23 Apr Richmond Mayoral Candidates Discuss Plans for Economic Development

Demnlus Johnson, from left, Ahmad Anderson, Claudia Jimenez, Eduardo Martinez and Mark Wassberg, all running for Richmond mayor, spoke Tuesday at a candidate forum focused on economic issues.

Story and photos by Joe Porrello

The five candidates running in the June primary for Richmond mayor gathered with local community and business leaders Tuesday at a forum hosted by the Richmond Chamber of Commerce.

The event, hosted at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel as part of the chamber’s monthly roundtable breakfast series, was billed as an opportunity for candidates to share their platforms, with a focus on economic development and their vision for working with Richmond’s business community.

Candidates answered questions from audience members but did not debate. Each was given 90 seconds to introduce themselves and their platform and the same to answer each question.

About 30 community business leaders were in attendance to hear from the candidates: incumbent Mayor Eduardo Martinez, Richmond City Council member Claudia Jimenez, former Vice Mayor Demnlus Johnson, community leader Ahmad Anderson and Mark Wassberg, a local filmmaker who frequently speaks at council meetings.

 

Martinez, a retired elementary school teacher, highlighted public safety and city progress during his tenure as mayor.

“During my four years as mayor, the city of Richmond has improved not only in terms of infrastructure but also in terms of emotional well-being,” said Martinez. “Last year, our homicide rate was the lowest ever, and I’m making sure it continues to be low.”

 

Jimenez, originally from Colombia where she worked as an architect, said her time on the council has strengthened the city’s finances.

“I’m running for mayor because I’m passionate about Richmond,” said Jimenez. “The fiscal flexibility we have has been, in part, because of the work that I’ve done.”

 

Johnson is a fourth-generation Richmond resident and in 2018 became the youngest person ever elected to Richmond City Council.

He said that he is “100% committed to recruiting more industries to the city of Richmond, both green and traditional.

 

Anderson has worked as a workforce planning supervisor for UPS of the East Bay and vice president and economic development committee chair of the Richmond NAACP.

He says he will “ensure jobs are representing those who have been underrepresented” and that he recognizes “the actions that it takes to step up and step in.”

 

Wassberg, raised in San Pablo, spent most of his life working in factories and refineries around Richmond before wading into filmmaking. He entered the political realm years ago because he didn’t — and still doesn’t — approve of the way Richmond operates.

“They’re just letting people run wild in Richmond; if I’m there, that ain’t gonna happen,” said Wassberg.

Candidates were also asked about housing issues, including rent control and code enforcement.

Wassberg said the private sector, like homes, should largely not be rent-controlled.

“I’m against rent control, but on the other hand, there’s certain things you might have to have rent-controlled because we know some landlords are greedy,” he said. “Once you destroy the real estate market, you’re going to destroy Richmond.”

Martinez says the issue stems from Richmond not having enough employees to do code enforcement, though the city is currently in the process of hiring more.

As a former renter, Anderson says he understands the value of rent control and how it can help people financially keep their head above water.

 

With many potential property owners in Richmond sometimes waiting years for building permits, the candidates were asked how they would expedite the situation.

Johnson says he would dissolve the design review board and give responsibilities back to the planning commission, as well as digitizing the process so people don’t have to go to Civic Center in person.

“For a long time, projects have been held up and haven’t even been able to get to the permitting process — it has become a place where appointed individuals can extort business owners and developers,” said Johnson. “For me, it’s about redoing that entire process and making it a lot less convoluted.”

Jimenez says the problem stems from not having a housing department, leaving one or two staff members to deal with everything from homelessness to new property developments, as well as the lack of a streamlined permitting process for important projects that would benefit Richmond.

“We need to actually create a robust housing department that has the right staffing, because what happens is, many permits are being looked at by one person,” she said.

Martinez believes the issue can be resolved by combining the planning commission and design review board, because, in his opinion, they both work on problems the other should be tending to.

With the June 2 election approaching, candidates have a few weeks left to make their case to voters.

Mail-in ballots will be sent to registered voters during the first week of May.