Berkeley City CouncilDistrict 1November 3, 2026
From the Gilman shops to Fourth Street, this is the part of town that gets things done. It deserves a city government that does too — services that work, dollars spent wisely, and a Council that sticks to the job.
"Gets to work" means three things, and I mean all of them.
It's where Berkeley works — the Gilman maker district, Fourth Street, the tradespeople and small businesses that give District 1 its character. It's how Berkeley gets to work — North Berkeley BART, safe streets, a commute that functions. And it's a promise: in a city famous for decade-long studies, your councilmember should roll up their sleeves and deliver. Fewer meetings about the work. More of the work.
Seven things to get done — in priority order, the way you'd sequence a job, not a wish list.
Smooth streets, working lights, clean sidewalks, trash picked up, potholes filled, calls returned. The everyday things residents pay for and too often don't get. That's the job, and it comes first.
Plain-language budgets, published results, and a hard line on what we pay for versus what we get. I've spent years tracking how Berkeley spends its money — I'll bring that scrutiny to the dais and root out waste.
Faster permits, real response times, and performance you can measure — a bureaucracy that works for residents instead of the other way around. The same goes for housing: the city's job is fast, predictable permits, then let the market build — not a decade of design review.
Competent public safety and well-kept parks — Ohlone, Cedar Rose, James Kenney, Cesar Chavez. The shared spaces that make District 1 livable, maintained like we mean it.
Services measured by how many people actually get help and get indoors — run efficiently and held to results, not counted in hours of public comment.
West Berkeley's working and industrial-arts economy is local jobs. I'll cut the permitting and cost friction that strangles small business — the city should help them survive, not zone them out.
The council's job is streets, safety, parks, services, and a budget that adds up — not symbolic votes on issues a city can't change. I'm a pragmatist: I'll spend our time on what City Hall actually controls.
[Write your two short paragraphs here. Lead with what you've built or fixed — in the neighborhood, at work, in the community — and the accountability record that makes "gets to work" credible coming from you specifically. Keep it concrete: names of projects, problems solved, dollars tracked. Voters reward specifics over adjectives.]
[Second paragraph: your stake in District 1 — where you live, how long, who you're fighting for, and the one thing you'll be measured on.]
This isn't a one-person show or a party machine. "We" is a practical, independent coalition across District 1 — renters and homeowners, shopkeepers and tradespeople, parents and longtime neighbors. Not left or right. Just people who'd rather fix the thing than pass a resolution about it.
[One line: who you are and your stake in District 1.]
Keeps every dollar accountable and on the public record.
Neighbors running the doors, the events, and the outreach.
Endorsers will be listed here as they sign on. Want your name on the list? Join us.
A District 1 campaign is won at the door and at the drop box. Tell us how you can pitch in — knock, host, donate, or just take a sign.
Berkeley's public financing matches small local contributions 6 to 1, up to $60 per person. A $60 gift becomes $420 working for District 1 — which is exactly why the small donors here matter more than big checks anywhere.
Max contribution is $270 per person. Most of our budget will come from neighbors giving what they can.
Contributions open soon. Our committee bank account and public-financing certification are in progress — check back shortly, or email info@kromerforberkeley.org to be first in line.
Accountability starts with showing the receipts. Here are the official, public sources behind what we say — and the tools to take part.