What to know about local lamorinda elections

By Andrew Martinez Cabrera
Editor-in-Chief

On Nov. 5, Lamorinda residents will be voting in their general municipal elections as local governments prepare for their races, with candidates seeking town council positions as first-time council members or current holders seeking re-election. 

Lafayette’s city council has three seats open for a four-year term and one seat available for a two-year term. Seeking re-election for Lafayette city council are current council members Carl Anduri, John McCormick and Mayor Gina Dawson, alongside newcomer Lauren McCabe Herpich, a small business owner and substitute teacher. Running for the two-year terms are financial analyst Mario DiPrisco and public financial specialist Jim Cervantes. 

Central topics for all six candidates include financial stability/transparency, reducing fire risk/ public safety and housing. Candidates like McCormick aim to “[Champion Lafayette’s] business community” through promotion and the possibility of revitalization. Similarly, Herpich proposes building new community spaces like parks to challenge the continued urbanization of Lafayette while still generating revenue for the city. 

McCormick, regarding fire risk, proposes increased collaboration with the Contra Costa Fire Protection District (Con Fire) to assess evacuation routes and encourage community removals of flammable brushes around resident’s properties. Candidate Carl Anduri wishes to expand efforts to combat wildfires, including an increase in resources and meeting future Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) standards while being a high-risk fire zone. 

On housing, Mayor Dawson promises to focus on building more inclusive and affordable housing made possible by the community-inputted Housing Element, a blueprint for how housing can be developed in the city. The hope for Dawson is that increased housing will also lead to economic growth. 

DiPrisco’s plans for housing differ, wanting to lower housing construction costs by speeding up the review planning process with the aid of AI. DiPrisco also proposes a “voluntary and temporary fee” to hire a temporary contractor to accelerate plan review.


Also on the ballot for Lafayette residents alongside the city council candidates is Measure H, a 0.5% sales tax by the city of Lafayette to continue to fund and maintain the current level of city services.
   
Currently, Lafayette is experiencing a financial deficit,  with services such as pavement management costing the city $1 million a year. Additionally. “the cost of general liability, property, and employment insurance has increased 144% over the last five years,” according to a FAQ about Measure H on Lafayette’s official website.
    
Measure H would be in effect for seven years, estimated to generate “approximately $2.4 million each year in locally controlled funds that benefit Lafayette,” according to Lafayette’s official website. A 50% vote is needed for Measure H to be implemented. If passed, Measure H would funnel directly into Lafayette’s General Fund, which supports street maintenance, public safety resources, services for senior citizens, park services and continued community partner support between Lafayette’s Chamber of Commerce and local school districts. 

Current city council members, such as Mayor Gina Dawson, support Measure H. Political newcomer and candidate Lauren McCabe Herpich, is against the proposed sales tax.


In Orinda, only two seats for a four-year term are available for the city council, as opposed to Lafayette’s three seats. Running are Mayor Darlene K. Gee, Oakland legislative recorder Candace T. Evans and Orinda Union School District Board President Cara R. Hoxie. 

Mayor Gee’s focuses include long-term sustainable infrastructure, wildfire prevention and fiscal responsibility. Gee, a licensed California civil engineer, aims for the infrastructure plan to rely on residential input, working to “find balance between local vision and numerous state and regional mandates.” 

Evans, self-described as a “Political Enthusiast, Equity Advocate, and Business Woman,” is Orinda’s first woman of color ever appointed to a commission seat in Orinda. Evans claims that she will bring a new perspective to Orinda, focusing on the “expansion of fire prevention and public works projects,” economic growth such as revitalizing Orinda’s downtown and “enhancing senior programs,” among other issues. 

Like Herpich, Hoxie’s main priority is education, whose experience includes improving the conditions of Orinda schools like the implementation of wellness centers and a phonics program (teaching language acquisition with an emphasis on sounds) in an elementary school. Hoxie, having worked with Orinda’s city council in the past to address fire safety, promises to provide “sound leadership… so that Orinda can continue to thrive while being a welcoming community for all families.”

Moraga’s situation is different in that there are three vacant seats for the city council and only three candidates applied for the city council’s nomination process, meaning that all three will be elected for their respective seats. The candidates are Lisa Maglio, Brian Dolan and Graham Thiel. According to the Lamorinda Weekly, “With a vote of 4-0…, the council appointed the three candidates to the Moraga Town Council and canceled the Nov. 5 local election.”

Maglio’s focuses include the implementation of Moraga’s Housing Element, including affordable housing, as well as economic development in their commercial centers. Dolan, Moraga’s interim town director and retired city planner/manager, hopes to “[maintain] fiscal responsibility… fire safety, infrastructure maintenance…” and retain Moraga’s open space. Graham Thiel, Moraga’s Planning Commissioner, hopes to economically develop Moraga Center and Rheem Valley and, like Dolan, continue to preserve Moraga’s natural beauty.