Political newcomer vows change for Modesto

Ted Brandvold entered the mayor’s race Aug. 7, the last day he could. His first campaign finance report listed all of $500 – a loan from himself.

From that inauspicious beginning, Brandvold – an architect and former planning commissioner with no previous attempts at elected office – could become Modesto’s next mayor. He faces incumbent Garrad Marsh in a Feb. 2 runoff election.

Brandvold says his message that Modesto needs to change resonates with voters. He said he hears concerns that the city is stagnant and has not seen the economic gains Riverbank, Turlock and Ceres have experienced. He said voters do not like City Hall’s solution of raising taxes; Marsh spearheaded sales tax increases on the 2013 and 2015 ballots to pay primarily for more public safety. Voters rejected both.

“I’m not a politician,” Brandvold said. “I’ve never done this before. But I have the same desire that the citizens of Modesto have. They really want a change in this city.”

Marsh contends Brandvold’s campaign is being bankrolled by power brokers. Brandvold dismisses that claim.

Brandvold, 56, has worked at Commercial Architecture for about 20 years. He has owned the firm for the past 14 years and has three employees. His inexperience as a political candidate has shown at times.

For instance, in his candidate statement he claims Modesto has done nothing about employee pensions even though in 2011 voters passed three advisory measures. Two asked voters whether the city should raise retirement ages and change how pensions are calculated to avoid what is called “pension spiking.” The third asked whether the city should leave the California Public Employees’ Retirement System and replace employees’ pensions with 401(k)-type retirement plans.

The city enacted the first two reforms but not the third. It would have cost Modesto $1.1 billion to leave CalPERS, which is roughly three times the city’s annual operating budget.

Brandvold said he was not as enlightened when he put together his statement as he is now. He also said he was trying to make the bigger point that rising pension costs are a major concern for Modesto. Brandvold also has appeared hesitant and unsure of himself regarding the issues facing the city. But he said he will learn as he goes and has real-world experience that will make him a good mayor.

“I know what it takes to survive and run a business,” he said, adding that was a real challenge during the recession. “I have the experience (as an architect) of bringing large groups of people together and reaching consensus.”

Stanislaus County Affordable Housing Corp. Executive Director Steve Madison echoed those comments. He said he has known Brandvold for about 15 years but got to know him well about a decade ago when they were part of the team that renovated the State Theatre.

Madison was chief executive with the Building Industry Association of Central California then and in charge of getting BIA members to volunteer for the renovation. Brandvold volunteered his services. “A lot of people ask me about Ted,” Madison said. “He listens, learns and then acts. That’s one of the things that impressed me about him.”

Power brokers in the race?

Brandvold has attracted influential supporters, including Chuck Bryant with the Christian-based Pinnacle Forum and Modesto land-use attorney George Petrulakis, who over the years has offered advice and assistance to dozens of political candidates, many of them Republicans. Brandvold is a Republican. He also has received nearly $2,000 in campaign contributions from PMZ Real Estate CEO Mike Zagaris, Executive Vice President Jon Zagaris and their wives.

“We were complaining about City Hall one day and I encouraged him to run,” Petrulakis said. “He’s very soft-spoken but very deliberative and thoughtful. He struck me as the kind of person who could change the culture at City Hall, change the leadership style.”

Brandvold’s endorsements include the Modesto Chamber of Commerce, former Mayor Jim Ridenour, former police Chief Mike Harden, Stanislaus County Supervisor and Stanislaus County Republican Party Chairman Jim DeMartini, and the Modesto Police Officers and Modesto City Fire Fighters associations.

Marsh sent a campaign mailer to voters that claims power brokers are bankrolling Brandvold’s campaign. Marsh said his concern is whether Brandvold would be independent as mayor. But Marsh declined to provide details about his claims, such as the names of the power brokers. “Whoever recruited him,” he said. “I have no facts on that so I don’t want to state who I think it is.”

But Marsh said he considered the chamber among the power brokers, as well as some of the people who have given money to Brandvold’s campaign or are helping him get elected. Former Councilman and farmland advocate Denny Jackman, who is supporting Marsh, claims Brandvold is being backed by development interests and has a “cover the earth mentality,” according to a letter to the editor he wrote. But Brandvold has said he wants to balance economic development with protecting farmland.

Brandvold said he found Marsh’s accusation amusing. He said while a few people encouraged him to consider running, it was solely his decision, that this is his campaign, and he will be independent as mayor.

