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Pleasanton Planning Commissioner Vivek Mohan announced this week that he will be running for the City Council District 4 seat this November.
Mohan, who is the first candidate to declare for District 4 publicly to date, is campaigning for the seat that will be wide open after Councilmember Jack Balch decided to throw his name in the race for Pleasanton mayor instead this fall.
According to his press release, Mohan is a first-generation immigrant who came to the Bay Area over 35 years ago. He has been living in Pleasanton with his wife and two children for the past 12 years. Over the past couple of years, he said he has been concerned about the city’s future.
“I thought we were immune to the challenges facing other cities and our beautiful state,” Mohan said in his press release. “However, I am increasingly concerned about warning signs for our city’s future. Crime, city finances, overcrowding, water (safety and cost) and a thoughtful plan for future progress are all issues that need to be addressed quickly to ensure our city remains the great city that we love.”
That’s why he decided to pursue a seat on the city’s Housing Commission in 2021, and he was appointed in late 2022 to the city’s Planning Commission, where he currently serves.
Apart from his service with the city, Mohan advises a local nonprofit that feeds unhoused folks and has previously founded two small companies, according to his press release.
“As a senior global executive running multi-billion dollar organizations with thousands of team members, I understand how to operate in complex environments,” Mohan said in the press release. “As an investor and mentor, I know how to coach teams to be more effective.
Mohan said he is committed to ensuring the safety of District 4 residents by hiring more police officers and paying those officers well. He also wants to address the city’s finance and spending issues by cutting waste in order to “invest more on needed services.”
“Pleasanton has less of a revenue problem, and more of a spending/cost problem,” Mohan said in a statement to the Weekly. “Any expense reductions need to be made collaboratively after a thorough analysis of the pros and cons. But nothing should be sacred or off-limits.”
He also said he wants to find ways to reduce operational costs, plan for new revenue streams and assess the use of external consultants before asking residents to pay more in taxes.
His other priorities are to provide planned growth solutions to prevent overcrowding in existing Pleasanton neighborhoods while still strategically building new developments for new families that maintain the city’s aesthetic. He said Pleasanton needs homes for young families so that the city “remains a strong, vibrant community with thriving, well-funded schools.”
Attracting and supporting businesses through a renewed focus on reinvigorating Pleasanton’s downtown — while still keeping its character — and actively engaging with resident on important decisions are some more examples of Mohan’s commitments to the city.
As for working with the rest of the council if he gets elected, Mohan said he sees a lack of trust and cohesion between members on the dais. He said if he wins in November, he plans on addressing any concerns directly with any other council member in order to build trust.
He also said that his time on the Planning Commission has really taught him a lot about how the city’s government works and plans on using that experience for the betterment of the city.
“As your District 4 representative I will fight to always do the right thing for you and our city,” Mohan said in his press release. “If you are concerned about issues like water, crime, city finances and retaining our special Pleasanton spirit while building for the future, I ask you to join me in this effort.”
More information about Mohan’s campaign can be found at www.vivek4pleasanton.com.
