Donations Start Coming in for Mayoral Candidate

The date to officially file for candidacy for San Ramon City Council hasn't rolled around yet, but campaigning is well underway.

And the contributions are starting to trickle in.

Bill Clarkson – who served 12 years on the San Ramon Valley Unified School District Board of Education – . As of mid-February, the real estate broker reported $2,299 in campaign contributions. Of that amount, $1,000 came from his dad and some from other relatives.

Since he's the only one so far to have raised more than $1,000 to date, Clarkson's the only one who filed a 460 form (the one that itemizes all campaign donations and expenses).

One other person has announced plans to run for mayor – a seat soon to be open since H. Abram Wilson terms out at the year's end after eight years at the city's helm.

Carol Rowley. She's been a council member since 2003 (San Ramon holds its city elections in odd years). Before her run on City Council, she worked for 30 years at first as teacher and PTA president, then as principal.

Then there's Phil O'Loane, who's running for a seat as councilman. He was on the city's Planning Commission until last year when he was up for re-appointment and City Council replaced him with Jeanne Benedetti, a marketing manager for energy giant Calpine Corporation.

O'Loane was the only member of the commission to oppose the city's plan to expand the urban growth boundary into the Tassajara Valley – a proposal on the ballot last fall as Measure W.

Rowley and Councilman Dave Hudson voted for O'Loane's re-appointment last summer, but council members Jim Livingston, Scott Perkins and Wilson put their votes behind Benedetti.

After he lost re-appointment as a planning commissioner, O'Loane directed his energy to the "No on W" campaign, . More than 70 percent of San Ramon voters killed the general plan amendment.

Aside from the mayor's seat, two other spots on City Council will be on the ballot: Those of Rowley and Perkins.

Perkins is running for re-election. Rowley's running for mayor, so that leaves her seat open. Some speculate that Wilson will run for Rowley's spot so he can stay on the council, but so far he's managed to dodge questions about his intent to run.

Regardless of the outcome from this Nov. 8 election, City Council's in for some change. For eight years, the elected body has had the same five members.

Already this year, city leadership has seen some shifts. Herb Moniz – – retired in March. Greg Rogers replaced him, agreeing to an annual compensation of $225,000, an amount closer to that of other city managers in the region.

Stay posted. Some candidates may have kicked off election season a little early, but things will start to get really intense later this summer as deadlines approach and fund-raising ramps up.

For more information about candidate filings, call the City Clerk's Office at 925-973-2539.