Rob AriasA simmering political rivalry between an Emeryville City Councilmember and an aspiring City Councilmember is now boiling over in plain view of the public.
Recently appointed Planning Commissioner Sam Gould published a Substack post detailing a Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) complaint he filed against Councilmember Kalimah Priforce.
Gould raises issues about a possible conflict of interest involving campaign contributions and their alleged influence over Priforce’s voting record.
The complaint is currently being investigated by the FPPC’s Enforcement Division.
40th St. Multimodal Project at Center of Beef
At the heart of the matter is the contentious 40th Street Multimodal Project that the city is trudging forward with despite growing opposition from businesses along the corridor. These businesses have legitimate fears over the impact the two way cycle-track, bus-only lanes and street closures would cause by reducing the egress and parking for their customers. One property owner claims his property could be “impacted negatively by up to 10 million dollars” by the project.
These fears by local businesses have been largely dismissed by bicycle activists who typically insist that the additional foot traffic and bike parking created by these measures will offset the loss of customers from outside the city. A recent UC Berkeley Report has provided some validity to these concerns noting that a similar AC Transit BRT project on International Boulevard actually increased “traffic violence” and displaced many businesses.
While the intersection of 40th St. & San Pablo Avenue is considered a high conflict zone, 40th itself has never been a particularly dangerous street by most metrics (the bike lane IFO the Target entrance might be an exception here). The street is unlikely to be considered among the highest priorities in the city by cyclists.
Priforce has been the only dissenting vote against the project when he voted against aspects of the project at a July 18, 2023 meeting and again in February, 2025 citing business impact concerns. “When I did meet with some of these businesses, many of their staff, the people who who are workers are folks of color,” Priforce deliberated at the 2025 meeting. “I’m concerned about how it affects their families.”
Pending FPPC Investigation Detailed
Among the reasons Priforce was censured back in December were his unresolved FPPC violations. Candidates and councilmembers are required to detail financial contributions semi-annually to ensure transparency with their decision making.
“It casts a shadow when he votes on items before this council,” 2025 Emeryville Mayor David Mourra stated at the meeting voting for his censure. “This is a basic concept to prevent political corruption that I’m sure everybody in this room can actually agree with.”
In such a small, dense, mixed-use city, close proximity between elected officials and development projects is common as are recusals. All “Public Officials” who influence governmental decisions are required to file a Form 700 Statements of Economic Interests. These include Councilmembers as well as members of the Planning Commission, Public Art Committee, and Housing Committee.
While Gould lives in close proximity to 40th Street, his support of the project are within bounds of his former role on the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC). Advisory Committees including the BPAC are not considered Public Officials as they to not have decision making authority or make “substantive recommendations.”
The FPPC currently lists three pending cases within Emeryville in its Complaint and Case Information Portal including this one as well as one against Courtney Welch and 2022 candidate Eugene Tssui. Neither Priforce or Welch have filed their required Form 460s that were due January 31, 2025. The Emeryville City Clerk has made non-filing referrals to the FPPC for both of them.
Priforce had previously publicly disclosed the reasons behind his late filings was a separation from his partner where he was locked out of his financial accounts. This issue has since been resolved.
It’s important to note that not all complaints, particularly those involving delinquent filing, are investigated by the FPPC for wrongdoing although delinquent filing can lead to fines. Equivocating receiving a complaint and being “under investigation by the FPPC” is generally a cheap tactic to try to discredit someone.
This latest complaint against Priforce, filed by Gould on May 27, 2025, alleges that Priforce violated the Political Reform Act’s campaign disclosure provisions. Also named in the open case are the campaigns of Mia Esperanza Brown, Calvin Dillahunty and the treasurers involved in Priforce’s campaign.
Gould’s post includes emails from Buttner Properties President Tim Robison obtained through a Public Record Act request that states “we have started donating funds to his candidacy for Mayor” referring to Priforce’s campaign mailer and social posts encouraging support for his Mayorship despite not being on the ballot and the title of Mayor not being an elected position.
The communications seem to imply that, at best, helping to elect Priforce’s slate of candidates through financial support might be the only way for businesses to have a seat at the negotiating table. At worst, there’s a Quid Pro Quo involved.
Priforce’s latest filings, dating back to April 5, 2024, do not show any donations from Robison or Buttner. Mia Esperanza Brown, a member of Priforce’s “slate” shows contributions totaling $850 in her Form 460 that covered the end of 2024. Dillahunty has not filed a Form 460 but has filed a Form 470 indicating he raised less than $2,000 for his campaign.
