Berkeley’s new City Council member is a poet, transportation nut, and ‘can’t imagine living anywhere else’
Taplin defeated incumbent Cheryl Davila to take the West Berkeley seat.
Taplin defeated incumbent Cheryl Davila to take the West Berkeley seat.
A coalition of advocates for Berkeley’s homeless community gathered online to sing, pray and demand justice for the unhoused people.
Her colleagues commended Cheryl Davila for her “unbridled passion” and commitment to the environment and the unhoused. Then she told them what she really thought of them.
Davila’s attorney told Berkeleyside on Tuesday that “any accusations of misconduct or hostile work environment are untrue and unfounded.”
The current ranked-choice calculations put Taplin solidly in first place with 63% of the vote. There are still a lot of ballots to count.
By law, independent expenditure campaigns must act independently of the candidates they are backing. They can’t communicate or even coordinate with those running for office.
On Election Day, West Berkeley residents in District 2 will have to decide whether they are happy with Cheryl Davila’s leadership or would prefer a new council member at the helm.
August Vollmer has long been lauded for the innovations he brought to policing. But revelations about some of his beliefs are making people reexamine his legacy.
Berkeley officials voted early Friday morning to adopt an updated use-of-force policy for police that will expand what types of force officers track and report, and how they make this information available to the public.
The city will work to create a new transportation department with a “racial justice lens” and a Specialized Care Unit staffed by a “network of crisis responders” to respond to non-criminal calls, among other changes.
“New leadership is required,” said Councilmember Cheryl Davila in an item she submitted Tuesday. Council will also discuss a raft of other items related to police reforms.
The Berkeley City Council shifted more than $9 million out of the police department budget Tuesday night to help pay for a range of reforms called for by community members and city officials alike in recent weeks.
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