Though the filing deadline is still months away, former Antioch City Manager Rowland “Ron” Bernal has confirmed that he wants to be the city’s next mayor.
Bernal, who said he has been thinking about it for awhile, did not announce his candidacy but rather sent out invitations to his private kickoff event, which will be on Jan. 25.
The longtime Antioch resident and former city public works director retired in late 2021 after a nearly five-year stint as city manager — 23 with the city — and having spent several months last year as Clayton’s interim city manager. He said after talking with his “kitchen cabinet” friends, he decided it was “something I need to do for the community… to move the city forward.”
Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe, meanwhile, confirmed he has filed a “letter of intent” to run for the position but has not made any announcements and did not comment on Bernal’s candidacy. He also is planning a private fundraiser – two days after Bernal’s event — and said he will make an announcement after that.
Assistant City Clerk Christina Garcia said as of Wednesday, Thorpe and Bernal were the only two to file letter of intent papers for the mayoral seat.
When Bernal was asked why it was important for him to run, he pointed to “the amount of crime we’re experiencing and the lack of response from the police department.”
About half of the city’s police officers were placed on leave or given light duty following an FBI/District Attorney investigation and a later probe over racist and homophobic texts. The investigation is ongoing, according to Acting City Manager Kwame Reed.
“When somebody needs emergency assistance, the response time has increased,” Bernal said. “…The police department needs to be adequately staffed.
“If they’ve done something wrong, then discipline them; if not, then move back to getting our police officers that are that are not being criminally charged or not going to be removed from the police department, get them back working,” Bernal said. “I just don’t know why it’s taking so long, our city is suffering.”
The retired city manager, who is making his first bid for office, said he wants to stabilize the police department and then move forward.
“We need we need to put the necessary reforms in place in order to make sure that something like this doesn’t happen again,” he said. “But at the same time, we need to get a permanent police chief in there who is the right person for the job.”
Antioch’s last permanent chief, Steven Ford, held the position for 10 months until retiring in August of 2023, after which Antioch Police Captain Joseph Vigil took over as Acting Police Chief.
Bernal said he also hopes to address homeless issues in Antioch.
“Our homelessness situation seems to be increasing … businesses are leaving Antioch and city staff (numbers) are down,” he said.
Thorpe, meanwhile, worked with staff and other council members to identify the issues and solutions and last spring the city opened transitional housing at the former 33-room Executive Inn to help get the chronic homeless off the streets and into needed services. The council also earmarked $300,000 toward securing rooms at Contra Costa County’s Delta Landing Interim Housing in Pittsburg.
Last week at a press conference, Thorpe also denounced absentee corporate landlords who have allowed properties to decay and become magnets for dangerous homeless encampments and illicit drug traffic, he said. He wants the city to consider potential measures to prevent this and also to take legal action against nine commercial properties.
Bernal also pointed to key permanent city positions that are vacant, including that of city manager, assistant city manager, community development director, public works director, police chief, or assistant city engineer and planning manager, which he says, if filled, could help the city get back on track.
“And so, I just believe with my experience, through working for Antioch for 23 years and then being a city manager, I believe I have the ability to help us get back on track with getting some people in key positions so that we can move this city forward,” he said.
Candidates wishing to run for mayor have until August to file the necessary paperwork.