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For nearly 24 years, Federal Glover has represented much of the northern Contra Costa waterfront on the county Board of Supervisors.
Now with his planned retirement, the campaigning to replace him comes down to two candidates in a runoff election on the Nov. 5 ballot: Pittsburg City Councilmember Shanelle Scales-Preston, whom we recommend, and Antioch Councilmember Mike Barbanica.
Scales-Preston has worked for more than two decades as a top aide to Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, and his predecessor, George Miller. Barbanica is a former Pittsburg cop turned real estate broker.
While both are well-prepared for the job, each has weaknesses: Whereas Scales-Preston often retreats to political talking points, Barbanica can level claims without supporting information.
For us, it’s policy positions that tip the balance in favor of Scales-Preston — especially her support for board oversight of the county sheriff.
At stake is the District 5 seat stretching from Hercules to the north side of Antioch, taking in Martinez, Bay Point, Pittsburg and a sliver of north Concord.
The five-member board oversees the annual $5 billion budget that funds programs for a county of more than 1.1 million people — programs such as health care, social services, law enforcement, library services, planning and roads maintenance and repair.
The board will face financial challenges in the next few years as it struggles to make tough choices to keep expenditures in line with limited revenues. The county also needs to go back to voters to renew the Urban Limit Line, which for decades has controlled suburban sprawl and preserved open space, before it expires at the end of 2026.
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And then there’s the looming question of whether the board should use a new state law to appoint an inspector general to oversee the sheriff, David Livingston, who is separately elected. Livingston stonewalled release of deputies’ public discipline records and staunchly defended a deputy convicted of felony assault with a firearm for the killing of an unarmed motorist.
It’s on this issue that Scales-Preston and Barbanica diverge the most. Preston supports oversight, while Barbanica says it’s not needed and insists claims about Livingston’s leadership are unsubstantiated.
Finally, there is the issue of board diversity. With Glover retiring, the Board of Supervisors will be losing its first and only Black member. Without him, the county, which is about 39% White, would have no person of color on the board — unless Scales-Preston is elected.
For us, that’s not a determinative factor. But it’s a criterion we’re mindful of that helps solidify our support for her.
