The General Election ballot is set, and Alameda voters will be determining a host of issues in November. Along with voting for the next U.S. President, Alameda voters will elect two city councilmembers, a city auditor, treasurer, school board members and decide on two city ordinance issues.

Tony Daysog and Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft are seeking re-election to their City Council seats. Daysog served on the Alameda City Council between 1996 and 2006, prior to returning to the council in 2012. Daysog has served on several Alameda committees including the Alameda Re-use and Redevelopment Authority, Alameda’s Economic Development Commission and Alameda’s Fiscal Sustainability Committee.

Ashcraft has been on the council since 2012. She served on the Planning Board and the Economic Development Commission prior to joining the council.

Three candidates will be seeking to replace them on the council. Former councilmember Lena Tam is seeking to take back one of the council seats. She served on the council from 2006 to 2014. She is also a former Alameda vice mayor. She is currently a licensed civil engineer for the East Bay Municipal Utility District.

The other two prospective candidates are new to politics. Jennifer Roloff has a degree in urban studies and planning from UC San Diego. Roloff has spent time recently in community service. She joined a local Alameda group to raise funds for Children’s Hospital and served as vice president of fundraising on the Franklin School PTA.

Malia Vella is a labor and employment law attorney. She earned her law degree from Santa Clara University. She is a member of the Historical Advisory Board and the Alameda Family Services League.

Alameda City Auditor Kevin Kearney is seeking re-election in November. He has served as the city auditor since 1991. Kearney has a certified public accounting business in Alameda. He is being challenged by Mike McMahon. McMahon served on the Alameda school board for 12 years until 2014. He was also a board member of Girls Inc. of the Island City. He has an accounting degree from Cal State East Bay. 

Like Kearney, Kevin Kennedy has also had a long tenure in his role of public office in Alameda. He has been the city treasurer for 16 years. He is seeking re-election, while Jeff Bratzler is trying to take his place. Kennedy is a certified financial planner with his own firm, Kevin Kennedy LLC, in Alameda. Bratzler is also a certified financial planner at BCN Financial in Alameda.  

Alameda voters will vote on three measures involving two topics. First, Measure K1 will determine whether the city will amend its charter to reaffirm the continuous annual transfer of approximately $3.7 million from Alameda Municipal Power to the city, adjust future transfer amounts for inflation and modernize the existing Utility Users Tax ordinance to reflect new and evolving technologies so all taxpayers are treated equally regardless of technology. The funds are used to pay for police, fire, parks, library and other essential services.

Measure L1 and M1 deal with Alameda’s rising rent crisis. A yes vote for Measure L1 will formally adopt the city’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance, which limits residential rent increases to once annually, requires mediation for all residential rent increases above 5 percent including binding decisions on rent increases for most rental units, restricts reasons for “no fault” evictions, requires landlords to pay relocation fees when terminating certain tenancies and permits the City Council to amend the ordinance to address changing concerns and conditions.

A yes vote for M1 will amend the City Charter and adopt the Alameda Renter Coalition-backed “Alameda Renter Protection and Community Stabilization Charter Amendment.” This amendment would limit annual residential rent increases for certain units to 65 percent of the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index, create an elected Rent Control Board separate from the city with authority to hire staff, impose fees on landlords for program funding and assess penalties, limit the reasons for terminating tenancies and require rental property owners to pay relocation fees to tenants when terminating certain tenancies. Each measure needs one more than 50 percent of the vote to pass.

Three of the five school board seats are available. The six candidates are incumbent Gray Harris, former superintendent Ardella Dailey, attorney Dennis Popalardo, Matt Hettich, Alameda Education Foundation board member Anne McKereghan and law judge Jennifer Williams.

To register to vote or for more election information, visit www.acgov.org/rov.