives: City Hall

Council’s slush fund

Posted on February 26, 2023 by Robert Sullwold

Our topic today is the residual fund balance in excess of policy or fund balance deficits in the General Fund. Sound boring? We thought so. What if we called it, “Alameda City Council’s slush fund”? Ah, now we’ve got your … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, City Hall | Tagged ARPA, General Fund, Malia Vella, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Reserves, Tony Daysog | 16 Comments

The RHNA and the real world

Posted on February 14, 2023 by Robert Sullwold

Everyone knows (as the saying goes) that the City of Alameda was the first Bay Area city (and, out of 109 cities, one of only two so far) to get its 2023-31 Housing Element certified by the State Department of … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall, Development, Housing | Tagged Affordable housing, Andrew Thomas, Housing Element, RHNA | 7 Comments

Sounds like a plan

Posted on February 6, 2023 by Robert Sullwold

The City of Alameda loves its strategic plans. At least the staff who propose them and the Council members who vote for them do. And the consultants who get paid to prepare them can’t be too unhappy, either.

Posted in Budget, City Hall | Tagged Active Transportation Plan, Climate Action and Resiliency Plan, Equitable Building Decarbonization Plan, Homelessness, Jennifer Ott, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Transportation Choices Plan, Vision Zero Action Plan | 4 Comments

Ms. Jensen goes to City Hall

Posted on December 18, 2022 by Robert Sullwold

This Tuesday, Tracy Jensen will be sworn in as Alameda’s newest City Council member.

Posted in City Hall | Tagged City council, John Knox White, Malia Vella, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Tony Daysog, Tracy Jensen, Trish Spencer | 4 Comments

The Princes of Alameda

Posted on November 27, 2022 by Robert Sullwold

For years, the Merry‑Go‑Round believed that the savviest political operator ever to occupy an office at City Hall was former City Manager John Russo. But in our estimation Mr. Russo now has got himself a rival for the crown: City … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, City Hall, Development, Firefighters, Housing | Tagged 2013-17 IAFF MOU, Affirmatively further fair housing, Andrew Thomas, Ann Marie Gallant, Beverly Johnson, Doug deHaan, Housing Element, John Knox White, John Russo, Lena Tam, Malia Vella, Marie Gilmore, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, RHNA, Rob Bonta, Tony Daysog, Trish Spencer | 22 Comments

Sweet home Alameda

Posted on November 6, 2022 by Robert Sullwold

The Merry‑Go‑Round always has been unabashedly – and unashamedly – Alameda‑centric. Whenever we read a story comparing California cities by various metrics, our first instinct is to see whether the City of Alameda is mentioned. And if it isn’t, we … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, City Hall, Pensions | Tagged AUSD, Common Core, Fiscal distress, Smarter Balanced, Susan Davis | 9 Comments

Where’s the money? Where’s the beef?

Posted on October 30, 2022 by Robert Sullwold

Having posted five columns about the upcoming election, the Merry‑Go‑Round intended this week to turn to another topic. But we couldn’t resist taking at least one more pass at it before November 8. The questions for discussion today are: Can … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall | Tagged Campaign finance, Hannah Groce, IAFF Local 689, Jim Oddie, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Mount Holyoke, Tony Daysog, Trish Spencer | 3 Comments

“Chicanery” on Grand Street

Posted on October 22, 2022 by Robert Sullwold

For a brief while, it appeared that Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft once again possessed the temerity – some would call it “fortitude” – to veer off the course prescribed by Councilman John Knox White and go her own way.

Posted in City Hall | Tagged Andrew Thomas, Bike Walk Alameda, CASA, Grand Street, John Knox White, Malia Vella, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Robert Vance, Tony Daysog, Traffic, Trish Spencer | 6 Comments

And then there were three

Posted on October 14, 2022 by Robert Sullwold

Read or heard enough already about Council candidates Tony Daysog and Jim Oddie? Well, we thought you might have. After all, both have been around quite a while – Mr. Daysog was first elected to Council in 2002, and Mr. … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall | Tagged City council, Hannah Groce, Paul Beusterien, Police reform, Ranked choice voting, Tracy Jensen | 7 Comments

The scorecard on Trish Spencer

Posted on October 9, 2022 by Robert Sullwold

Here’s your Alameda mayoral campaign quiz for the day: During the last two years, which candidate has voted in favor of the following “progressive,” pro‑bicycle, and pro‑development proposals brought before City Council: Renaming Jackson Park to Chochenyo Park; Authorizing planning … Continue reading →

Posted in Alameda Point, Budget, City Hall, Development, Housing | Tagged Automated license plate readers, Big Whites, Bottle Parcel, Chochenyo Park, Climate Action and Resiliency Plan, Council referrals, Emergency response vehicle, Encinal Terminals, Grand Street, Homelessness, Jackson Park, John Knox White, Kevin Kearney, Malia Vella, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Tony Daysog, Transit occupancy tax, Transportation Choices Plan, Trish Spencer, Vision Zero Action Plan | 6 Comments

	Publius on Council’s slush fund
	Karen on Council’s slush fund
	Publius on Council’s slush fund
	Publius on Council’s slush fund
	Eric Strimling on Council’s slush fund