He said Marsh needs to say who these power brokers are. “I don’t know any power brokers in Modesto,” Brandvold said, laughing. He added that he was flattered by the accusation because it must mean Marsh is desperate. Brandvold said his campaign would not send out similar mailers and expects those who are supporting him not to do so.

Chamber CEO-President Cecil Russell said he was stumped by Marsh’s claims. “I have no idea what he means,” Russell said. “Power brokers sounds like, ‘Wow, they are really powerful.’ ”

Brandvold served on the Planning Commission that in 2013 recommended a land-use map to the City Council that would have designated about 1,800 acres for development in Wood Colony, the unincorporated farming community west of Highway 99.

The council eventually designated about 850 acres, but that still angered colony residents and their supporters. Hundreds of them protested at council meetings in late 2013 and early 2014. The protests led Jackman and other farmland advocates to put Measure I – an urban growth boundary – on the November 2015 ballot. The measure was narrowly defeated, with the Chamber of Commerce leading the effort to defeat it.

Brandvold did not vote for the map that went to the council, but he was in the minority of commissioners who voted for a map that included the roughly 1,800 acres in Wood Colony as well as designating additional land for development in north Modesto. Brandvold said Wood Colony residents did not protest at the commission meetings, so commissioners did not know their concerns. “This was not the big blown-up issue that it became when it went to the council,” he said.

Brandvold said the protests and controversy at the council meetings highlight a shortcoming at City Hall: It does not do a good job of listening to those affected by its decisions and of reaching consensus. He said he would change that as mayor.

Growing the economy

He said a top priority is growing the economy by making City Hall more friendly to business through such measures as offering incentives and providing better customer service. He wants everyone to know that “Modesto is open for business.” He said he wants to expand the area’s agricultural economy, including attracting high-tech ag firms.

He said it will take time, but that expanding the city’s tax base is the sustainable way to pay for more city services, such as hiring more police officers and firefighters.

Brandvold did not support Measure G – a half-cent general sales tax increase – which the city put on the November ballot. It received only 44 percent of the vote. His priorities include conducting a thorough inquiry into the city’s finances. He suspects they may not be in the good shape city officials say they are in. He said the financial information the city produces is confusing and difficult to follow. As mayor, he says, he would have the city put out information the typical person could understand.

Brandvold also did not support Measure I, saying it was too restrictive and flawed. Marsh did not support it either, but for a different reason: It did nothing to stop the county from allowing development.

Brandvold has said he decided to run for mayor because he did not believe the other candidates in the November election would change City Hall. Three of them had 24 years of experience on the council or as mayor. The fourth had not held office but received 1 percent of the vote. “I just saw more of the same,” Brandvold said in October. “The city of Modesto cannot keep doing the same thing and expect different results.”

He touched on those themes in a recent interview.

“We are going to take a different approach,” he said. “We are going to work collaboratively and turn the city around, get it out of the stagnation it’s been in. That’s very general and very basic, but that’s what we are going to do. We can do better.

“Citizens have lost faith in their government. That will take some time to rebuild. I do not like the word transparency in government. You hear it everywhere. But I want honesty. If you have honesty, you have transparency.”

Republican Party, council weigh in

The mayor’s race is nonpartisan, but the Republican Party of Stanislaus County is supporting Brandvold. The party sent a mailer to Republican voters during the November election in support of Brandvold and plans on doing that as well as urging Republicans to vote by calling them and knocking on their doors for the runoff.

“We feel we have a good chance to win this,” said DeMartini, the local party chairman. “If we feel a race is close and our efforts will make a difference, then we get involved.”

Brandvold had raised $36,213 for his campaign as of Dec. 19. That includes $12,500 he has lent his campaign.

The council is divided over the runoff election, with three members supporting Marsh and three staying on the sidelines. Democrat Mani Grewal and Republicans Bill Zoslocki and Doug Ridenour (the former mayor’s brother) are not endorsing anyone. Republican Kristi Ah You and Democrats Tony Madrigal and Jenny Kenoyer are backing Marsh.

“He’s very understanding of what the city needs,” Kenoyer said about the mayor. “I’ve talked to Ted. He’s a nice guy, but we need a leader. He has not been to council and budget meetings. He’s unsure of himself. He makes me nervous. ... I know people say maybe we are better off having someone brand new. Maybe that’s true. But I don’t want someone running my city who has not taken the time to learn how my city is run.”

This story was originally published January 9, 2016 at 6:35 PM with the headline "Political newcomer vows change for Modesto."