City Government

Poll Shows Voters Highly Dissatisfied with Mayor Quan

Published

10 years ago

March 5, 2014

A new poll commissioned by mayoral candidate Libby Schaaf shows high levels of dissatisfaction with incumbent Mayor Jean Quan and growing support for Councilmember Schaaf. EMC Research conducted the online survey of 595 likely voters on Feb. 5-7. The results show that most Oakland residents love their city, but they are very dissatisfied with the city’s direction, safety and Mayor Quan’s leadership.

Seventy-two percent say the city an excellent or good place to live, though only 24 percent say Oakland is heading the right direction, compared with 58 percent who say the city is on the wrong track. Only 12 percent say they feel safer in Oakland today compared with a year or two ago. Only 15 percent say Quan is doing a good job as mayor, while 52 percent say she is doing a “poor” job.

The latest poll continues a trend of poor approval ratings for the mayor that were reported in a poll taken in the fall.

Schaaf, who launched her campaign on March 1, is gaining ground on Mayor Quian in the latest poll. It shows the councilmember winning 19 percent of the first place votes, compared with 13 percent for Quan, though 41 percent are still undecided. Schaaf also has growing name recognition, with 69 percent of likely voters now saying they are at least familiar with her. Voter opinion on Schaaf is 28 percent favorable, 29 percent neutral and only 12 percent unfavorable.

Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan, who has not entered the race, remains the leading contender should she decide to run. When Kaplan’s name was added to the poll’s choices, 18 percent of likely voters said she was their first choice.

With Kaplan slightly out in front, Schaaf was number 2 with 16 percent, followed by Quan with 10 percent, Joe Tuman with 8 percent, Dan Siegel with 6 percent and Bryan Parker with 4 percent. Thirty-Seven percent were undecided.

The survey was taken before City Auditor Courtney Ruby entered the race last week.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

6 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

1 week ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

1 week ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.