(DUBLIN, Calif.) – With the November 3 City Council election approaching, OpGov.News spoke to District 2 candidate Richard Thornbury about his priorities and the issues he would address if elected.
Thornbury has served on Dublin’s Parks and Community Services Commission for the last six years and hopes to continue serving the community on the City Council. Although he did not attend the September 30 forum with the other District 2 candidates, he agreed to discuss several issues facing the city.
Thornbury said that Dublin needs to ensure its “budget can support the critical services the city provides and…invest in public safety.” To address California’s housing affordability challenges, he supports “building more homes that are focused on transit-oriented areas so we don’t continue to sprawl the infrastructure.”
Photo Credit: Richard4Dublin / Richard Thornbury
When asked about concerns among Dublin residents regarding the city’s growing housing stock, Thornbury acknowledged that development comes with challenges. “Dublin comes with growing pains,” he said, while also highlighting the positive aspects of the city’s growth, including “fantastic new residents who are part of the community, and the construction of new parks.”
Thornbury also discussed how the city could accommodate new housing while limiting infrastructure costs. He expressed support for infill development, noting that there is “a lot of the infrastructure built out already, which minimizes the impact.” Although he acknowledged that infill development would still involve expenses, he suggested that making use of existing infrastructure could help with the construction of new homes.
This approach would allow the city to accommodate additional residents while making use of investments already made in roads and other public infrastructure.
If the City Council needed to reduce spending, Thornbury said the “city manager” should establish a “target” for budget cuts and coordinate with individual departments to determine how those reductions could be achieved. He explained that departments could review their budgets and identify potential savings based on their expertise.
The interview also addressed the possibility of BART service cuts if the proposed November 2026 regional transit funding measure fails. BART faces a projected operating deficit of approximately $375 million, and its contingency plan includes reduced train frequency, shorter operating hours, and potential closures if new funding is not secured. Thornbury said “Dublin needs to advocate for retaining some services, at least some service out of the blue line onto the valley.” He also expressed hope that the measure would pass because many Dublin residents depend on the transportation service.
Photo Credit: Richard4Dublin / Richard Thornbury
Asked about the September 26 murder in Dublin, Thornbury expressed regret over the incident, particularly because it occurred at Dublin Sports Ground. He praised the police response and said he would “support the police” if elected to the City Council.
Thornbury said he is running for City Council to “maintain the high quality of life” in Dublin while “striving to make it a more affordable place to live.” He identified "public safety and housing affordability” as two of his priorities. His priorities reflect the challenge facing a growing city: maintaining essential services and community safety while addressing the cost of living for current and future residents.
Dublin voters will head to the polls on November 3, 2026.
To add to or correct any information in this report, please contact me at stefan.p@lead4earth.org.
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