Greenbelt Alliance’s Leadership Circle gathered for a post-election conversation with John King of the San Francisco Chronicle to discuss the 27 local ballot measures Greenbelt Alliance took positions on in the 2016 Bay Area elections.
CEO Jeremy Madsen kicked off the discussion by highlighting some of the big wins for from the elections, like the $2 billion Bay Area residents approved for affordable housing investments. And the $950 million Santa Clara County voted to raise by passing Measure A to provide affordable homes for those most in need in their county.
Jeremy also celebrated the victory in Sonoma County with the passing of Measure K. This measure renewed voter protections for community separators–the greenbelt lands in between the county’s cities and towns–for another 20 years.
Other key takeaways from John and Jeremy’s post-election conversation, include:
- Sprawl is still a big issue in the Bay Area. Contra Costa County is an example where open spaces threatened by development have increased by over a third since 2012.
- When building a support base to win local campaigns, it’s important to meet voters where they are.
- Greenbelt Alliance works to ensure development happens in the right places and will evolve by approaching each new challenge holistically.
The Leadership Circle is a donor society open to those who give $5,000 or more to Greenbelt Alliance during a single fiscal year. Their willingness to champion our core work towards a more sustainable and inclusive Bay Area makes a real impact on our mission. Learn more about the Leadership Circle and how to become a member here.