Priforce Recuses Himself From Subsequent Voting On Project
In reaction to the possible conflict of interest, Priforce has voluntarily recused himself from taking any action on the project. The City of Emeryville issued a formal letter confirming the recusal from “any and all involvement related to the project.”
“It is our understanding that the FPPC complaint involves allegations that you may have violated the Political Reform Act’s campaign contribution and disclosure requirements, including with respect to contributions received from persons who may have an interest in the 40th Street Multimodal Project,” Emeryville City Attorney John Kennedy verified in the letter.
Gould Rivalry An Extension of Bauters Rivalry
Gould, a friend and neighbor of former councilman John Bauters, could be considered a proxy for him in terms of his political leanings that center around YIMBYism and bike advocacy.
Priforce, in alliance with the town gadfly, are partially blamed for Bauter’s narrow defeat in the county Supervisor race through attacks and disinformation about his record while on Emeryville City Council.
Priforce and Gould have butted heads on multiple occasions both online and in-person. They got into a testy exchange at a September, 2024 Council meeting with Gould calling Priforce out at a council meeting for showing hostility toward him. Priforce fired back at Gould for his persistent online criticisms of him calling Gould’s behavior online bullying.
Gould placed a disappointing 5th in last year’s six person city council race despite prominent endorsements and previous committee experience with the city. Gould was appointed to the Planning Commission in May which is a trajectory that many councilmembers have followed including Bauters and Mourra.
It seems increasingly likely that Gould will throw his hat in the ring again in 2026 when Priforce’s and David Mourra’s seats expire.
Priforce Responds to Complaint
In response to the The FPPC Enforcement Division’s investigation, Priforce provided a lengthy and comprehensive timeline of the all the transactions related to the complaint.
Priforce called the complaint “a sustained campaign of harassment and antagonism targeting myself and several other public servants in Emeryville” and Gould’s actions ”the continuation of a vendetta.” Priforce also attested that the process is being “weaponized” against him by Gould and others.
In his response, Priforce disclosed that between April 9, 2024 and October 10, 2024, Robison made six separate donations to his campaign totaling $2,550.
“I have not voted in favor of any agenda item that would advance or finalize any core component of the 40th Street Multimodal Project since receiving contributions from area businesses,” Priforce stated in his reply also noting that he disclosed his meeting with these businesses in the Ex Parte Communications portion of the meeting. Priforce asserted that his opposition to the project was based on its costs and the city’s pending budget difficulties, and not undue influence.
The FPPC continues to investigate the matter to determine whether these non-disclosures were naive or malicious. The FPPC has the authority to levy various penalties for violations of the Political Reform Act including fines of up to $5,000 per violation.
If egregious enough, they can refer the case to the Attorney General for criminal Prosecution which seems highly unlikely in this circumstance. It does not appear Priforce was attempting to enrich himself through political influence as is alleged in the indictment of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao.
This investigation and any subsequent fine could inflict some reputational damage on Priforce who has already been censured and sanctioned during his two plus years on council.
Priforce has cultivated a strong following in the city and beyond by the left-wing/Green Party end of the political spectrum although how many of these voters exist in Emeryville is not clear. Priforce has not fully committed to seeking a second term.
I’m curious how Priforce could say this “I have not voted in favor of any agenda item that would advance or finalize any core component of the 40th Street Multimodal Project since receiving contributions from area businesses” if the article says he voted against the project in February 2025.
He lied. He collected an undisclosed amount of money from business owners who opposed the 40th st project. He did not report the money. Then he voted against the project. He also used tens of thousands of dollars to run political advertising and did not disclose the source of that money. This is the definition of corruption. FPPC could refer this case to FBI political corruption unit or CA attorney general.
It says his filings go until April 5th but he collected money from Robinson on April 9th. That’s really fishy.
I’m not sure I would call this a “political rivalry.” It’s more like whistleblowing on a corrupt city council member who is taking bribes. Priforce could go to jail for this.
My observations of Priforce from watching him over the last two years is he legitimately does not understand how local government works. Every comment from him is an attempt to grandstand instead of adding something constructive to the discussion. Him doing this was not malicious. He just has not made the effort to understand the protocols of being a councilmember. That said, if Gould ran again, I’d probably lean Priforce because I find Gould obnoxious and based on last year’s outcome, most voters agree with me.
