Councilwoman Will Unseat Political Rival

The 2012 City Council race gets off to an unofficial start Monday night when members vote on Councilwoman Ursula Reed’s request to remove her political rival Chris Crow from the planning commission.

Reed, who represents the city’s second council district, appointed Crow to the commission in November 2010. Crow, a 27-year-old San Leandro native, has filed papers to run for City Council in the second district, where Reed will stand for re-election in November. *

“I know they may think it’s biting the hand that fed me,” said Crow, who is nevertheless determined to run for council – although he said he might move and run from a different district.

Reed told Patch in an e-mail exchange that she will seek re-election. She said commissioners serve at the discretion of the member who appoints them and that she had another person in mind to fill the post. Reed will appoint Ed Hernandez to fill the vacancy.

Reed took a more political tone in an e-mail to Crow which he forwarded to Patch.

“I am not clear as to why you would run against me instead of waiting for me to term out,” Reed wrote. “Not sure that I should keep you as my commissioner though, since you don’t have my back.”

Two other council seats will also come up for election in November: they are district six, represented by Jim Prola; and district four, now represented by Joyce Starosciak, who has reached her term limit and will leave an empty seat.

Crow said he might move to the fourth district and run for the open seat, or move into the sixth district which could pit him against Prola.

Under the city’s election rules, a candidate must live in a district in order to be a candidate for its council seat. To win requires a majority of all the voters in San Leandro who cast ballots in the election for that district.

Crow is so far the only person who has filed the paperwork to run for city council, according to City Clerk Marian Handa.

But there is plenty of time. The nomination period runs from July 16 until August 10. During that period candidates must gather signatures from voters in their district and file other papers with the city, Handa said.

The City has a web page that explains how to run for council. Handa said it will be updated next week to provide information specific to the 2012 election.

* This story initially and erroneously said Reed had not yet named a successor.

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