PLEASANTON — Mayor Karla Brown recently announced her candidacy to serve a second term.
She has served as mayor since her win in 2020. Prior to that, she was on the council for eight years, including two years as vice mayor.
“Pleasanton is a beautiful and safe community with expansive parks, upscale amenities, and a historic picture-perfect downtown,” Brown said. “I am proud to serve as mayor to our friendly community, and I vow to continue to use my skills and expertise to better our city, preserve our historic features and keep our community safe.”
A recent city-sponsored survey stated 94% of residents consider Pleasanton an Excellent or Good place to live.
“My motto has been ‘We are in this together’, so when the pandemic created financial hardships for many of our residents and small businesses, I supported the city’s approval of using Alameda County Grants, and city sponsored zero interest rate loans, as a lifeline to recovery,” said Brown.
Brown said she has maintained extensive outreach to both the residents, youth members and business professionals in her role as Pleasanton’s mayor. She also reported frequently meeting with community groups and business leaders to share data, to listen and help resolve problems.
Brown represents Pleasanton on many regional boards and subcommittees; she currently serves as the board chair for Wheels Bus. As an advocate for ensuring the community’s water quality and supply, she sits on the Tri-Valley Water Roundtable and as a liaison to the Zone 7 Water Board.
In addition, Brown was elected to chair the city/school district liaison committee. This committee helped to form new policies for school resource officers. She also serves on the Alameda County Mayors’ Conference for regional influence and has a seat on many transportation boards to support transportation funding for Pleasanton and the Tri-Valley.
Vice Mayor Valerie Arkin has endorsed Brown for a second term.
“Karla is collaborative and respectful to residents and her colleagues on the city council,” Arkin said. “As a mayor, Karla is always prepared, respectful, and she works hard to find a common ground where all five of us (on the council) can offer our support.”
Brown said she understands the city must meet state mandates for future housing.
“Reasonable and smart growth policies helped to shape Pleasanton into the award-winning community we have today,” said Brown, who also supports a balanced approach for local jobs offering a work/life balance to residents.
Just as in 2020, Brown said she will refuse any campaign donations from builders and developers. She said she offers independent decision making for the betterment of the community.
Brown is a local businesswoman who has resided in Pleasanton for more than 20 years. Her background includes a long career in the semiconductor industry. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from San Jose State University.
