Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley

CASTRO VALLEY | Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley ostensibly is the end-all, be-all when it comes to members serving on unincorporated Castro Valley’s Municipal Advisory Council (MAC).

The seven-member committee is chosen by Miley and is Castro Valley de facto government, although it holds little power and merely advises the supervisor, but the issue of appointments to the committee could loom as a campaign issue for Miley in 2016.

Miley added two member earlier this spring–Castro Valley businessman Chuck Moore, who held a fundraiser for Miley shortly after his appointment, and Janet Everson–but held off filling the MAC’s third open seat.

According to Castro Valley Matters, Miley will not fill the seat and will re-open the application process some time after Labor Day.

Two applicants interviewed for the open seat last Monday. Former Castro Valley school board member Linda Tangren, a contributor to Miley’s supervisorial campaign, and Michael Baldwin, a local activist who is part of a group that has urged Miley to make the MAC an elected position, made their cases. A third finalist, Mark Peterson, removed his name from consideration for the appointment shortly before the Monday evening public interview process.

No reason for given for Miley declining to choose either candidate. Overall, 16 people initially sought one of the three open seats.

In addition, there had previously been concern over the appointment process which, in the past, had been held behind closed doors. Castro Valley activists had pushed for a more open public process. Later, Miley relented.

However, there was disagreement over how the interviews were conducted. In addition, to Miley, questions were posed by two sitting members of the MAC appointed by Miley. Incidentally, both, Cheryl Miraglia and Marc Crawford, are also donors to Miley’s campaign.

Although, the Castro Valley MAC is only a county advisory board that creates few ripples in the grand scheme of things in Alameda County, the disenchantment may loom large in 2016 with Miley up for re-election. Read here in another post from Castro Valley Matters that lays out the insurgency’s gripes against Miley and county leaders.

In addition, most believe part of the impetus, if not inspiration, for talk of putting a term limits initiative for the county supervisors on the June ballot is focused around Miley.

Some East Bay political operatives believe the eastern portion of Miley’s Oakland-centric district–primarily Castro Valley and the strip that includes Pleasanton–is his soft underbelly ready to be exploited by a well-financed opponent. That is, if one materializes in the next month or so.

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