Rob AriasEmeryville City Council convened on Tuesday, December 10 for the final meeting of 2024. The final meeting of the year is traditionally used to determine who will be elevated to Mayor and Vice Mayor for the coming year.
Typically, whomever is the current Vice Mayor is elevated to Mayor and a new Vice Mayor is chosen based on seniority, availability and vote tally in the prior election (there have been several exceptions to these unwritten rules over the years).
In an election year, these meetings are also used to honor departing councilmembers and swear-in newly elected ones.
Bauters Lauded, Criticized
It was also the final meeting for Councilmember John Bauters who withdrew from running for a third council term to seek a County Supervisor seat. He narrowly lost a bitter race with Oakland Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas.
Bauters was recognized for his contributions to Emeryville and the wider Bay Area in a proclamation detailing what were considered his key accomplishments. These include the passage of the Measure C $50 million affordable housing bond, Measure O which helps funds city services through a property transfer tax, and the Railroad “Quiet Zones” project.
Several residents and members of city staff paid tribute to Bauters speaking at podium during public comment.
“It was my pleasure to serve as staff to both the Planning Commission and the council during John’s tenure on both,” said Charlie Bryant, a former Planning Director for Emeryville who retired last year after 23 years with the city. Bryant lamented John’s narrow Supervisor race loss but expected him to make a comeback. “I’m sure John will be back on his feet and doing some other kind of public service very soon.”
“Every single elected official that I’ve had an opportunity to work with, in the region in Berkeley has lauded your service.”
“Every single elected official that I’ve had an opportunity to work with, in the region in Berkeley has lauded your service,” provided former Berkeley councilmember Laurie Droste. “Emeryville is very lucky to have you.”
“I want to attest to the prodigious memory that John Bauters has for every committee meeting and every packet of information,” said Fran Quittel, a member of the Budget Advisory and the Economic Development Committees. “When you say something at a meeting and John is there, you better know what you’re talking about.”
Not all comments were celebratory. One community member in particular voiced sharp criticism of Bauters’ tenure. “He said no to local governance of our housing policy and yes to corporate control,” the speaker alleged, likely referring to Bauters’ alignment with YIMBYism. The speaker also acknowledged the efforts of councilmember Kalimah Priforce for his role foiling Bauters’ bid for the county supervisor seat.
Former longtime councilmember Ken Bukowski, who now lives in Berkeley, also made an appearance complimenting John on his effectiveness. Bukowski recounted how he ran against John in 2014 and apologized for his role in his eventual loss. “Who is this guy that shows up in the city and decides to run for city council?” Bukowski recounted referring to Bauters’ short tenure and lack of civic engagement at the time. ”I wasn’t going to just let somebody come in here and decide they can be on the city council. So I guess I’m sorry for that, but that’s the way it goes.”
Following public comment, a teary-eyed Bauters addressed those in attendance by reading a poem by Douglas Malloch called ‘Good Timber’ and followed by addressing city staff and residents in attendance and watching online. “I just want to thank the people of Emeryville who trusted me for eight years to be a representative of yours. I hope I have done my best, I’m grateful for your kindness.”
The farewell was surely bittersweet for Bauters who instead of stepping into a larger, prominent regional leadership role, faces fading into obscurity barring a political comeback.
In response to recent criticism in the wake of the censure of Councilmember Kalimah Priforce, Bauters has locked his Twitter account retaining “America’s Bike Mayor” in his bio.
Welch, Kaur, Solomon Sworn In
Alameda County certified the election results on December 5 (a month after election night) making the election of Welch, Kaur and Solomon official.
Solomon was summoned from audience shaking the hands of the four existing councilmembers before taking his seat behind the dais adjacent to Councilmember Priforce.
“I look forward to working with the rest of the council to fill what are very big shoes.” noted Solomon after being sworn-in.
Welch “Passes Gavel” to Mourra
Vice Mayor David Mourra, finishing his second year on council, was nominated for Mayor by outgoing Mayor Welch as expected.
“I do want to thank you for your leadership and steady hand over this last year and what a challenging year it’s been.” Mourra stated turning to Welch. “We lost a very capable city manager (Paul Buddenhagen). We lost our most experienced council member (Bauters). The city’s financial situation is challenging to say the least.”
