30 May Antioch City Council Holding Special Meeting to Examine How Members Are Elected

(Image courtesy of city of Antioch via Bay City News)

By Tony Hicks
Bay City News

The Antioch City Council on Tuesday will hold a special meeting to discuss changing the way its members are elected, which could take some power from the mayor’s position.

The council will discuss transitioning from the city having a four-year mayoral term and four council districts, to the city having five city council districts.

Lamar Thorpe was elected mayor in 2020, becoming the city’s second Black mayor in its history. Known for his outspokenness, he was physically attacked after giving a speech at a chamber of commerce event last year. He was also the target of threats by Antioch police officers currently embroiled in a racist and homophobic text message scandal that is part of wider civil rights investigations by the FBI, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, and the state attorney general’s office.

If the current council election system is changed, the job of mayor would likely rotate annually between the five council members, which is done in a number of other local cities.

The council will also discuss how it sets the agenda and its various processes and procedures for council meetings.

The Antioch City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the council chambers at City Hall, 200 H St. in Antioch. The meeting will be live-streamed on the city’s website at www.antiochca.gov.

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