[DUBLIN, Calif] — Candidates for Dublin mayor and City Council discussed transportation, term limits and campaign contributions during a forum moderated by Diya TV’s Ravi Kapur and Stefen Pantic.
Participating candidates included incumbent Mayor Sherry Hu, mayoral challengers Mike McCorriston and Kiran Mohammad, District 2 candidates Steve Lorey and Daniel Ho, and District 4 candidate Kashef Qadri. Richard Thonberry and Shivraj Singh were unable to attend.
Credit: Diya TV Youtube Channel
Dublin Boulevard extension and Measure II
The candidates discussed Measure II, which narrowly passed in the previous November election before being invalidated by a court.
The measure concerned a proposed 1.5-mile extension of Dublin Boulevard east to North Canyons Parkway toward Livermore.
The ballot language described the proposal as a traffic relief, clean air and open space preservation measure. It would have allowed the city to accept donated land for the road extension, including bicycle lanes and pedestrian access, while preserving 100 acres of open space in exchange for potential limited commercial development on an adjacent 80 acres.
McCorriston said he opposed the proposal and had voted against it twice.
Hu emphasized the need to attract more businesses to Dublin.
Mohammad criticized the ballot wording, arguing that it presented the proposal in a misleading way.
BART funding and potential station closures
The discussion also addressed a sales tax measure on the November 3 ballot and warnings that Dublin’s two BART stations could close without additional funding.
McCorriston characterized the closure warnings as fearmongering. He acknowledged that ridership had declined since the COVID-19 pandemic but said he expected service reductions rather than station closures. He also described his longstanding connection to BART, saying he had used the system since childhood while growing up in Dublin.
Hu said she regularly rides BART to San Francisco. She also anticipated possible service reductions but did not believe the stations would close.
Mohammad questioned whether the proposed tax would resolve BART’s financial problems. She argued that the additional revenue would still leave the agency facing a prolonged deficit.
Credit : Youtube Channel of Diya TV
Measure JJ and term limits
Measure JJ prompted another disagreement among the mayoral candidates. The proposal would establish a combined 12-year limit for service as mayor and councilmember while retaining existing limits for current officeholders.
The measure also includes provisions prohibiting councilmembers and commissioners from accepting gifts from lobbyists and city contractors, barring lobbyists from serving on city commissions, and requiring city contracts to be posted online.
McCorriston and Hu had voted to place the measure on the ballot.
McCorriston argued that the existing eight-year limit was too restrictive and gave elected officials insufficient time to gain experience and serve effectively.
Hu strongly supported extending the term limit.
Mohammad criticized the measure’s presentation as a “Government Accountability Act,” arguing that the wording obscured the proposed extension of elected officials’ tenure. She drew a comparison with her concerns about Measure II’s ballot language.
Campaign contributions and special interests
The candidates also discussed endorsements and contributions from unions, developers and other interest groups.
Hu noted Dublin’s $500 campaign contribution limit per contributor. All participating candidates expressed support for that limit, although their views differed on accepting contributions from unions or developers. Several emphasized the importance of maintaining independence from donors and endorsing organizations.
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