What Would a City of CV Government Look Like?

If Castro Valley becomes a city, what will its government look like? That was the question about 25 people pondered during an open discussion at the library last Sunday.

The CastroValleyCity.com group sponsored the event, which included a review of a draft going before the Alameda Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) next month. LAFCO has three proposals on the table that would make cities out of the local unincorporated areas, including one that would convert Castro Valley into an official city. The state oversight agency is expected to review the draft with recent addendums and provide a pathway for any or all the cityhood plans to move forward. 

“Everybody is looking for more detailed information as we go forward, but this was a chance to share ideas on how a local governance plan might be drawn together,” said Yon Hardisty, a resident who moderated the event. “It was great to have the community to validate what things we may want as a city.” 

So, who might be in charge of Castro Valley as a city?

Steve Hollister, a former city manager of San Leandro, shared his experience with the group and noted that one option is to have Castro Valley governed by a traditional route of a mayor with a city council of five or seven members and a city manager. It could also be managed by a city manager with no mayor, but the council could rotate responsibilities typically befalling a mayor to one of its members every few years. 

“The most important person that needs to be full-time is the City Manager,” CastroValleyCity.com spokesperson Gary Howard told the Forum. “That is a position that requires a huge commitment.”

In addition to a council and city manager, the LAFCO report recommended a City Clerk and other support functions, including a City Attorney for legal matters and Finance, Human Resources, and Economic Development managers.

While the LAFCO report estimated Castro Valley City administration costs at $9,356,540 annually, Hollister and others noted the comparisons were made against neighboring cities like San Leandro and Dublin. 

“If you look at three other recent incorporations (Citrus Heights in Sacramento County and Jurupa Valle and Eastvale in Riverside County), they all started off with small staff and contracted services for several years,” Howard said.

In the early stages of Castro Valley as a city, some services such as public works, police, and fire services would likely still be managed by Alameda County, according to Hollister's notes. Official business would likely be done in a leased space in town, and the mayor and city council positions would likely be part-time and decided by either a general representation or by breaking Castro Valley into districts, something the Castro Valley Unified School District recently did.

If LAFCO approves the Castro Valley City framework, the next step will require a non-profit to file an application for cityhood, which requires a detailed financial analysis, a specific map that will likely include the canyon lands and a down payment of an undisclosed amount.

Two-thirds of Castro Valley voters would still need to approve the issue before becoming a city. The earliest Castro Valley cityhood could be put on a ballot would be 2026, according to CastroValleyCity.com members.

The current LAFCO report draft and other public discussions are available on the CastroValleyCity.com website.