Tribune Reports On Election

Re-Printed from the Oakland Tribune:

Election delivers newcomer to  Emeryville City Council By Angela Woodall Oakland Tribune Posted: 11/09/2011 02:47:53 PM PST Updated: 11/09/2011 02:47:55 PM PST EMERYVILE -- The balance and tenor of the Emeryville City Council shifted  Tuesday night with the election of newcomer Jacqueline Asher and the  defeat of 24-year member Ken Bukowski. Asher is a UC Berkeley lecturer in the Department of Gender and Women's  Studies, a mother of two and a political newcomer who moved to Emeryville  four years ago. She decided to run for one of three open at-large City Council  seats after the city considered turning over management of its municipally-run  daycare, the Emeryville Child Development Center, which Asher's daughter  attended. She lobbied against the decision and helped find budget solutions  that allowed Emeryville to keep the center public. Bukowski is a veteran council member whose tenure ended Tuesday night,  overshadowed by charges of improprieties and drug use. He helped transform Emeryville into a big-box retail destination and magnet  for firms such as Pixar Studios. Asher's platform, in contrast, leaned heavily  on making Emeryville more family friendly and other quality of life issues,  such as providing before and after school care for children in the district. Incumbents Nora Davis, a council member for 24 years, and Ruth Atkin, a  council member since 1999, defended their seats for another four-year  term. Emeryville council members are paid $10,134 per year for their  part-time service. Asher's fellow first-time candidate Michael Webber lost his bid for a council seat. The Council will have to grapple with an ongoing recession. "Budget issues are going to be tough," Atkin said by telephone shortly after the  polls closed at 8 p.m. Turnout -- projected to be about 30 percent in Alameda County -- was low  but not unexpected for a local election in an odd year.