As you likely know, I was not successful in my bid for City Council this year. I appreciate everyone’s support and promise to keep working to make Albany as great a town as it can be.

Thank you for your support!

Tod

I appreciate your interest in my candidacy for the Albany City Council.

I’m running for City Council because I believe I have a unique set of experience and skills that Albany will need in the coming years. From my 14 years of involvement with the Chamber of Commerce and the Albany business community, to my nearly 8 years serving on the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Commission, and even my educational background studying and teaching Philosophy, I have made connections in the community and built a reputation as someone who respects all perspectives, listens to all speakers, and works with all sides of an issue to come to solutions that are best for the community.

The City of Albany, like the rest of the State, Country, and World faces challenges of social justice, a pandemic and devastated economy, and the ever increasing reality of climate change. We need leadership that is committed to transparency and hearing and acting on the concerns of our citizens. We need leadership that understands our local business community and how our businesses are suffering during the pandemic. We need leadership that understands how our city government works and how it can work better to communicate with the rest of the city. We need leadership that is dedicated to pragmatic, effective solutions that concretely address the challenges we face while balancing the needs of the entire community. I believe I can provide that leadership.

Experience

I believe my wide and extensive experience is what sets me apart in this City Council race. I moved to Albany with my wife Karen and our children Portia and Calder in 2003. I have been an active member of the Albany civic community for nearly 15 years. With extensive experience as a small business owner and with the Albany business community, substantial experience with Albany’s government through my service on the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Commission, and even my background in Philosophy where I studied, wrote, and taught on issues like ethics, morality, and justice, I believe I have unique skills and talents to help Albany face the challenges it will face in the coming years.

Albany Parks, Recreation and Open Space Commission, 2013 - present

Always civic minded, I ran for Council in 2012, and learned a lot about the city and its politics in the process. I was appointed to the Parks and Recreation Commission (now Parks, Recreation and Open Space Commission – PROSC) in 2013 and continue to serve on that body. I served two years as Chair of the Commission. I know I would have been a good Council Member had I won in 2012, but I have to say that my time as a PROSC Commissioner and Chair has been an invaluable learning experience and I know I can be a much better Council Member because of it.

One of the things I have learned from my experience with the Chamber, SAA, and PROSC is the challenge and importance of communication. Since the Albany Journal stopped being delivered to every address many years ago, it has been a challenge to find a way to reach people to promote events or share information. At the Chamber we realized that an email list was fine, but if we wanted more people to show up to our events we needed to mail postcards as well. With the PROSC, I helped design an intensive outreach effort for the subcommittee considering the status of dog parks in the city that included door hangers, in-person and online surveys, and scheduled in-depth interviews with concerned residents. All that outreach and listening paid off when the plan the subcommittee came up with met wide approval with park users and neighbors alike. I’ve also seen what happens when residents feel they were not adequately contacted, and are taken by surprise by changes that affect their daily lives. This is where my commitment to proactive communication comes from.

Albany Chamber of Commerce, 2006 - present

I became involved in Albany’s civic community in 2006 when I joined the Board of Directors of the Albany Chamber of Commerce *. I served as President of the Board of the Chamber for more than four years, and have been credited with keeping the organization alive during some tough times in the city and the economy. One of the things I accomplished with the Chamber was working with my friend Allen Cain to break down the barrier that had existed between the two primary business associations in Albany, the Chamber and the Solano Avenue Association (SAA). I have maintained good relationships, even friendships, with people who are sometimes on the other side of issues. It’s crucial in a city like Albany to remember that we agree on far more than we disagree on. I have now served on the Board of the SAA since 2016.

*As an aside… the Albany Chamber of Commerce has no connection to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and has never supported the National Chamber’s conservative policies. It turns out any organization can call itself a “Chamber of Commerce,” so while we use that name, we are not in any way connected to the National organization. I know that some people will see “Chamber of Commerce” and assume it is a conservative organization. The Albany Chamber reflects the values of the Albany community. We have been just as disgusted by the actions of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as anybody. return to text

Solano Avenue Association, 2016 - present

A long time friend of the SAA, I officially joined the Board in 2016. With the SAA, I’ve worked with different businesses and seen a slightly different perspective on Albany’s businesses than what I see with the Chamber. Of course one can’t really talk about the SAA without mentioning the Solano Avenue Stroll. I’ve supported the Stroll in different ways over the years, but perhaps my most visible impact was designing and implementing the event maps that were added a few years ago. There’s that communication thing again.

