Bay Area

Richmond Councilmembers, Mayor OK 80% Salary Increase for Themselves

City staff stated that the roles of councilmember and mayor haven’t received a salary increase since 2007. The newly approved increase amounts to a 5% increase every year for the last 16 years. It is the maximum annual increase allowed per California Government Code section 36516, as recently amended by Senate Bill No 329.

Published

1 year ago

January 11, 2025

Oakland Post

Richmond City Hall. Photo by Mike Kinney, Richmond Standard.

The Richmond Standard

The Richmond City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to give themselves an 80% raise in their monthly salaries.

In a controversial vote, the City Council voted to increase the monthly salary for the mayor to $6,975 from the current $3,875, and to increase the monthly salary for City Councilmembers to $2,524.50 per month from the current $1,402.50.

The salary adjustment aims to make their monthly compensation “equitable and commensurate with comparable cities.” A chart provided by the city shows the adjustment makes Richmond’s mayor and councilmembers among the highest paid among comparable Bay Area cities.

Comparable cities

Berkeley $1,600 Councilmembers
Concord: $5,633 Councilmembers/$8,941 Mayor
Daly City: $1,531 Councilmembers
Fairfield: $650 Councilmembers/$900 Mayor
Hayward: $2,083 Councilmembers/$3,333 Mayor
Santa Clara: $2,000 Councilmembers/$2,500 Mayor
Santa Rosa: $800 Councilmember/$1,200 Mayor
Sunnyvale: $2,773 Councilmember/$3,698 Mayor
Vacaville: $1,079 Councilmember/$1,354 Mayor

At Tuesday’s meeting, a few members of the public spoke against the increases, questioning whether they are warranted given hours spent on the job and why they were approved without more public input.

Debby Mayer, who identified herself as a Richmond resident during a public forum, said she believes the raises should justify the number of hours elected officials work for the city.

“That’s a huge increase, and I don’t know anyone who has ever gotten an 80% increase unless they were a CEO who was paying themselves,” Mayer said.

Mayor Eduardo Martinez and fellow Councilmembers argued that they work very hard in their roles and that they are full-time jobs. Martinez challenged residents to “shadow him” in his day-to-day work for the city.

“These jobs are actually 24-7 jobs,” he said, adding he is working at City Hall “every day, and at night, like tonight.”

Councilmember Claudia Jimenez argues that low monthly pay is a barrier to entry for low-income residents who want to run for office. For elected officials to put their full focus on city matters, they should not need to split their time with a second job, Councilmember Melvin Willis said.

Jimenez also says her progressive colleagues on City Council have proven by their accomplishments that they deserve the raises.

“I work really hard to get the city out of the swamps, and that saved the city $84 million and [twice raised the city’s credit rating] in one year,” Jimenez said. “And this is the work that we have been doing.”

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

1 week ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.