Brentwood Press endorsement

By Chris Becnel

Becnel for City Council

Clare and Becnel for City Council

At a time when other municipalities have trouble scaring up enough candidates to fill available seats, Brentwood has quite the opposite situation, with a total of 10 candidates running for two seats on the City Council. (An 11th candidate, Derrick Bullington, withdrew from the race late, although his name will still appear on the ballot.)

The candidate pool offers a wide variety of qualifications, but none of them has experience on a City Council. With the potential for the new council to include three first-time members (if Councilman Bob Taylor is elected mayor), there will be a premium on those members' other experience and qualifications. Therefore, the Press endorses Gene Clare and Chris Becnel for City Council.

During his 10-year tenure as Liberty High School Principal and continuing through his current position as Director of Community Education (including alternative and adult education) for the Liberty district, Clare has helped a critical institution manage growth that mirrors that of the city. He has shown he can work with people of all ages to solve problems and build consensuses, skills that will help him work with both the public and his fellow council members.

Clare has also a long track record of civic involvement. He's a past president of Rotary, co-founder of the Brentwood Youth Commission, and belongs to a diverse group of organizations ranging from the East Contra Costa Historical Society to the Brentwood Police Activities League.

Becnel also has a strong record of public service, the most beneficial to the city being his three years on the Brentwood Planning Commission. He is also a former president of both Rotary and the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, and an active member of several other community groups.

A certified public accountant and a lawyer, Becnel has a knowledge and understanding of the city budget that exceeds other candidates. That will be important as the city matures and its revenue picture shifts from developer fees to more stable, and potentially smaller, sources of income.

The rest of the field of council candidates should be encouraged to maintain their involvement and thanked for their willingness to serve. And, if Taylor is successful, another of them may. The council would then have an opportunity to appoint Taylor's replacement, and should that come to pass, the Press would recommend Richard Bates for the position. An attorney and a creative thinker, Bates has demonstrated, over the course of several elections, his passion and commitment to serving his community on the City Council, and would be a good appointment.

When stepping into the polls on Tuesday, however, voters will be asked to pick only two of the council candidates. We recommend that Gene Clare and Chris Becnel be those choices.