Meet John Marchand, Incumbent Candidate For Livermore Mayor

LIVERMORE, CA — Patch reached out to all candidates for running for Livermore mayor and city council with identical questions. Here are the responses from Mayor John Marchand, the incumbent who is running unopposed.

Responses have not been edited.

1. What is your personal, educational, and professional background?

My degree is in biological sciences, and I spent most of my career as a water quality chemist for the Alameda County Water District (ACWD). I have co-authored three books on the subject and am a Life Member of the American Water Works Association where I served in a number of leadership roles.

I served 15 years as a member of the Zone 7 Water Board, twice chairman. Zone 7 is the water wholesaler for the Tri-Valley. During my tenure on the Board, both Zone 7 and ACWD were recognized as two of the top ten water utilities in the nation. I was elected to the City Council in 2005 and served four terms as Vice Mayor. In 2011, I was elected Mayor and served until 2020 when I termed out. In 2022, community leaders asked me to once again run for Mayor and I was re-elected.

My wife and I have been married over 40 years and we have two adult sons.

2. How long have you lived in Livermore?

I have lived in Livermore since 1985.

3. What brought you here?

I grew up in Hayward and saw Livermore as an opportunity to buy a larger home near good schools where my wife and I could raise a family.

4. How have you been involved in the community?

As mentioned in question#1, I served on the Zone 7 Water Board. I was a member of the General Plan Advisory Commission in 2002 and also in 2022. I was a founding member of the Commission for the Arts before being elected to Council.

5. What do you feel are some of the biggest challenges facing the city?

Asset management is one of the challenges facing Livermore but the City is well-positioned to meet that challenge. Several of our neighboring cities are facing structural deficits and are looking to pass bonds in order to bail themselves out, but not Livermore. Workforce housing and homelessness continue to be challenges. Our wine region also needs the infrastructure to sustain it, such as hotels, inns and the Tesla sewer line.

6. What are your plans for addressing them?

The City has an asset management plan in place which the Council and I approved in 2015. The City has approved hundreds of units of affordable housing but unfortunately, some have been tied up in litigation for years. As far as homelessness, Goodness Village, the Vineyard Resource Center and Chestnut Square have all been completed and have each been successful in housing people who were formerly homeless. The Tesla sewer line was approved by voters and the City is working with our Federal, County, State and other partners to close the funding gap. The hotel and Inn were approved but were delayed by litigation and referendums. The pandemic then hit and the hospitality industry has not yet recovered.

7. What makes you the best candidate?

What makes me the best candidate is my unparalleled experience, my demonstrated commitment to the community and my record of proven results.

8. Outside of politics, what do you enjoy doing?

I enjoy photography and dining out at Livermore’s many wonderful restaurants.

9. Any other comments?

I love Livermore and I love getting projects done that make a positive contribution to the quality of life for our residents. Cayetano Park, Livermorium Plaza, Stockmen’s Park, the Springtown Open Space and Veterans Park were all approved during my tenure and 58 pieces of public art were acquired at no public expense. Hundreds of acres of open space have been preserved. In the City’s most recent poll, over 90 per cent of residents agreed that Livermore is a great place to live and raise a family.

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