Incumbents facing new rivals in Concord district elections

CONCORD, CA (Sept. 19, 2024) – Is 2024 going to mimic 2022, when City Councilmember Tim McGallian lost his bid for reelection to Laura Nakamura in the city’s first district elections?

This November, Mayor Edi Birsan, 74, is trying to keep his District 4 seat in a race against Pablo Benevente, 33, a parks and recreation commissioner and co-chair of Measure V; Myles Burks, 24, of Concord Taphouse fame; and Matthew Dasher, who did not respond to the Pioneer’s questions.

In what is shaping up as a two-person race, there have been accusations of Birsan taking down Benevente’s signs – a lot of that was “misunderstanding,” according to Birsan – and placing signs where they weren’t supposed to be.

In District 2, Vice Mayor Carlyn Obringer, 44, is facing a quieter battle against driven political newcomer Eric Antonick, 55.

Benevente ‘invested’ in the future

It may seem like an uphill battle for Benevente, as Birsan is widely popular in the city and is visible at most major civic events, whether they are put on by the city or not. Still, Benevente has a large following of younger voters – who also want a Hispanic on the council – and is creeping up on Birsan’s base.

“I want to run for a City Council position because I’m deeply invested in shaping Concord’s future in a way that benefits all residents,” Benevente says.

Having lived in Concord since he was 13, he says he has witnessed the city’s growth and the challenges it faces, including traffic and safety concerns, infrastructure, and the need for more community resources like parks and libraries.

He says he brings a “unique” combination of public service and private sector experience that makes him qualified to make informed and effective decisions for the city.

‘My service on the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Commission has provided me with valuable experience in advocating for and improving our public spaces, ensuring they meet the needs of all residents,” he says. “Additionally, my work with nonprofits such as Monument Impact and as co-chair of the Measure V Committee has given me hands-on experience in advocating for and securing funding for critical infrastructure improvements.”

For Benevente, the main issues facing Concord are roads and public safety, bringing both large and small businesses back to town, addressing the empty spaces and converting them to parks or spaces for small businesses, and opening a new library.

Birsan committed to a successful CNWS project

Birsan takes issue with the library, although he says he agrees that another library would be a great addition to Concord. He has served on the library board for more than 10 years and would like to see the one Concord Library modernized and built out to include more space.

But Birsan is not just about libraries. He received recognition from the city for 15 years of perfect council attendance, which goes back years before he was elected.

He has strong opinions on housing, business, the police, development of the Concord Naval Weapons Station (CNWS), infrastructure and much more. However, it’s his housing vote two years ago that may doom him, as he voted in favor of the unpopular builder Seeno as Master Developer for the CNWS.

“At the time, it was the best option we had,” Birsan says of Seeno, who has since left the project.

There has been talk among residents that CNWS is too big a project for the City Council and that a regional entity should take over. Birsan has strong feelings about that, too.

“No way!” he says. “We already have regional oversight to a degree that is mandated by state law and where we engage in the regular process of projects such as Environmental Impact Reports, etc. No way am I going to further support interference in our city. We do not need to be ordered about by outsiders. When the plan was made by the Community Advisory Committee, we did have regional representatives in the 20-plus members but remember, they were advisors, not deciders.”

.

Burks wants to address business community

Burks agrees with Birsan about regional oversight.

“The City Council should make the right decisions to move forward by working all together, knowing all the qualifications and information that a developer would need,” he says.

Burks is a newcomer to city politics but says as a small business owner he has his hand on the pulse of the city. He cites homelessness, crime and safety are big issues.

“You don’t have to be a genius or an economist or an expert in government to look around and see something wrong in Concord,” Burks says. “As a small business owner, I make a lot of decisions that can either benefit my business or be detrimental. But before any decision is made, I thoroughly do my research for the best outcome.”

He believes Concord could attract more businesses if it tried.

“As a small business owner of a family eatery, I started looking around and seeing that business all around me, that have been here for years, were starting to close,” he notes. “New customers and old ones that had been coming for years stopped coming around because Concord had lost its appeal as a destination for entertainment. Why? Because it has developed a bad reputation, with homeless wandering the streets, petty theft, shoplifting, robbery, auto break-ins with smash and grabs.”

He says that the best way to honor his father, who died two years ago and always gave back to the city, would be to give back himself as a member of the council.

“I have worked with the local police department, churches and other businesses to feed the homeless. I was also an applicant for the homeless strategic plan,” he adds.

Burks says the long-term success of a city like Concord depends on development of housing that brings new businesses and increases tax revenues.

“When I’m elected, I will work to make sure taxpayers’ money is well spent and new housing development projects are approved.”

.

Antonick frustrated with current council

Over in District 2, Antonick is angry.

“Like many with whom I have held conversations, I have grown frustrated with the overall performance of the council, and I believe that there are certain elements that are needed in that body,” he says. “We need far more accountability; transparency; outreach to, and engagement with, the public; strategic and innovative thinking; and consistent drive toward executing on the myriad projects needing to be undertaken by the city.”

That’s a big agenda for a relative political newcomer, but as a construction project manager, Antonick has a wealth of experience overseeing projects, some overseas, that he says will help him solve the city’s problems.

Of the four major issues facing Concord – homelessness, safety, housing, and roads and infrastructure – he is vocal in his criticism of his opponent:

“I believe that it’s a travesty that it has taken nearly eight years for the District 2 incumbent to reach this stage of a plan to address our issue of homelessness in Concord,” he says. “This needed to be Year One. And all we have, at nearly Year Eight (in the case of District 2), is a plan with little idea as to its eventual effectiveness. It is yet to be determined whether it will be executed satisfactorily or whether the design is based upon correct assessments and assumptions.”

Obringer running on her record

Even with his passion, he has tough job in unseating Obringer, another popular councilmember who often meets with constituents.

Despite her unsuccessful bid for county supervisor two years ago, many expect Obringer to start climbing the political ladder soon. That is not an issue if you ask her.

In regard to homelessness and the unhoused communities in Concord, Obringer has overseen planning and approval of nearly 1,000 units of new housing at all affordability levels, including approximately 500 new residences affordable to those making $33,000 to $84,000 annually.

But that’s not the only thing on Obringer’s resume. She has allocated more funding and resources for Concord police and public safety personnel, including for two school resource officers at Concord high schools. She has also overseen the investment of $114 million to improve the condition of Concord roads, including Grant/East street, the streets of the Estates, Hillcrest, and West Sun Terrace neighborhoods, and roads around John Muir Hospital, Mt. Diablo High School and Queen of All Saints Catholic Church. And more is on the way.

“Look for construction crews coming soon to the Alameda, Holbrook Heights and Northwood Drive,” she says.

Her extensive experience on the dais, including two stints as mayor, not to mention planning commissioner and design review commission, will make her a tough nut for Antonick to break.

But, Concord has seen it before.

Read the unedited responses the candidates gave to the Pioneer’s candidate questionnaire.