Other Organizations

Apart from the organizations above, I’ve been an active member, on the Board of, and/or led a number of other organizations over the years:

Founding Member of Business Networking International (BNI) Chapter in Oakland, President for one year
Board of Directors of the Albany Community Foundation since 2015
Committee Chair for Boy Scouts Troop 14 in Albany
Founding member of the Blue Glove Crew, picking up trash on San Pablo and Solano three days a week since 2012
ABGSL Team Coach in 2013
Board Member of Friends of the Oakland Fox (preserving the Fox Theater in downtown Oakland), 1999 - 2004

Career

I began my career in Web Development working for the US Environmental Protection Agency in Chicago. I developed web-technology based presentations with information on contaminated sites and Superfund sites in the Great Lakes area. I saw here the devastation a legacy of contamination can have on the environment and a community.

As business owners, my wife and I built our business primarily through networking. As an 8-year member of BNI (Business Networking International), I was a founding member of a chapter in Oakland, and served as chapter president for a year. Leading these meetings made me very aware of keeping track of time in a meeting, and making sure everyone is able to follow a long with what is happening and being said.

Education

My formal education is in Philosophy. I graduated with a BA from Cal in 1988, and then traveled to Chicago in 1991 where I received a Masters from Northwestern University in 1993. In Chicago In graduate school I gained experience in leading discussions, thinking critically, and making complex concepts accessible to people encountering them for the first time. My primary area of study after receiving my Masters was American Pragmatism, especially John Dewey. This somewhat technical philosophic meaning of “pragmatism” carries over to an attitude of pragmatism as more commonly understood.

Endorsements

Alameda County Democratic Party
The Solano Avenue Association
Peggy McQuaid, Council Member, Former Mayor
Rochelle Nason, Council Member, Former Mayor
Robert Cheasty, Former Mayor
Robert Lieber, Former Mayor
Farid Javendal, Former Mayor
David Arkin, Former Planning & Zoning Commissioner

Michael Barnes, Albany City Council Member
Tod is precisely the kind of person Albany needs to rebuild not only its business community, but the greater whole of our small city. He possesses a rare combination of an impressive skill set, an innate humility, and an ability to listen and see a problem from several perspectives.
Doug Donaldson, Planning & Zoning Commisioner
I have worked with Tod a lot on the Albany Community Foundation Board and have always appreciated his sage input and good judgment. He knows Albany very well and will make a fine City Council member.

Erika Black
Jennifer Hansen-Romero, President, Solano Avenue Association
Caryl O'Keefe
Peter Schakow
Frank Barnard, Former Pres., SJ Northside Neighborhood Assoc.
I've known Tod for over 40 years. He is a great friend and happens to be the most ethical person I have ever met. The people of Albany will be better for putting him on the council. Trust him to do what is best for the city and issues like the environment, tolerance, learning and jobs. You won't be disappointed.
Michael Valladares, Owner, Hotsy Totsy Club
Tod is a bad MF. Albany deserves his hard work and progressive vision. A Man who is not only a collaborator, a person who takes in the consideration all the many different facets of the community, and has a sensible vision fiscally. Also, he’s dope.
Dorothe Piluso
Ken McCroskey, Community Member
Lori and Michael Saaf
Judy Kerr, Social and Economic Justice Commission,
Tod listens to and understands the all of many voices of Albany.
Hector and Muriel Botello
Neo Serafimidis
Sunil Ahuja, Saratoga Planning Commissioner
I've know Tod for over 40 years. He is smart, honest and will be an invaluable addition to the Albany City Council.
Simon Church

Ruta La Franco
Erika and Kelly Paiz, Preschool Teacher at The Creative Play Center
Tod has a wonderful way of listening to different ideas and negotiating a solution to problems. He has the best interest of Albany as a whole in mind. He definitely has my vote this November!
Jon Destin
Ge’Nell Gary, Ge’Nell Gary, MBA
Ping Fahn
Tenisha Neal
I have known Tod for nearly a decade. I have volunteered alongside him, and, whenever he was in charge, the results were always phenomenal. He is kind, fair, creative, and detail oriented. Tod will be a tremendous asset to the Albany City Council.
James Fahn
Francesco Papalia, Former Chair of the Albany Waterfront Committee
Allen Cain
Theresa Bittner
Tod has been involved in Albany for years. I can’t imagine anyone more equipped for City Council.
Stephanie Sala, Owner, Five Little Monkeys; Economic Development Committee
Brian Parsley
Clay and Joan Larson
Erika and Spencer Ferguson

Positions

Here are my thoughts and positions on the local measures on this year’s ballot.