Despite the challenges, Mourra accepted the nomination saying he’d be honored to step into the role if the council wished it. The vote passed 4-1 vote with councilmember Priforce abstaining.
Being Mayor has no additional voting power and is mostly ceremonial coming with ribbon-cutting duties and chairing council meetings.
Mourra will be tasked with helping navigate the city through a potentially difficult economic climate as revenues continue to decline in tandem with rising expenses.
“The city’s financial situation is challenging to say the least.”
Is Mourra ‘The Man for the Moment’?
Mourra just might be the “man for the moment’. Pragmatic, non-idealogical and data-driven, he has not been antagonistic with members of the media, has not shown a propensity to incessantly virtue signal nor persistently tout his accomplishments to the public. His comments during public meetings are typically well-measured and succinct.
Mourra’s temperament and professional skill set should serve him well in a role that heavily relies on staff-members and is genuinely intended to help steer the city and prioritize resident sentiment and not used for one’s personal ambitions.
Thank you @cw4emeryville for nominating me to serve as Mayor of Emeryville! I'm looking forward to serving the people of Emeryville with my Vice Mayor @4emeryville pic.twitter.com/XWI56EAHzQ
— David Mourra (@EmeryvilleDave) December 11, 2024
Kaur Next in Line?
Councilmember Sukhdeep Kaur, elected to her first full term after being appointed in 2023, was appointed Vice Mayor. She’ll have a year as Mourra’s “understudy’ to help find her voice on council and be groomed for the more intensive role as Mayor.
2024 Mayor Courtney Welch will now “get to the back of the line” but could serve another rotation as Mayor in her 4-year term that concludes in 2028.
The order of Mayorship will likely be Kaur in 2026, Solomon in 2027 and Welch in 2028 if things hold up. Barring a shift, expect recently censured Councilmember Priforce to be overlooked throughout the remainder of his 4-year term that ends in 2026.
Why is Kalimah Priforce being “overlooked”? HE is supposed to be next in line to be Mayor of our city. What happened? Mr. Priforce’s is certainly adequate in relation to any of the other council members credentials and experience and, in fact, given his social bridging abilities he seems to be better able to make connections to our communities, schools, businesses and individuals that can help our city’s dire economic situation and pervasive sense of apathy. Mr. Bauters has put the city in over $10 million of debt! Why doesn’t anyone speak out about this? Bauters is a person that shows no acountability and does so with the talent of a lobbyist which is his profession.
because he’s an embarrassment. He’s under investigation by the FPPC because he’s been sketchy about money he received and how he spent it. And he got censured for other unethical behavior. Then he said he wants to sue the city to “make me a rich man”. And he’s doing a hunger strike because he wants more attention. He’s a joke. We should recall him
Agreed 100%
Kalimah’s hunger strike is a tactic he apparently uses since he was 8 years old, e.g. the tactic of a child. Hacking and his obsession with every wild website, that is what teenagers do. Fomenting outbursts during council meetings and just not doing serious work on the agenda, that’s just a timewaster for a anyone who wants the city to succeed.
Screenshot of Brian Donahue lol like he’s the ONLY PERSON IN EMERYVILLE
He is a scary person who should be nowhere near a city council meeting nevermind a school.
Best of luck to David as he steps into his new role. He’s going to need our support dealing with the likes of Brian Donahue The Aggrieved.
To this entitled commenter who really loves reading and commenting on our free news site but also likes to dox/take shots at me personally and thinks their comments are completely anonymous. 😉
Yes, I’m part of the E’ville Diaspora (as it says in my bio included in every story I write).
Believe it or not, there are a lot of journalists that don’t live in the city’s they cover. It’s actually helped me write more objectively as my family is longer personally impacted by any decisions that its politicians make.
Will Eville Eye do an email QA with Mourra and Kaur each? Would be great to hear what they see as priorities and experiences. Time to hear from the serious politicians who do the work instead of virtue signaling on social media .
Both are pragmatic, extremely informed, understated. I respect Kaur for running 3 times in 2 years. They have beat the odds and have been able to become homeowners. Both have served in their HOA so can probably understand the unique balance of developers, apartment property management, single family homes, condo and HOA.
I’m currently working on a Q&A for Mourra but I haven’t reached out to him yet to see if he’d commit to answering them. 🤞🏼
I honestly probably won’t reach out to Kaur until she becomes Mayor next year.