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Karla Brown to seek seat on Pleasanton Council
Kottinger Ranch homeowner, real estate broker making second bid

by Jeb Bing

Karla Brown, a real estate broker associate and 20-year Pleasanton resident, announced last week that she will seek a seat on the City Council in the upcoming Nov. 6 municipal elections.

Brown, who ran unsuccessfully for the council in 2010, is the second candidate to vie for one of two council seats, with Planning Commission Chairman Jerry Pentin, who also sought the position once before, earlier launching his campaign for a council seat in November's election.

This year, because of term limits, two council seats will need to be filled as veteran council members Cindy McGovern and Matt Sullivan step down after serving eight years in office, the maximum allowed because of Pleasanton's term limits law.

Mayor Jennifer Hosterman also will be leaving office because of term limits. Council members Cheryl Cook-Kallio and Jerry Thorne already have announced their bids for the mayor's office although both have another two years to serve as council members. If they continue to be the only ones seeking the top office, the winner would vacate the council seat and a special election would be called early next year to fill that spot.

Brown said that she and her husband Tim Belcher have been involved in the community as they raised their three daughters, coached RAGE soccer, volunteered in their schools and worked to protect Pleasanton.

She said she is a "slow growth advocate," and was co-chair of the "No on D -- Save Pleasanton Hills" referendum in 2010. She also was a proponent of Measure PP "Save Pleasanton's Hills and Housing Cap Citizens' Initiative" in 2008. Both measures were overwhelmingly passed by Pleasanton voters.

Brown said she is a financially conservative candidate. She vows to work toward achieving a balanced city budget and to address the city's growing pension debt without sacrificing necessary city services.

She said she also advocates preserving Pleasanton's heritage buildings and neighborhoods, while encouraging downtown business owners to thrive with a variety of shopping options, wine tasting venues, both upscale and casual dining, acoustic music and more.

For more information, visit Brown's website at Karla@Vote4Karla.com.