Albany Tax Measures

Of course nobody likes to pay more taxes. People do, however, want their city to be able to provide the level of services they’ve come to expect, and Albany will not only be dealing with a significantly reduced budget due to the Pandemic, but it also faces a budget crisis due to pension commitments. There are three measures on the ballot this year that would add or alter taxes in the city.

Measure CC - Real Property Transfter Tax

One of the city’s sources of income is the tax paid when real property is sold. Currently that rate is $11.50 per $1,000 of purchase price ($11,500 on $1M property), and this measure would increase that amount to $15.00 per $1,000 (or $15,000). This measure would bring Albany’s transfer tax in line with those in Berkeley and Oakland for properties that sell for around $1M (rates in these cities vary on sale price). This tax is only paid at the time a property is sold.

This is a relatively small amount to pay in the context of the the other taxes and fees paid during the sale of a property, but it could make a huge different to the city of Albany. I fully support Measure CC

Measure DD - Utility Users' Tax

Residents of Albany already pay a tax on what they pay for electricity and natural gas. Currently that rate is 7%, and this measure would increase that to 9.5%. This measure would also for the first time apply this tax to water service. The measure should generate around $887,000 each year for the city. Looking at my water bill, this would come out to about $100/year (though I don’t know how average our water usage is…). The measure includes language that exempts households that qualify for reduced rates through various income-based discount programs. The measure is also progressive in that wealthier households tend to use more utilities to more modest households. Ultimately a tax like this could be used to discourage use of natural gas and encourage switching to electrical appliances.

As a general tax measure this money will go into the city’s general fund, but the measure includes the intent that about a third of the money generated would be used to implement the city’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.

This is also a modest tax that will provide funding necessary to implement the city’s CAAP plan. I fully support Measure DD.

Measure EE - Paramedic Advanced Life Support Fire Engines and Ambulance Special Tax

Due to changes in support from the County, the city of Albany is having to spend more and more of its general fund budget to pay for the ambulance services provided by our Fire Department. This adds a tax of just under $45 per residential unit to the existing tax of $23.61 for a total of $68 per residential unit. Single family homes would pay $45 more, multi-unit housing would pay $45 per unit. Commercial and industrial properties pay small multiples of this fee ($90 and $180). Property owners with income falling below the level “very low-income” are exempt from this tax. Renters with that qualify as very low-income may request a rebate for this tax (which will presumably be passed on to tenants by landlords).

This is a modest tax that will quickly and easily generate the income the city will need to maintain its high-quality ambulance service. I fully support Measure EE.

Measure BB - Ranked Choice Voting

The lack of diversity in Albany’s City Council and AUSD’s School Board is a legitimate concern. Measure BB is an attempt to make it easier for members of diverse communities to be elected to these bodies. A frequent argument against RCV is that it can be confusing for voters, driving some to missvote, and driving others to not vote in these races at all. Rather than try to describe the mechanics of the type of Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) this is proposing, I’ll just say that it should be a lot easier to do than it is to explain. I’m confident the people of Albany would figure it out.

I’ll also say that I like RCV in National, State, County, and even Party races. In these sorts of contests, RCV does not change the outcome the vast majority of the time, but I think it changes the outcome in enough races to make it worthwhile. And in every race it may help all voters feel like their voice was heard a little more clearly regardless of outcome.

That said, I don’t think RCV is what Albany needs to address the lack of diversity in elected leadership. From watching several election cycles in Albany, I think the lack of diversity comes from drawing too few qualified candidates from diverse communities rather than a reticence on the part of Albany voters to elect people from those communities. I think there are ways we can act to increase the presence of diverse voices in city leadership that will be both more direct and more effective than RCV — and at the same time can help increase the amount of general engagement in local government by residents. I think there are historic and systemic reasons why more people from minority communities aren’t involved in Albany leadership that I don’t think RCV can address on its own, and if we find ways to counteract those historic and systemic forces RCV would likely not be necessary to see much greater minority representation in city leadership.

The City of Albany is currently under threat to increase the diversity in its leadership or be forced to move to district elections rather than at large seats for the Council and School Board. This means Albany would be divided into up to five districts and each of those would vote for their own representative. Proponents of Measure BB argue that its passage would prevent this action, but that is far from certain and we may well be forced to move to district representation either way.

I am neutral on Measure BB. I don’t support it because I don’t think it can do what it is intended to do on its own. I don’t oppose it, however, because I don’t think the people of Albany would be confused by the change in the method of voting, and the cost ($26,000 per election) isn’t enough to prevent us at least trying RCV if it’s what the people want.

Albany City Council Election Results since 2002

Endorsed by the Alameda County Democratic Party