Council Breaks Salary Deadlock After Three Failed Votes and a Recess

Dublin's City Council needed four tries and a break to agree on their own pay raises, ultimately landing on a 4% annual increase that won't kick in until after the November 2026 election — a meeting that also saw the city park $323 million in reserves and confront hateful public testimony head-on.

• Council salary compromise passes 4-0 after three motions fail 2-2, settling on 4% annual increases for members and a $400 flat mayor differential

• $323 million in reserves designated, including $5M more for Village Parkway stormwater, $1M toward early bond payoff saving ~$3M in interest, and a new $250K economic development fund

• Noise ordinance introduced adding clear time-based restrictions on landscape equipment and amplified sound in residential zones

• Vice Mayor votes no on America 250th marker, saying California had no connection to the Revolutionary War

• Antisemitic and white supremacist rhetoric during public comment draws sharp condemnation from Vice Mayor Josey

• City vacancy rate at 6.9% beats the Northern California peer average, with 39 internal promotions versus just 14 separations

Four Votes, One Recess, One Raise

The longest and most contentious item of the night exposed a philosophical fault line on the Dublin City Council: Should elected officials be paid enough to attract diverse candidates, or should they lead by example during tight economic times?

The basics: Under Government Code 36516, cities of Dublin's population class can raise council stipends by up to 5% per calendar year. A separate CPI-based method (Option 2) would have yielded roughly 6% total since January 2024. City Clerk Marcia Moore presented both options. The changes cannot take effect until after the November 2026 election.

Why it matters: Council stipends in Dublin are modest — roughly $1,600–$1,700 per month for members — and the debate centered on whether that price tag effectively screens out younger, lower-income, and renting residents who might otherwise run for office.

Where things stand: Vice Mayor Jean Josey made the most forceful case for higher pay, arguing that low stipends function as a barrier to diverse representation. "Low council stipends are a barrier to participation from some segments of the general population," he said, citing a Stanford study. "Keeping stipends low is problematic because then only folks who can afford to take time off work or have another spouse that can carry the load can afford to serve on council."

The other side: Councilmember Michael McCorriston pushed back, arguing that any raise should be grounded in objective metrics rather than the statutory maximum. "My recommendation was to look at the CPI, look at the annualized number on that and base it on that," he said, urging periodic review rather than automatic escalation.

Mayor Sherry Hu went further in the opposite direction, proposing to forgo her salary entirely. "No salary for mayor. Mayor is to dedicate, contribute to the community without getting stabbed," she said. The motion received no second.

Councilmember Kashef Qaadri worked to bridge the gap but the math kept failing. Three motions died 2-2 (Councilmember John Morada was absent from the entire meeting):

1. 5% for council, $350 mayor differential — failed 2-2 (Josey and Qaadri yes; McCorriston and Hu no)

2. CPI for council, $500 mayor differential — failed 2-2 (McCorriston and Hu yes; Qaadri and Josey no)

3. 5% for council, $250 mayor differential — failed 2-2 (Josey and Qaadri yes; McCorriston and Hu no)

Decisions: After a recess, McCorriston offered the compromise that broke the impasse: 4% per calendar year for council members and a flat $400 additional for the mayor. It passed unanimously, 4-0 (For: McCorriston, Qaadri, Josey, Hu; Absent: Morada). Members will earn approximately $1,733 per month and the mayor roughly $2,133 per month once the increase takes effect after the November 2026 election.

What's next: The salary adjustment applies to whichever five members are seated after the election — meaning the current council is effectively setting pay for their potential successors as much as for themselves.

Dublin Parks $323 Million in Reserves, Eyes Early Bond Payoff

Why it matters: With a projected $20.5 million operating surplus, Dublin is stashing cash in targeted reserves that position the city for major infrastructure spending and long-term savings.

Where things stand: Finance Director Jay Baksa walked the council through three key reserve moves: $5 million more for the Village Parkway committed reserve (now $24.8 million) to address stormwater permit requirements, $1 million added to the lease revenue bond reserve (now $10 million) toward an early payoff in fiscal year 2028-29, and a brand-new $250,000 Economic Development Support Reserve for local business and hospitality promotion.

"We're still very early in the process, but we are projecting at year end a $20.5 million surplus," Baksa said. On the bond strategy, he confirmed the early payoff "will save us about $3 million" in interest.

Vice Mayor Josey asked about additional funding sources for Village Parkway, noting a $9 million grant already secured and a pending contribution from Dublin San Ramon Services District. Councilmember Qaadri praised the economic development reserve as forward-thinking. "Investing in our own community and our businesses ensures that we can diversify our revenue stream, namely our tax base," he said. "I think it's a really smart idea."

Decisions: The resolution passed unanimously, 4-0 (For: Hu, Josey, McCorriston, Qaadri; Absent: Morada). The city maintains 5.2 months of cash flow reserves — well above the two-to-four-month best practice.

Noise Ordinance Adds Clear Time Windows for Leaf Blowers and Amplified Sound

Why it matters: Dublin is replacing subjective "reasonable person" nuisance standards with defined time-based restrictions on landscape equipment and amplified noise in residential areas — giving residents and code enforcement officers clearer rules.

