|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Pleasanton Mayor Jack Balch announced Monday that he will be running for a second term, making him the first to declare candidacy for the seat in the November general election.
He kicked off his 2026 mayoral campaign during an event Monday at the Oasis Restaurant in downtown Pleasanton where about 100 residents were expected to attend.
“Pleasanton is an extraordinary community, and it’s been an honor to serve as your Mayor,” Balch said in a press release. “We’ve made meaningful progress, with real results that are focused on enhancing our quality of life. I’m running for re-election to continue making thoughtful decisions today that secure a stronger future for tomorrow.”
Balch is a longtime Pleasanton resident who grew up near the Fremont-Sunol border and attended Sunol Glen Elementary. He currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer of his family’s real estate business and is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant and real estate broker, according to his campaign website.
Balch was first elected as mayor in 2024 following his four years of serving as a City Council member. Prior to his time on the council, he was appointed to the city’s Planning Commission and Parks & Recreation Commission.
When he was first elected as mayor, Balch said he came into the job with several concerns that he wanted to address — one of them being repairing the city’s relationship with its residents.
“Two years ago I had to basically convince voters of my vision; that there could be a different direction for the city (and) that governing could be done in a different way and I really had to connect with them with a level of trust,” Balch told the Weekly in an interview Monday.
Balch said his priorities for the city haven’t changed much since then. He continues to emphasize public safety, fiscal responsibility, clean and affordable water, and economic vitality as important issues.
However, what has changed since he was elected as mayor are the ways he and his colleagues on the dais have addressed these issues, especially considering how transparency and accountability were two of his main selling points during his first bid.
“For the budget process, there was a different way we did it this year,” Balch said. “I understand the citizens advisory board may have not been the most effective but it was something different to try and engage the public in the conversation so that the budget reflects all of us.”
And even though the most recent budget development process was contentious in many ways, including the decisions to cut services and make reductions to things like library hours, Balch said the city began taking key steps during his first term to generate new revenue.
“There are a lot of things that have been started that I think the community can see and understand we have started for a better Pleasanton,” Balch said.
Balch said while he does acknowledge that a lot of those recent revenue enhancement actions the city took will take some time to realize monetary results, he hopes to continue those and other conversations during the next two years.
“I think the next budget or two will still be challenging as pension costs challenge us and capital needs are there, but this is the direction that I am offering to lead,” Balch said. “The direction of continuity on how we do it and have a full and frank conversation and be truthful with people and forthright.”
In regards to maintaining continuity at the council, Balch said he recognizes the possibility of losing City Manager Gerry Beaudin to the city of Alameda but noted that he and others at the city have the experience to continue the important work and projects the city will be facing over the next few years.
“If Pleasanton is presented with that challenge, which doesn’t seem all that unlikely … I do offer 17 years of appointed or elected service to our community,” Balch said. “Pleasanton is a strong city and we have a great organization and a great culture and community and a lot of our committee and commission members have served many, many years … so I’m pretty confident that we will endure.”
Balch said apart from building community, economic vitality continues to be another main priority as the city looks at a possible hotel tax and other revenue-generating efforts, which he said he plans on being “very astute with the public’s money … and spending it in a transparent way.”
“What I’m really offering is the community a choice to keep doing the things that I’ve been doing,” Balch said. “This is how I think it should be done as best as I can and I’m offering them the opportunity and choice if they would like to see it go forward.”
More information on Balch’s campaign is available at www.jackforpleasanton.com.