We learned from the Bauters era and this poorly conceived multimodal project that the city needs dissent, not 5 members who just regurgitate each others taking points.
council member priforce has done more to represent working families in emeryville than anyone of them. fact that he is fighting for small businesses is on brand for him. I still have his old camapign ad and hes doing what he said he would. he’s our zohran.
Watch any city council meeting. He has accomplished nothing. He gives long nonsensical rants and has not gotten a single piece of legislation or initiative enacted.
Soooooo the guys that most stands to benefit from this project is the one filing complaints? Sounds corrupt AF to me.
Council Member Kalimah Priforce is not a member of the Green Party. He is a Democrat. I would make that correction. He is a delegate for the state’s Democratic Party. When we asked him to leave the party, he told us he was a delegate but would consider it if the Dems remain a corporate-backed party. If he did switch to us, we would be happy to have him. He’s a breath of fresh air from what I’ve seen in Emeryville politics. It’s all Bauters and Bauters-adjacent and look how he ended up. What a disgusting and reviled man he turned out to be.
Sam Gould is obsessed with a man who did not need to write a MAGA conspiracy theory cheap political tactic blog to run for office. Kalimah sat in my living room and told me us he was going to shake things up. When he got those Flock cameras, I was against it, but he text me to let me know if I would join an oversight group. I told him I was too busy but that was before they took him off the committee. Crime did go down, and my girl and I feel safer. So the person that said that he doesn’t understand how local government works – go figure? Keep underestimating the brother. Kalimah is my dude. Sam Gould is a coward.
https://www.404media.co/ice-taps-into-nationwide-ai-enabled-camera-network-data-shows/
ICE is using those cameras to track immigrants. I didn’t know he was responsible for that…
Kalimah Priforce has been actually taking care of his community while Sam Gould has spent his days harassing people and pressuring to get a good word. Just another typical white manchild going after another brother.
The race card? Seriously? You can do better than that. I’m certain you don’t know Sam Gould because that is hilariously off base.
Kalimah Priforce and his supporters will try to distract but when he filed his finance filings on September 3, 2024 for the period of January 2023 to April 2024, he CHOSE to withhold disclosing he he received money from Buttner Properties between April 9, 2024 and September 3, 2024. He would have known on September 3 he received money from Buttner. Why does it take Sam Gould to file a FPPC complaint for Priforce to finally reveal his finance sources?
https://www.ci.emeryville.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/16080/Priforce-Kalimah-_-Form-460-_-Filed-9_3_2024?bidId=
As a sitting Councilmember, Priforce has power and should refrain from misusing his authority. This essay, trumpeted by Brian Donahue, had classic bully tactics against Sam Gould and Matt Solomon when they were both candidates. It’s rich how his supporters accuse dissenters as harassment when he’s bullied others much worse using his platform as a Councilmember.
https://emeryvilletattler.blogspot.com/2024/10/my-turn-council-member-kalimah-priforce.html?m=1
Clearly there is something unhinged about this Sam Gould character. Must Emeryville be the home of these dark souled politicians?
There is only one “dark-souled” politician in this story. Sam Gould is a bicycle and housing advocate who gets things done by working hard on committees. You should meet him sometime.
Exactly that. Sitting on a committee doesn’t make someone qualified to challenge a democratically elected Council member who we voted for and has consistently stood up for marginalized voices. There’s no real comparison here. Sam Gould knows it and kisses the right ass to get his positions. Unqualified and mediocre. That’s why he’s relied on underhanded tactics, anonymous complaints, and smear campaigns instead of earning public trust the honest way.
Each time he attacks Council member Priforce, Kalimah only gains more support from residents like me because we recognize who’s actually fighting for us. There’s only one Council member risking it all to challenge the status quo, and it’s Kalimah. We don’t want another John Bauters.
Who does Sam really represent? The same interests already overrepresented on the council and every committee. He’s not new energy just more of the same, wrapped in a creepy veneer. But when someone keeps fixating on another person the way Sam has, it stops looking like politics and starts looking like obsession and harassment.
There is only one dark souled politician in this story. Sam Gould is a bike and housing advocate who works hard on the committees he belongs to. You should meet him.
