Antioch City Councilmember Monica Wilson joins the Be Curious Contra Costa Podcast for a conversation about her years in public office, the challenges facing Antioch, and her vision for the city's future.

From economic development and revitalizing downtown to public safety, city finances and the direction of City Hall, we dive into the issues facing Antioch and the decisions that will shape its future.

But this conversation isn't just about where Wilson stands on the issues. It's about understanding how she makes decisions, what she's learned during her time on the City Council, what she believes the city has accomplished and where she sees opportunities for improvement.

Be Curious Contra Costa, where we sit down with the people shaping our communities, ask questions, and give you an opportunity to hear directly from them.

On this episode of Be Curious Contra Costa, a chat with Antioch City Councilmember Tamisha Torres-Walker, who is seeking re-election in District 1.

Antioch has no shortage of challenges, from public safety and economic development to the city's budget, homelessness and the future of its downtown. As an incumbent, Torres-Walker has a voting record, decisions to explain and a vision for where she believes Antioch should go next. First elected in 2020 and re-elected in 2022 in a race decided by just four votes, she's now facing former Councilmember Joy Motts.

Today, we'll discuss what she's learned during her time on the council, the decisions she stands behind, what she might do differently and why she believes voters should give her another four years. This isn't about gotcha questions or telling you how to vote. It's about understanding the person behind the decisions, the thought process and the vision.

Antioch City Council District 1 candidate Joy Motts joined the Be Curious Contra Costa podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on the city’s finances, economic development, public safety, homelessness, downtown revitalization and the future of the El Campanil Theatre.

Motts, a former Antioch City Councilmember and Antioch Unified School District trustee, is seeking a return to the council after losing her 2022 reelection bid by just four votes.

During the interview, Motts reflected on that razor-thin election, saying the recount process was difficult, expensive and ultimately something she wishes she had handled differently.

On this episode of Be Curious Contra Costa, we sit down with Sandra White, a candidate for Antioch City Council, District 4. Antioch has no shortage of challenges — from public safety and the city budget to economic development, homelessness, staffing, downtown and rebuilding trust in City Hall. So why does White want the job, and what would she do differently? We get into her background, why she decided to run, what she believes Antioch needs from its next City Council, and how she approaches some of the biggest decisions facing the city.

On this episode of Be Curious Contra Costa, Pittsburg City Council candidate Pauline Johnson discussed her entry into local politics, opposition to the proposed data center, city transparency, the budget, economic development, public safety and her desire to lower the political temperature in the community.

Johnson is one of the candidates seeking one of three seats on the Pittsburg City Council in the November 3 election. The City of Pittsburg lists Johnson as a qualified candidate for the race.

Pittsburg City Councilmember Arlene Kobata says she wants voters to look beyond the controversy surrounding the proposed data center and consider the broader challenges facing the city, including economic development, a projected budget deficit, public safety, youth programs and revitalizing downtown.

Kobata joined the Be Curious Contra Costa podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about her background, appointment to the City Council, the data center debate and why she is now seeking a full term.

Kobata said she moved to Pittsburg in 1988, raised her two children in the city and has worked in the grocery industry for nearly 40 years. Her community involvement grew through the “Pittsburg Proud” social media group, which she created as a more positive, resource-oriented community page.

That eventually led Kobata to the Community Advisory Commission, followed by the Planning Commission. She was appointed to the City Council in 2025 after Shanelle Scales-Preston was elected to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.

Brentwood City Council District 4 candidate Holley Bishop-Mello joined the Be Curious Contra Costa podcast for a wide-ranging conversation that covered her background, public safety, economic development, downtown businesses, fire stations, affordable housing and what she says needs to change at Brentwood City Hall.

Bishop-Mello, who was born in Brentwood, described herself first as a mother of three, along with being a farmer and small business owner. She spent approximately 25 years working in human resources before being laid off from a Fortune 200 company and turning her beekeeping hobby into Holley’s Honey.

On this episode of Be Curious Contra Costa, we sit down with Sheree Shannon, candidate for Brentwood City Council District 4, for a wide-ranging conversation about where Brentwood is today — and where she believes it needs to go.

We start with Shannon’s background, why she decided to run and her assessment of how the city is currently being managed. That includes leadership and staffing at City Hall, the City Manager, Assistant City Manager and City Attorney positions, and whether Brentwood has become too divided and polarized.