Where things stand: Planning Manager Jennifer Bias presented amendments to Dublin Municipal Code Chapter 5.28 that originated from December 2025 council discussions about outdoor live entertainment and February 2026 direction to reduce subjectivity without mandating decibel levels. The new Section 5.28.30 establishes specific prohibited hours for both categories of noise.

Public commenter Jake Adams supported the amendments but urged the council to also adopt a 50-foot audibility standard used by peer cities including San Ramon, Livermore, Danville, Pleasanton, and Fremont. Vice Mayor Josey explained why that approach wouldn't work in Dublin: the city's lot sizes are often much less than 50 feet apart, making a distance-based standard impractical. "I'm super comfortable with where we've landed," Josey said. "I think that it achieves the objectives we talked about of having some prohibition against amplified noise and lawn equipment at the crack of dawn or very late at night while still allowing people to enjoy their own homes."

Community Development Director Amy Million outlined the range of enforcement tools available to the city under the revised code.

Decisions: The ordinance was introduced unanimously on first reading, 4-0 (For: Hu, Josey, McCorriston, Qaadri; Absent: Morada).

What's next: The ordinance returns for second reading and adoption at a future meeting.

Vice Mayor Casts Lone No on Revolutionary War Marker

The America 250th Marker Dedication Day Proclamation — pulled from the consent calendar by Vice Mayor Josey — produced a compact but pointed debate about historical accuracy in local commemorations.

Josey objected to placing a Daughters of the American Revolution marker at Don Biddle Park, arguing it misrepresents history. "Nothing in California had any nexus to the American Revolution, the Revolutionary War," he said. "I don't believe Don Biddle Park is an appropriate place to have an American Revolution marker."

Councilmember McCorriston acknowledged the concern but said the Revolution formed the platform for subsequent generations. Councilmember Qaadri framed the marker as an outside organization's commemoration rather than a claim that California participated in the war. Public commenter Brent Sanji recommended delaying the proclamation to July — the actual anniversary month — and revising the wording.

The proclamation passed 3-1 (For: McCorriston, Qaadri, Hu; Against: Josey; Absent: Morada).

Hateful Public Comments Draw Council Condemnation

The general public comment period included antisemitic and white supremacist rhetoric from multiple remote speakers, prompting Vice Mayor Josey to address the comments directly later in the meeting. "I almost apologize for pulling the item, although we would have pulled it anyway in light of the abhorrent comments that we've heard tonight," he said. "It was an excuse to be hateful online, cowardly in fact, with fake names."

Separately, Peter Friedrich alleged the city has partnered with organizations linked to the RSS Hindu nationalist network and criticized a congressional candidate endorsed by Councilmember Morada. Brent Sanji requested the council revisit the city's flag policy, arguing a commemorative flag provision added in 2019 should be removed.

City Workforce Outperforms Regional Peers

HR Director Sarah Monnastes presented Dublin's second annual workforce vacancy report under AB 2561. The city's average vacancy rate rose slightly from 6.61% in 2024 to 6.92% in 2025 — still below the 7.89% average for comparable Northern California agencies. "The low vacancies were as low as 4%, but you had some agencies as high as 15%," Monastis said. "So we're doing pretty well."

Only 14 employees separated in 2025, while 39 moved internally through promotions and lateral transfers — a ratio that reflects strong succession planning. Recruitment challenges persist in specialized positions such as engineering and planning. Monastis described equitable hiring practices including blind rating. "The idea being is that we're not bringing any of our biases in, that these people are being interviewed based on their knowledge, skills and abilities," she said.

Councilmember Qaadri asked about sharing a DEI hiring practices memo publicly. "I think we're doing a really good job at trying to be diverse and inclusive in our hiring practices," he said. "I think it's worth sharing some of that with our community."

The council unanimously directed staff to continue recruitment and retention efforts, 4-0.

Minor Items

• Consent calendar (items 5.1–5.7) approved 4-0, including May 5 meeting minutes, a Francis Ranch parcel dedication rejection, Youth Advisory Committee appointments for 2026-27, the quarterly investment report ($523M portfolio, 3.95% average yield), an April payment issuance report of $9.08M, appointment of Councilmember Qaadri as ABAG delegate, and a wireless tower lease amendment at Fallon Sports Park increasing the community benefit payment to $150,000.

• Youth Advisory Committee reported awarding $10,000 in mini grants to 10 organizations, hosting the 5th Annual Youth Mental Health Forum with ~50 attendees, and logging 100+ collective volunteer hours.

• Mayor's Council of 70 youth members presented projects including the HOPE opioid prevention summit (200+ attendees), NARCAN training workshops, an 80,000-item food drive with Poverty Patch Up, a journalism workshop reaching 400 middle schoolers, and a K-8 environmental solutions competition.

• New Principal Planner introduction deferred due to illness.

• Council directed staff to explore a crossing guard partnership with Dublin Unified School District for Shamrock Hills and to schedule a Pride flag raising ceremony before the June 2 meeting.

• Meeting adjourned in memory of three victims of the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego.