Chirag Kathrani (Mayor of San Ramon, California, candidate 2024)

Chirag Kathrani

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Nonpartisan

Candidate, Mayor of San Ramon

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Personal

Religion

Hindu

Profession

Technology Executive

Contact

Campaign website

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Chirag Kathrani ran for election to the Mayor of San Ramon in California. He was on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024.^[source]

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

Biography

Chirag Kathrani provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 15, 2024:

• Birth date: June 4, 1975
• High school: Pravra Rural Engineering College
• Bachelor's: Pune University, 1997
• Gender: Male
• Religion: Hindu
• Profession: Technology Executive
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign slogan: Lets Break Barriers
• Campaign website
• Campaign Facebook
• Campaign Instagram
• Campaign Twitter
• Campaign YouTube video
• LinkedIn

Elections

General election

General election for Mayor of San Ramon

Mark H. Armstrong and Chirag Kathrani ran in the general election for Mayor of San Ramon on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Mark H. Armstrong (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Chirag Kathrani (Nonpartisan)

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Kathrani in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Chirag Kathrani completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kathrani'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.

Though I may seem like an outsider, I’ve successfully run startups and strongly promote entrepreneurship. I helped set up three businesses in San Ramon for friends. I understand the challenges our city faces, and with four consecutive years of deficits, our council misled residents by pushing for a tax increase. My focus will be on balancing the budget, and if necessary, considering increasing developer fees to address the deficit.

My top priorities are:

Community Leadership: Our city discourages participation at council meetings by responding to concerns with "it’s not an agenda item." I want to change this by creating a feedback loop to encourage residents' voices and meaningful participation.

Accountability: As seen in a clip shared by thousands, the city council failed to understand the true impact of a one-cent sales tax increase, miscalculating it from ~$31 to ~$358. This shows a lack of financial oversight. I will ensure the council and city manager are more accountable to residents.

Sustainability: As of 2023, 80% of Infrastructure Bill funds were unallocated. This represents a great opportunity. I am working with groups like 350.org and the Greenbelt Alliance to explore how we can use these funds for sustainable city development.

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?

• As I mentioned in my opening statement, if the mayor of a city with a population of 85,000 is running unopposed, there are fundamental issues.

  My opponent was elected to serve a four-year term ending in 2026. Additionally, he is endorsed by both sitting council members, one of whom also ran unopposed. If my opponent is elected, he, along with the council members, will appoint someone to fill his vacated seat. In short, they are seeking more power, not your voice.

  I believe I will bring an entirely different perspective, one that most of the current council is not comfortable with because I am highlighting their failures within the community. The current council has overseen a growing deficit and has failed to act.
• I have run startups and been an entrepreneur for most of my life. In the startup world, we compete against well-established players, which requires us to think differently, operate efficiently, and deliver better value to our customers. I want to bring this experience, along with my ability to work effectively with the city manager and staff. I will challenge every accepted norm. I also aim to reduce the influence of special interest groups. This has become evident with developers raising nearly $130K to fund a tax increase on residents, instead of addressing the issue through higher developer fees.
• Dougherty Valley is a significant part of San Ramon, where a large portion of our population resides, yet it has limited access to essential services. I plan to develop the area near Dougherty Station to attract essential businesses, including wellness centers, educational facilities, and grocery stores. This will reduce the time residents spend traveling to other cities for basic needs, while also generating much-needed additional sales tax revenue for the city.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Affordability: Our city has focused on building townhomes in the core, but I believe this is a misuse of valuable space. Instead, we should develop smaller, starter family condominiums, which would make better use of the available land, attract a younger population, and help local businesses find talent. This shift would also address the current trend of businesses leaving the city.

Community Encouragement: The city council has recently removed the option for residents to speak at council meetings remotely, even though the infrastructure for hybrid meetings is already in place. I plan to restore this capability and encourage constructive criticism, allowing residents to voice their concerns and participate in shaping our city's future

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I believe elected officials should truly represent the community by seeking leadership within it and listening to residents' concerns. When someone raises an issue, they often have potential solutions in mind. It is the responsibility of officials to actively engage the community in decision-making. While tough decisions are inevitable, elected officials must bring the community along, building trust through honest communication and transparency.

As part of my campaign, I’ve pledged not to wear a suit because most residents don’t. When I represent the people, I want to reflect that I am approachable, and dressing casually helps emphasize that connection.

Another key value I hold is leadership—specifically, encouraging community members to think creatively and propose solutions that are relevant to our city. I’ve noticed many people attend council meetings but don’t feel engaged or welcomed. I believe anyone who speaks up at these meetings represents the voices of many others. If we can channel that energy, we can build a stronger, more connected community.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I believe in the power of self-motivated individuals. As an entrepreneur who has built companies from the ground up, I understand the importance of leadership and initiative. While addressing the city's financial deficit, I also want to focus on fostering leadership within the community. I encourage my volunteers to recognize the value of leadership and take on available roles. I’m known for inspiring people to think outside the box and have helped friends start businesses by supporting and nurturing their leadership potential.

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

The core responsibility of an elected official is to oversee the operations they are entrusted with, whether as a school board member, council member, assembly member, or in any other elected role. When you take on the responsibility to represent others, you must be more accountable than an average resident. It requires staying grounded and maintaining a close watch on the operations of the office you represent, ensuring that decisions are made in the best interest of the community.

What legacy would you like to leave?

All over tri-valley I will ensure not a single race goes unopposed.

A mayor is a leader in his or her city. What does that mean to you?

Mayor needs to know the views of the residents rather than just assuming it. He needs to respond when a resident reaches out to him.

If the mayor in your city is a member of the city council and there's a city manager appointed to handle the day-to-day administration of the city government, what do you believe should be the mayor's top priority in office?

The mayor has the responsibility to oversee the entire operation of the city. This includes questioning activities within the city and reading between the lines to not only understand the context but also the intent behind the documents and presentations they review.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

350 Bay Area

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I am a strong advocate for transparency. However, I’ve noticed a concerning trend: when transparency is lacking, public participation decreases. To highlight this issue, I shared a video capturing a moment from a recent city council meeting. In the video, a resident speaks during an agenda item discussing a "1% sales tax increase." The resident mentions paying approximately $3,100 in sales tax last year and claims that with a 1% increase, he would only pay an additional $31. This is incorrect, as the base rate has risen from 8.75% to 9.75%, meaning he would actually pay $358 more, not $31. Neither the city council nor the city manager, lawyer, or clerk corrected him. Their silence speaks volumes. Here’s the link to the YouTube post: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNiUlbilpsY

I firmly believe that elected officials must be held to a higher standard than regular citizens, especially when it comes to transparency and accountability.

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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