From there, we get into economic development and whether City Hall is actually helping businesses succeed — or making it harder through permits, fees, fines and regulations. Are the rules being applied equally, or do certain people get a different set of rules?

We also discuss the loss of Brentwood’s downtown ice rink and the city’s new winter market plans, along with whether personalities and politics got in the way of keeping the rink.

Then it’s onto some of the biggest issues facing Brentwood:

Plenty to unpack in this one.

Be Curious Contra Costa — because voters should know more about the people asking for their vote than what fits on a campaign mailer.

On this episode of the Be Curious Contra Costa Podcast, we sit down with Vinoy Mereddy, a candidate for Brentwood City Council, District 2.

We talk about why he decided to run, what he believes Brentwood is doing well, where the city needs to improve, and what he would bring to the City Council.

The conversation covers the issues facing Brentwood today, economic development, growth, public safety, City Hall, community priorities, and what District 2 residents should expect from their next councilmember.

On the next episode of the Be Curious Contra Costa Podcast, Pittsburg City Council candidate Wolfgang Croskey joins me for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of Pittsburg.

And yes, we talk about the data center. There is really no way around it.

But Pittsburg voters better wake up to one reality: you can't judge whether someone will make a good council member based on one issue. A council member has to deal with budgets, police, roads, businesses, homelessness, downtown, BART, development, public safety and everything else that comes through City Hall.

So that's where this conversation goes.

Croskey is also CEO of the Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce, so we start with the business community. How difficult was the decision to cancel the Seafood Festival? How difficult is it right now for businesses to survive in Pittsburg? Why are there so many empty storefronts, and what could the city be doing differently when it comes to business education, outreach and marketing?

We also get into the city's economic development strategy — including my frustration with throwing money at food influencers while local businesses continue to struggle.

We talk grocery stores, including what it means for Pittsburg to finally attract new options such as Sprouts and Cielo Supermarket.

Then we get into politics.

Croskey talks about "the purple" and why the red-versus-blue mentality isn't helping local government. Why does he believe Pittsburg City Hall hasn't been working together? And was bringing in a city manager from outside the organization the right move?

Of course, we tackle the Pittsburg data center. Croskey was raising concerns before the issue exploded publicly months later. What was he trying to warn people about, and where does he stand today?

We also talk about the increasingly wild political rhetoric in Pittsburg. Why does it sometimes seem like having an opinion outside the majority immediately puts a target on your back? Where does that defensiveness come from, and how does a council member help change that culture?

Then comes the budget.

For years, I questioned whether Pittsburg's numbers were as healthy as advertised. Now the city is dealing with a roughly $5 million deficit. What does Croskey think went wrong? What does he make of the City Council's November 2025 decision to increase council compensation from roughly $500 to $1,600 while the city was heading toward a deficit?

We discuss the Dream Courts situation, budget impacts on Pittsburg Police, and the future of public safety.

Croskey also explains why he jumped into the debate over a proposed Contra Costa County Fire station in Brentwood, suggesting that if Brentwood continues fumbling the project, the station should potentially move to Antioch or Oakley. Why should Pittsburg residents care? Because fire resources moving east from Antioch can have consequences for Pittsburg and Bay Point.

We hit downtown Pittsburg and the California Theatre. Is the city getting everything it should out of that asset? Could better programming and marketing help generate more activity throughout downtown?

We revisit Pittsburg's roads, an issue Croskey highlighted during his previous council campaign, and ask whether conditions have actually improved.

Then it's homelessness: the potential impact Antioch's proposed HomeKey+ project could have had on Century Plaza, whether Pittsburg leaders should have spoken louder, and Croskey's thoughts on Delta Landing and its impacts.

Could a vacancy tax help Pittsburg deal with properties sitting empty?

Are downtown events becoming too dependent on the same formula of cars and music? How can Pittsburg create a wider variety of events that attract different parts of the community?

We even get into the Pittsburg Farmers Market — which I love, even if the hours are a little unusual — and whether it can become an even bigger downtown draw.

Finally, we talk BART, the proposed regional transit tax, possible station impacts and Highway 4.

Data centers may be getting the headlines, but Pittsburg has a lot more going on than one development project.

This conversation is about whether Wolfgang Croskey has the ideas, temperament and range to help lead the entire city.