New Contra Costa County Supervisor Ken Carlson ready to serve District 4

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Jan. 20, 2023) — I am honored and humbled to have been elected to represent the communities of Pleasant Hill, Clayton, Concord and Walnut Creek on the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.

In case we haven’t met, I have spent most of my life in Contra Costa County, including attending Pleasant Hill and Concord schools. I first stepped into the county supervisor’s office when my grandfather, James Moriarty, was a county supervisor. I have great memories of attending events with him.

I graduated from the Los Medanos College Law Enforcement Academy and had a long career as a Concord police officer, where I served for 29 years, retiring in 2017. Some of my duties over the years included working as a patrol officer, a crisis negotiator, a traffic investigator and in various investigative positions.

Before joining the Board of Supervisors, I served on the Pleasant Hill City Council from December 2012 to December 2022 and as mayor in 2015 and 2019. During my tenure on the City Council, Pleasant Hill recovered from the Great Recession and built a solid budget based on fiscal stability. With the passing of Measure K, the council funded, planned and constructed the new state-of-the-art Pleasant Hill Library. As the first LGBTQIA+ councilmember and mayor, I established June as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month in Pleasant Hill.

Now, as I get to work at the county level, my priorities include the build-out of the A3 (Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime) Initiative, to continue to advocate for LGBTQIA+ issues, improve our aging infrastructure and expand housing options. I am also looking forward to the implementation of the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice. This office presents the opportunity to make our county more equitable for all and truly get to the roots of systemic racism.

I was officially sworn into office on Jan. 2 by Congressman Mark DeSaulnier. At my first meeting as your county supervisor, on Jan. 10, I participated in the reorganization actions of the board. Supervisors John Gioia and Federal Glover were sworn in as chair and vice chair, respectively. Gioia and I took a ceremonial oath of office, and Kristin Connelly took her oath of office starting her tenure as the county clerk-recorder.

The Board of Supervisors also approved the appointments of each board member to several county and regional boards and committees. My appointments include the Board of Supervisors’ airport and legislation committees, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, the Association of Bay Area Governments Executive Board and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board of Directors, to name a few.

While I am new to the county post, my staff has more than 30 years of experience working for Contra Costa. They are ready to help District 4 residents navigate county agencies and assist with county issues.

Ken Carlson is Contra Costa County District IV supervisor. Email questions or comments to Carlson at SupervisorCarlson@bos.cccounty.us or call his office at 925-655-2350.