The League of Woman Voters of Berkeley, Albany, Emeryville announces they are hosting an online candidates forum for the two candidates running for the open seat on the Emeryville City Council at 6:30 pm, Tuesday, October 26, 2021. It will be a virtual meeting, and the Zoom link will be sent to attendees before the forum. To register for the free event, visit Eventbrite:
Yet Another Appointment to Emery School Board After Another Elected Trustee Resigns
Emeryville, Meet Your Newest Board Member-
John Van Geffen; Advocate for Business Interests
& Foe of the Working Poor
News Analysis In his third attempt, local attorney and former City Council candidate John Van Geffen was finally successful this week in securing an appointment to the position of Trustee on the Emery School Board, a governing body that is supposed to be elected by the people of Emeryville. However due to recurring resignations among Board members, executive appointments to this legislative body here are often the norm. Also common is the appointing of community members to the Board that have been previously rejected by the voters of Emeryville. Or in the case of Mr Van Geffen, a candidate that had been previously rejected by the voters AND (twice by) the School Board. He now takes over the position of former Trustee Sarah Nguyen who resigned earlier in the year.
This week's continuation of Emery's Board of Trustees tradition, manifested by the elevating of Mr Van Geffen, comes after his 2016 City Council bid when he came in last place in a field of six candidates. The deeply unpopular John Van Geffen was bested by current Board member, appointee Brynnda Collins, who also lost her Council bid in 2016, coming in 5th place in the six candidate field. Unlike Mr Van Geffen however, Ms Collins actually won a subsequent (2018) School Board bid put to the voters.
Political office aspirants facing voters is the norm in a functioning democracy except here at the Emery Unified School District where Board members commonly resign before their terms are finished.
Third Time's a Charm- Newly Appointed School Board Member John Van Geffen He lost a City Council bid and two previous attempts to get appointed to the Board.
Newly minted School Board member Van Geffen was a controversial pick for the existing four Board members with his conspicuous ‘limited government’ conservative philosophy and open hostility to Emeryville's popular and progressive minimum wage and 'fair work week' ordinances in his failed City Council bid (see the League of Woman Voters video below). Whereas Emeryville voters (and previous iterations of the School Board) soundly rejected Mr Van Geffen's attacks on the working poor in the community in 2016, the newest iteration of the Board now see a simpatico fellow traveler they can work with.
The appointment of Mr Van Geffen to the Board of Trustees adds to two existing other appointees currently on the Board. Not including Board member Collins who was appointed and finally elected, the Emery Unified School Board now is comprised of only three members whom voters have elected and three that have not been either rejected at the ballot box or appointed to their Board position. A spare majority of three were selected by the people of the City of Emeryville, a tenuous majoritarian condition given Emery's historic inability to hold onto Board members for their full terms.
Readers may wish to review Mr Van Geffen's presentation in the League of Woman Voters' 2016 City Council candidates' forum in the video below and the Tattler 2016 City Council candidates' questionnaire, in four installments:
#1 HERE
#2 HERE
#3 HERE
#4 HERE
From the League of Woman Voters of Berkeley, Albany, Emeryville:
Emeryville Candidate Forum
Join the League of Women Voters of Berkeley, Albany, Emeryville for the Emeryville City Council and School Board Candidate Forum. All candidates, candidate supporters, and audience members must follow the League of Women Voter’s ground rules (see below). There will be opening and closing statements, prepared questions, and questions from the audience. Audience questions will be submitted in writing throughout the forum and will be reviewed for repetition and relevancy before being given to the moderator. The forum will be recorded and uploaded to our website and YouTube.
City Council Candidates: (From left to right)
Scott Donahue
Dianne Martinez
Ken Bukowski
School Board Candidates: (From left to right)
Ken Bukowski
Katy Brown
Brynnda Collins
Susan Donaldson
Sara Nguyen
Statement of Non-Partisanship:
The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy. The League never supports or opposes candidates for elective office or political parties, but sometimes takes positions on ballot measures.
