What You Should Know About Walnut Creek, California’s Government

Walnut Creek is a town in Contra Costa County, California, the USA located about 16 miles (26 km) east of Oakland, in the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area. Walnut Creek has an estimated population of 69,122 and it is a hub for its nearby cities, due to its position at the intersection of the highways from Sacramento and San Jose(I-680). The vibrant downtown area has hundreds of years old buildings and large high-end retail stores, restaurants and entertainment venues. 

The City of Walnut is governed by the City Manager-Council configuration. The city council is essentially elected for a term of four years and elections are held annually. The City Council sets policy and votes on issues related to the citizens and businesses of the city. The town council chooses a town councilman to supervise day-to-day activities and direct the town staff.

Members of the City Council shall be elected for staggered,4-year terms in elections held every year with a level playing field. In 2019, Cindy Silva (Mayor), Loella Haskeva (Mayor Pro Tem), Matt Francois, Justin Wedel and Kevin Wilk (members of the Council) are newly serving as elected representatives. Walnut Creek is split among Supervisory District 2 and Supervisory District 4, served respectively by Candace Andersen and Karen Mitchoff, on the Contra County Board of Supervisors. The California State Legislature splits Walnut Creek between the 14th Parliament District of Democrat Tim Grayson and the 16th Assembly District of Democrat Rebecca Bauer-Kahan as well as in Democrat Steve Glazer in the 7th Senate District. Walnut Creek is located in California’s 11th Congressional District, represented by Mark DeSaulnier, in the United States House of Representatives.

Working in collaboration with the community, the City of Walnut Creek is committed to improving the quality of life by fostering the positive environment in which people live, work and play.

• A thriving local economy to boost and sustain fiscal stability on a long-term basis.
• A sustainable workforce in which dedicated staff can change things.

They aspire to have a cohesive society that meets the needs of tomorrow while safeguarding quality and character that we value today. They strive to achieve this by improving the quality of life in the city: 

• A healthy and attractive environment.
• Conservation of natural resources and communities of quality.
• Various cultural and leisure opportunities.
• The desirable combination of living, working and playing opportunities.
• City programs open and user-friendly.
• Housing to meet the different needs of the community.
• Community-specific initiatives and resources.
• Secure highways and reliable transport systems.
• Trustworthy and effective infrastructure.
• Citizens consciously influenced our collective future.