As Mayor Jesse Arreguín campaigns for state Senate, three city councilmembers have joined the race to replace him.
Nico Savidge
Nico Savidge joined Berkeleyside in 2021 as a senior reporter covering city hall. Born and raised in Berkeley, he got his start in journalism at Youth Radio as a high-schooler in the mid-2000s. Since then, he has covered transportation, law enforcement, education and college sports for the San Jose Mercury News, EdSource, the Wisconsin State Journal, The Janesville Gazette and The Daily Cardinal. A graduate of Berkeley High School and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he now lives in Oakland with his wife and dog.
Posted inCity
Susan Wengraf won’t seek reelection after 15 years representing Berkeley Hills
Wengraf’s decision sets up an open race for the District 6 City Council seat in the 2024 election.
Posted inSchools
Abandoned in the Pac-12 exodus, Cal could lose tens of millions of dollars
What’s at stake for UC Berkeley — and Golden Bears fans — and how did we get here?
Posted inCity
Pacific Steel site sold in step toward major new life sciences campus
The sale will fund unpaid pensions for former steelworkers, but union officials worry their fight may not be over.
Posted inIn Brief
Update: Eastshore Highway is closed for the Gilman Street interchange
The block will remain closed until the end of September as construction crews work on a roundabout at the I-80-Gilman interchange.
Posted inCity
Berkeley is adding new housing at the fastest rate in decades
Berkeley approved nearly 900 homes in 2022, far surpassing state housing production goals, but fell well short of targets for affordable homes.
Posted inCity
Residents blast BART’s plan to build bulky power facility at Ashby station
An expanded power station could occupy a prominent spot along Adeline Street that Berkeley officials had hoped to line with businesses and housing.
Posted inCity
Golden Gate Fields sits on 140 prime waterfront acres. What happens when it closes?
Developers have long wanted to turn the property into a bustling commercial center, while open space advocates hope it becomes a park.
Posted inCity
Berkeley has lost thousands of Black residents. A new housing policy aims to help some return
The policy makes current or former residents of redlined areas, and those displaced by BART, a higher priority for affordable housing.
Posted inCity
Berkeley’s $729M budget puts a pause on police reform programs
Advocates say they fear Berkeley is abandoning its vision for public safety. Officials say they still want to create departments of community safety and transportation, among other reforms, once the citywide staffing crisis abates.
Posted inCity
Most Berkeley residents will see trash pickup fees rise
Berkeley trash customers with the smallest containers will see the highest percent increase over the next five fiscal years. Officials say their hands were tied by a decades-old ballot measure.
Posted inCity
Police reform programs jeopardized in Berkeley budget proposal
Mayor Jesse Arreguín says his proposal to redirect $1 million budgeted for initiatives to reimagine policing does not mean Berkeley is backing away from reform.
