Andy Kelley (Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board At-large, California, candidate 2024)

Andy Kelley

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Nonpartisan

Candidate, Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board At-large

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

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Andy Kelley ran for re-election to the Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board At-large in California. Kelley was on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024.^[source]

Kelley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Andy Kelley provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 4, 2024:

• Incumbent officeholder: Yes
• Campaign slogan: A pragrmatic progressive for a more affordable Berkeley
• Campaign website
• Campaign endorsements
• Campaign Facebook
• Campaign Instagram
• Campaign Twitter

Elections

General election

General election for Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board At-large (4 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board At-large on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Xavier Johnson (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Andy Kelley (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Dominique Walker (Nonpartisan)
		Avery Arbaugh (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Carole Marasovic (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Alfred Twu (Nonpartisan)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

To view Kelley's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Kelley in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Andy Kelley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kelley's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

For the past four years I have been honored to represent our community on the Rent Stabilization Board as a pragmatic independent voice and thoughtful decision maker.

COVID-19 showed us just how vulnerable too many tenants and homeowners truly are, being only a few missed paychecks away from eviction or foreclosure. No one should face that kind of uncertainty.

I am committed to defending affordable housing, improving living conditions and increasing housing opportunities in Berkeley to prevent displacement and provide relief to low-income tenants and homeowners. As Chair of the Rent Board’s Policy Committee, I supported policy to ensure tenants with disabilities can relocate to ground floor apartments and age in place with dignity. As Supervisor Keith Carson’s appointee to the Alameda County Planning Commission, I fight for more truly affordable housing every day. As Chair of the Berkeley Public Works Commission, I led efforts to improve fire safety, repair aging infrastructure, support complete streets and retrofit our Senior and Community Centers.

If re-elected, I will strive to make Rent Board advice more accessible, reduce turnaround time for key services, and build a more affordable Berkeley for all of us.

I’d be honored to continue to serve the community I love and ask for your vote.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Defend Affordable Housing; enforce Berkeley's Rent Control Ordinance Fairly.
• Increase housing opportunities in Berkeley to stop displacement.
• Improve Rent Board services for the tenants and low-income homeowners who depend on us the most.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Improving access to affordable housing, reducing homelessness and improving living conditions for working families, seniors, students, and people with disabilities.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

The Rent Board has specific and important, but limited, authority to regulate rental housing in Berkeley. We play a special and crucial role in ensuring tenants' rights are enforced but also that property owners are well served in complying with existing regulations.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Fairly enforcing Berkeley's Rent Stabilization and Good Cause for Eviction Ordinance. Improving services for tenants and low-income homeowners to better understand their rights and responsibilities and to more easily comply with rules and regulations. Overseeing the fiscal responsibility and staff management of the agency to ensure fees are used effectively and efficiently.

What legacy would you like to leave?

A community where everyone can afford to live without fear of displacement.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

In Elementary School someone offered me a job hanging flyers on doors for a nickel a piece -- I imagine they figured I'd tire quickly but ended up paying for Summer Camp!

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Dumbledore

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

Though less well known, our mediation services often provide positive outcomes that both tenants and property-owners consider fair with very few appeals to the board for review.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes. Prior to being elected four years ago I had served on the Berkeley Public Works Commission nearly 8 years, including time as Chair. Those skills helped me know what to look for when taking office, but I've learned so much more about our agency, our City Government, and what is needed at the Rent Board since then to improve our services and responsiveness to the community.

From my experience in elected office, my focus has shifted to support modernization of our agency to become more effective at serving the community. I supported hiring our first new Executive Director in nearly 20 years, redesigning our website to be more accessible to tenants for accessing protections and property owners complying with registration regulations. I supported relocating to a new office space conveniently located next to City Hall as well as initiatives to streamline counselling services, improve responsiveness to inquiries, and enhance collaboration with other City departments.

If re-elected my experience on the board will inform my efforts to continue to improve our outreach to the public as well as the efficacy of our counseling and registration services.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

I am one of the only candidates with experience managing large non-profit and agency budgets both professionally and via public Commissioner roles. Knowing how to read financial documents and what questions to ask of staff are crucial to effective oversight.

As the Chair of the Rent Board's Policy Committee (LIRA) I have leveraged my experience working for public agencies to help revise, improve and enhance our procedures effectively. For example, I supported regulations that now allow seniors with mobility limitations or people with disabilities to request relocation to accessible, ground floor apartments without losing protections ensuring they can age in place with dignity and not be displaced from our community. I'm also working with stakeholders to improve tenants access to key city services, like bulky waste pickup, to reduce illegal dumping and potential fire hazards in our apartment buildings rental homes.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the local government?

Rent Board has a specific and limited scope. Many changes or policy solutions require close collaboration with the City Council and other City Agencies. In my time serving on the 4x4 joint committee between the Rent Board and the City Council I developed a proven track record of positive, productive collaboration with City Councilmembers (and am proud to be endorsed by a majority of the City Councilmembers.)

Tell us your favorite joke.

What does a fish say when it swims into a wall? Dam. (My Grandpa told it to me when I was four and it stuck.)

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Democratic Party, Berkeley Firefighters Association, Alameda County Labor Council and Building Trades, Berkeley Democratic Club.

Supervisor Keith Carson, Mayor Jesse Arreguin, Tom Bates (fmr), Loni Hancock (fmr), Elizabeth Echols, Councilmembers Terry Taplin, Rigel Robinson (fmr), Sophie Hahn, Ben Bartlett, Mark Humbert, Igor Tregub, Lori Droste (fmr) Gordon Wozniak (fmr), School Board Members Ka"Dijah Brown, Jennifer Shanoski, Laura Babbitt, Judy Appel (fmr), Beatriz Leyva-Cutler (fmr), Julie Sinai (fmr), Ty Alper (fmr). Oakland Councilmembers Dan Kalb, Treva Reid, Libby Schaaf(fmr), Rent Board Commissioners Marrero, Elgstrand, Dodsworth (fmr), Overman (fmr), Hogarth (fmr). Brent Blackaby, Andy Katz, Shoshana O'Keefe

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Fiscal transparency is key for trust in our government institutions. I fully support the City Auditor's routine review of City Agencies and welcome an audit of the Rent Board to ensure our fiduciary obligations are being met effectively.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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