HAYWARD CITY COUNCIL | Hayward may have a new council member Tuesday night. On Friday, the City Council narrowed to 5 the list of 18 applicants hoping to fill out the remaining two years of Barbara Halliday’s council term. Halliday, a council member, was elected mayor in June.

Mark Salinas’ council seat is still warm.

All five are well-known to Hayward politics, including one candidate who was a member of the City Council just two weeks ago. Council members whittled down the large list of applicants after each choosing the names of five applicants. Those who received a minimum of three votes advanced to a round of interviews on Tuesday, after which it is expected the council will appoint a new member. (See the nomination matrix below.)

Former Councilmember Mark Salinas is hoping for a return to the dais after choosing not to seek re-election to his council seat. Instead, Salinas ran for mayor this spring, but finished second to Halliday. Salinas received support from five of his former colleagues. Only Councilmember Francisco Zermeno, who was also a candidate for mayor, left Salinas off his ballot.

Eliza Marquez would fill two council
deficiencies–women and minorities.

Meanwhile, two young members of the Hayward Planning Commission received unanimous support from the council. Commissioner Elisa Marquez and Vishal Trivedi garnered six votes apiece. Both candidacies are bolstered by a need on the council for diversity. Until Sara Lamnin’s election, Halliday had been the one female voice on the council since 2010. Marquez is the only woman to be interviewed Tuesday.

In addition, Salinas’ departure left the council will just one Latino representative–Zermeno. Over 40 percent of Hayward is Latino, which makes it the city’s largest demographic

Another planning commissioner, Rodney Loche, received support from five members. Councilmember Sara Lamnin, only elected last month, excluded Loche from her list. Loche finished a distant fifth in the June council election. Hayward businessman and former mayoral candidate, Brian Schott, will also be interviewed Tuesday. Schott received three votes.

The only notable applicant who failed to gain enough support is for mer AC Transit board member Rocky Fernandez. The union-backed council candidate from last June finished a disappointing third despite significant funding from the Service Employees International Union Local 1021, which is in an on-going labor dispute with the city. Fernandez received just two votes. Not surprisingly, oen vote came from Lamnin, who SEIU also supported, but also one from Zermeno.

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