Antioch Moves to Rebuild Economic Development as Sales Tax Revenue Slides $1.7M

Antioch's City Council used a special meeting to confront a stark fiscal reality: sales tax revenue is heading in the wrong direction, commercial corridors are dotted with blight, and the city has gone 18 months without a dedicated economic development leader. After six public commenters and an extensive council debate, staff was directed to return Sept. 22 with two structural options for restoring that capacity — and a salary range designed to attract a candidate who can actually reverse the trend.

• Council directs staff to bring back two options for rebuilding economic development function — a standalone department or an assistant city manager focused on business attraction — with updated salary ranges and a potential headhunter RFP by Sept. 22

• Sales tax revenue down $1.7 million, with the decline accelerating; council members call the situation urgent

• Six public commenters unite behind re-establishing a standalone department, demanding measurable goals, adequate budget, and a "hunter" who will pursue businesses rather than wait for them

• $150,000 annual contract approved (4-0) for independent monitoring of the Allen Settlement Agreement tied to the police texting scandal

• Nearly a decade-long vacancy gap revealed: the economic development director position sat empty from roughly 2008 to 2018, and has been vacant again since March 2025

The Fight to Bring Business Back to Antioch

A city that has gone without a dedicated economic development director for 18 of the last 17 years is trying — again — to get it right.

The basics: The Antioch City Council in 2025 consolidated its economic development department into community development, largely because it couldn't attract qualified candidates at the salary it was offering. The special meeting discussion, requested by the council itself, centered on whether to reverse that decision and stand up a new department — or find an alternative structure that elevates economic development without creating a silo.

Acting City Manager Ana Cortez presented the framework. The FY 2026-27 budget already includes $400,000 in personnel costs for three economic development positions — a director, senior manager, and specialist. The question was how to deploy those dollars.

"Our sales tax revenue looks like it's down $1.7 million for the next year, and when historically we'd like to see that grow 2 to 3, 4%, it's heading in the wrong direction," said Mayor Ron Bernal.

Why it matters: The decline is not abstract: it translates directly into fewer dollars for public safety, code enforcement, and infrastructure.

Community Demands Accountability

All six public commenters supported re-establishing a standalone function, but their message was sharper than simple endorsement. They want metrics, budget, and a leader who can sell a city with real reputational headwinds.

Joy Mops pushed for converting the city's existing property inventory into an action-oriented commercial recovery plan with measurable timelines. She also called for a vacancy ordinance with enforcement teeth, noting that fines alone aren't working.

Sandra White, Antioch City Council, District 4, recommended an independent community selection panel to evaluate director candidates and emphasized the position must be proactive. White argued that the funding is about funding public safety, code enforcement, homelessness outreach, and youth programs — tying economic development directly to the services residents care about most.

Lynette Hart made the structural case for separation, arguing community development and economic development have fundamentally different — and sometimes competing — missions. One recruits businesses; the other regulates them.

Ron Muhammad offered the bluntest assessment of the status quo: the only growing "businesses" in Antioch over the past six years have been churches and marijuana dispensaries — neither generating meaningful tax revenue. Churches are tax-exempt, and cannabis is oversaturated.

Andrew Becker questioned whether the council was putting the cart before the horse without a permanent city manager in place. He pointed to unused tools — an existing economic development plan paid for by consultants, enhanced infrastructure finance districts never pursued, and 22 acres of prime commercial real estate on Slatten Ranch sitting on the market for $10 million with no takers.

A long-time resident described the role as a sales job, not a marketing job, and recommended management by objectives with performance-based pay.

Two Models Emerge

The council debate produced two competing structural visions, though both camps agreed on the core problem: the salary has to be competitive, and the position needs real authority.

Mayor Pro Tem Donald Freitas proposed an alternative to a standalone department: an assistant city manager whose primary responsibility — roughly 80% of time — would be economic development, housed in the city manager's office for cross-departmental clout.

"If we have an assistant city manager whose primary responsibility is economic development and the staff is a part of the city manager's office, that it may establish the priority that several of the speakers have discussed," he said.

He cited the 1990s model when then Assistant City Manager Mike Ramsey filled that dual role before eventually becoming city manager. Freitas also recalled telling a former director to fly to Seattle to sell Antioch rather than sitting at City Hall waiting for businesses to walk in. He called for reviving the Economic Development Commission once a new leader is hired.

Bernal leaned toward a standalone department but proposed a leaner start: hire just a director and specialist initially, keeping costs roughly budget-neutral, and let the new director determine whether additional staff is needed. He proposed setting the director salary at $14,800–$18,000 per month, matching the range for the current combined community development director. Bernal described the ideal candidate as a "hunter" who would inevitably clash with planning and code enforcement — and said that tension is productive.

"A good economic development director is going to be at odds oftentimes with a community development director or a planning director or code enforcement, because they're going to be coming in saying, hey, we need to do this stuff now. And they're going to hear all the reasons why we can't," he said.

Councilmember Tamisha Torres-Walker provided the most detailed historical context. The economic development director position was vacant from roughly 2008 to 2018 — nearly a decade lost to budget cuts and furloughs. Kwame Reed then served from 2018 until March 2025, but with minimal budget and staff.

"The competitive salary is what got us here. We weren't paying somebody enough to get what we needed, and I hope we can address that," she said.

Torres-Walker also highlighted commercial blight, homelessness, and the urgent need for public-private partnerships, since deteriorating commercial properties are privately owned.

Councilmember Monica Wilson zeroed in on operational budget.

"In the past, our economic development department has not had, at one point had no budget, then very minimal budget. If we're going to do this and we want to be successful, we need to," she said.

Wilson requested data on comparable cities' economic development budgets to understand what adequate funding actually looks like.

What's next: Acting City Manager Ana Cortez committed to returning Sept. 22 with a staff report presenting both structural options — standalone department and assistant city manager — along with updated salary schedules, draft job descriptions, and recommendations on a headhunter or recruitment RFP. The council took no formal vote but reached clear consensus: this is a priority, the salary must be competitive, and the next meeting should produce an actionable decision.

Council Approves $150K for Police Reform Monitor

The basics: The City of Antioch entered a U.S. Department of Justice consent decree and a separate Allen Settlement Agreement — coordinated with the Burris Law Firm — following the police texting scandal. Both agreements require independent monitoring.

Captain Shane Bower of the Antioch Police Department explained that the DOJ monitor, Mr. Sepal of MS Investigative Services and Consulting, was already under a $250,000 annual contract at $210 per hour. The Allen settlement specifically requested that Mr. Sepal also serve as its monitor. The item before the council would add a $150,000 annual cap for the Allen agreement monitoring, also billed at $210 per hour. The two agreements overlap in many requirements, but the Allen settlement includes additional or more detailed provisions beyond the DOJ decree.

Decisions: Mayor Pro Tem Donald Freitas moved approval. The motion passed 4-0 (For: Bernal, Freitas, Torres-Walker, Wilson; Absent: Councilmember Louie Rocha). No public comment was offered on the item.

Minor Items

• Closed session: The council met in closed session on two matters — existing litigation involving California Resources Pipeline Corporation (Contra Costa Superior Court) and potential Labor Code 1102.5/FEHA violations. No reportable action was taken on either item.