I’m not going to get in a back and forth with Sam Gould on Reddit as I have better things to do with my time but I provided receipts that 40th was considered a low priority by BPAC when I served on it (2017-2019) other than the two conflict zones which are the San Pablo Ave intersection (pretty much all of San Pablo Ave is sketchy for bikes) and the turn-in to Target coming down from the southern side of 40th/Shellmound Bridge.
https://evilleeye.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-26-at-9.46.04 AM.png
He claims this is now a top-3 priority by the BPAC but I question if this is based on data or other criteria.
I personally wouldn’t put 40th even in the top five of safety/thoroughfare priorities as someone that has biked/walked every square inch of the city 100s of times. I’d put Phase II of the project that addresses the Bay Trail Connection on Shellmound as a higher priority than Phase I.
To say businesses along that corridor (including IKEA & Bay St.) have nothing to worry about by choking parts of 40th down to a single car lane is VERY dismissive IMO.
If Sam has his own receipts that validate his claims, he can provide them here. Sam was literally the ONLY person to come forward during the 11/19/24 CC meeting to speak on behalf of this project:
https://evilleeye.com/news-commentary/emeryville-getting-blowback-from-local-businesses-for-planned-project-street-closures/
40th st is a high priority for BPAC and it is a sorely needed artery that connects to much of the city and oakland. Bike and pedestrian usage on 40th st is low because it is such a a dangerous corridor. Make it safe and usable and watch what happens. Just like the Greenway.
Rob, thank you for posting this, and for your attention to this project. I couldn’t agree more on the topic. A thorough review of public incident data clearly shows that 40th Street in Emeryville—aside from the San Pablo intersection—should not be BPAC’s top candidate for redesign. The recent bollard installation at the Target side entrance has already addressed prior concerns, as reflected in the data: just one reported bicycle incident between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2024, compared to three in the previous five-year span.
What’s most baffling is how this new project directly competes with already safe and well-established bike routes like the 45th Street bike boulevard and the Emery Greenway—routes that reach many of the same destinations while offering a safer, quieter, and largely car-free experience. The proposed bikeway, in contrast, funnels cyclists and pedestrians through one of Emeryville’s most hazardous (and unaltered) intersections: 40th and San Pablo.
This $30 million taxpayer-funded initiative isn’t just duplicative—it’s harmful. Despite years of planning, its design remains alarmingly and stubbornly outdated, ignoring the growing vehicle demand forecasted by changes underway throughout Emeryville (e.g. Sutter). The traffic report used to justify this project is no longer relevant.
The impact doesn’t stop there. The project threatens to compromise the safety of Park Avenue by unintentionally turning it into a truck route, which will be needed to support industrial properties that will be cut off from 40th due to new road closures (think container loads of ceramic to Pottery and Beyond). This hurts businesses dependent on large deliveries, undermines residential quality of life along Park, and even draws opposition from local favorites like Rudy’s Can’t Fail Café.
While most of us fully support improvements to our roads and the expansion of safe bike and pedestrian infrastructure, we must recognize that streets like 40th are vital arteries in Emeryville’s economic landscape. Trying to retrofit every road to be bike-friendly leads to a zero-sum struggle. Thoughtfully planned projects like the Emery Greenway—built alongside the railway and free from car traffic—represent the gold standard. They beautify the city and offer real safety benefits, without disrupting key infrastructure.
Incremental upgrades to 40th Street must be measured against genuine costs—to taxpayers, to the businesses employing local residents, and to folks commuting through the city. With essential City and State projects facing budgetary uncertainty, committing $30M and three years of construction to this effort is unreasonable and irrational.
BPAC seems to have shifted from representing everyday community needs to a crusade against cars. Previous city officials have normalized and even encouraged this behavior, but we’ve recently seen the public begin to push back against the pattern, with the rejection of Gould for City Council. This project crosses a line. Sadly, it’s not something we can vote on directly—leaving us dependent on City Council’s judgment. If you’re concerned, we encourage you to attend the July 15th City Council meeting and voice your opposition.
P.S. Can someone explain why the traffic signals on Hollis haven’t been reconnected? Talk about low-hanging fruit for roadway safety improvements…
I went to explore this Emeryville reddit. This friend of his Zac Bowling tried called this article “fake news.” I’m starting to learn more about this garbage they call YIMBY like an invasive species for corporate developers and big landlords. Rent is going up because of this louse and that. Either they are stooges or schmucks. We call them “unmensch” where I come from. Sam Gould is the worst of them. This Bauters putz is their hero. Priforce has got moxie to brawl with them. What do you expect from Brooklyn?
Moxie??? He’s done absolutely nothing. Every initiative he touts quickly dies. Collecting money for his mayoral run? There isn’t even an election for mayor in Emeryville. Obviously you don’t know Sam Gould – he is the truest definition of a mensch. And he likes to ride his bike.
It’s hilarious Priforce supporters and Brian Donahue keep bringing up John Bauters (who isn’t even in Emeryville city council anymore) because they miss having Bauters as a scapegoat piñata.
The quirkiness of being in a small town like Emeryville is that if you stay long enough or try to serve long enough, you become pigeonholed as the status quo.
Bauters is taking a page out of the hook from former city council members Dianne Martinez and Scott Donahue. Gotta know when to leave the council. Hell, but Scott Donahue can never fully leave because he’s brother to Brian Donahue.
Sam should be careful. Unlike John Bauters, David Mourra, Sukdeeph Kaur and Matt Solomon, he doesn’t yet know the wisdom of not engaging with narcissists. It only fans the fire more when you get in the mud with the pigs.
Ah yes, the classic “stop bringing up Bauters, he’s not in office anymore” defense – like political consequences come with an expiration date.
John Bauters isn’t a scapegoat – he’s an architect of Emeryville’s dysfunction. The mess he left behind didn’t vanish just because he found a new stage on Fox reality TV. The fact that folks like Sam Gould and his clique are still running plays from the Bauters playbook is exactly why his name keeps coming up. You don’t get to build a machine, rig it to serve your special interests, and then cry “leave me alone” when people point out it’s still running.
Also, calling people “narcissists” while defending a guy who literally said “I’m used to working people over to get to yes” on national television? That’s rich. The only thing missing was him handing out signed copies of The Art of the Smear Campaign.
This isn’t about “quirky small town politics.” It’s about power, access, and the folks who protect it. If you want to talk about pigs in mud, maybe ask why the same handful of insiders keep getting their hooves dirty while telling the rest of us to be quiet and enjoy the bike lanes.
Some of us are just here to clean up the corruption and not pretend it’s quirky civic charm.
Ooh that “narcissist” hit home. Power? Access? so sad
Sam Gould seems to have a strong focus on Kalimah, which might divert his attention from his responsibilities in supporting the Emeryville community. It could be beneficial for him to concentrate more on his role and the needs of the constituents, as his previous election results suggest that this strategy may yield better outcomes. Redirecting his focus might ultimately lead to more positive experiences in future elections.
Who cares if Sam Gould wins elections. He’s doing the public a service by exposing the hypocrisy and corrupt quid pro quo of elected official hiding their finance contributions. Gould should keep digging the money trail.
Sam Gould “exposing corruption” is like a fox applying for the job of henhouse security.
Gould isn’t digging for a money trail, he’s digging for clout and spends most of his time on Reddit with his buddy Zac Bowling.
If this was really about ethics, he’d be just as loud about the hedge fund PACs backing his political mentors and the developers funding his buddies’ campaigns. Funny how the “hypocrisy” he’s so eager to expose only ever points in one direction toward the people not in his clique. Towards Black people.
He couldn’t win elections, so this is what he’s spending his time on, especially since the planning commission continue to miss their meetings.
Emeryville deserves watchdogs, not attack chihuahuas on a leash held by special interests.
Sam Gould came in second to last during the last campaign despite being in politics for a while now. This proves no one likes him. I hope he doesn’t run again and if he does he won’t have my vote! I’ll vote for Mia Brown again like I did in the last campaign
And Priforce’s hand selected prodige Calvin Dillahunty was dead last out of
everyone. Priforce’s hand selected slate of Mia and Calvin all placed bottom half.
John Bauters first ran for Emeryville City Council in 2014 – and lost. He didn’t magically become “the status quo” overnight. He ran again in 2016, won, and then spent years consolidating power, manufacturing a political machine, and sidelining anyone who didn’t fall in line.
No one likes or even respects Sam Gould in spite of being in politics as long as he has. Mia and Calvin were brand spanking new. If they run again, I’ll vote for them over a Sam Gould – anytime, especially if they run with Kalimah.
Probably the last post we’ll ever see Sam Gould write now that Kalimah Priforce is asking the court to slap Gould with a restraining order hearing.
Great point! It’s time Kalimah Priforce handed them their asses.