www.montereycountynow.com october 31-november 6, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 For such a small town, Carmel has some big issues to decide, like where to squeeze in affordable homes, what to do about a crumbling police station and the threat of sea level rise. On Nov. 5, voters will choose among three candidates vying for the mayor’s seat and five candidates competing for two City Council positions to lead them through those decisions. For mayor, voters have two seasoned veterans and one political newcomer to select from. Incumbent Dave Potter has been mayor since 2018, now running for a fourth two-year term. He has a long history of public service in the county, from serving on the Monterey Planning Commission and City Council, to the Monterey County Board of Supervisors for 10 years, to the California Coastal Commission. “I’ve got 36 years of experience listening to the public,” Potter says, highlighting the contrast to his challengers, Carmel City Councilmember Jeff Baron and political newcomer Dale Byrne. Baron, who first joined the council in 2018, is critical of the pace of decision-making. Recently the two split on adopting street addresses, with Baron advocating to make the switch and Potter throwing the decision to voters a year from now. Byrne is a retired CEO who volunteered to beautify the city through an organization he founded, Carmel Cares. “As mayor, I’ll be in a better position to have an impact on the agenda and work with the city administration to get things done,” he says. Four of the five council candidates are running for council for the first time; Parker Logan ran unsuccessfully in 2022. Hans Buder is chair of the Board of Commissioners/Directors of the Housing Authority for the County of Monterey. His background is in real estate private equity—he founded an impact investing fund and nonprofit to create access to housing for low-income families. Bob Delves, a former software CEO, served as mayor and city councilmember of Mountain Village, Colorado between 2007 and 2013 and spent the last four years on the Carmel Planning Commission. As a commissioner, Delves voted against Carmel’s housing element, arguing against the state’s “heavy hand” in requiring a plan for more housing. He later joined the group Affordable Housing Alternatives, as did Buder, which is looking for creative solutions to adding affordable units. Logan, owner of Sade’s bar, is adamantly against adding housing. If Sacramento interests get their way, he argued at a recent forum, “we may as well just rename the city ‘One-size-fitsall-conformity-by-the-sea.’” Danny Hala is a native Carmelite and businessperson who is advocating for more town halls, sidewalk repairs, undergrounding power lines and increased efficiency of city employees. David O’Neil, a real estate developer and community volunteer, wants to protect Carmel’s charm, as well as its forest. He also wants to establish local control by transitioning to a city charter and establishing historic districts. Pick Three Carmel voters have a wide field of candidates to choose from for council and mayor on Nov. 5. By Pam Marino Carmel City Councilmember Jeff Baron, who is midterm, is running against incumbent Dave Potter for mayor. Baron says he’s frustrated with how slowly the city moves when making decisions. NEWS “As mayor, I’ll be in a better position to have an impact.” DANIEL DREIFUSS
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