Who is Berkeley City Council candidate Ross Bernet?

Name: Ross Bernet

Age: 38

Occupation: Climate program manager

What office are you are running for? Berkeley City Council, District 1

What is the main reason you are running? I'm running to make Berkeley more affordable, create safer streets, grow our tax base, and provide efficient city services. I want to make Berkeley the model of a well-run progressive city, where our streets are paved, our commercial districts are vibrant, housing is affordable, and the city government just works. I believe actions speak louder than words and I want Berkeley to live up to our progressive values rather than just talk about them.

Why are you qualified? For 15 years, I've done mission-driven work, bringing stakeholders together to accomplish big, visionary goals. I led a deal permanently protecting 400,000+ acres of forest, the largest East Coast forest easement in 40 years, with new public access, cleaner water, and wildlife corridors. I helped develop civic technology tools for open government. I got engaged in Berkeley politics through the Sierra Club, where I was elected to the executive committee and advocated for policies and candidates centered on climate resilience and social equity. I'll bring that same approach to Berkeley.

What sets you apart from other candidates? I spent over a decade trying to move to Berkeley before I could finally afford to. As a new father, I'm committed to ensuring Berkeley is a place where our kids can both grow up safely and afford to stay here. Of all the candidates, I'm the strongest champion for housing affordability, safer streets, and staying focused on delivering core services. I'm proud to be endorsed by the Berkeley Democratic Club, Sierra Club (#1), Berkeley Firefighters (#2), Carpenters' Union, Asm. Buffy Wicks, current Councilmembers Rashi Kesarwani, Terry Taplin, and Mark Humbert, and three former councilmembers.

How and when did you end up in Berkeley? I fell in love with Berkeley the first time I visited on a trip while I was an undergraduate at UCLA. I knew I would move here someday. There is truly nowhere else I would rather live. Unfortunately, I couldn't afford to move here for another twelve years. When my job went remote during the pandemic in 2020, I came planning to stay one month. Instead I stayed, met my wife, we bought a house, and our son was born this year. Berkeley is finally home, and I can't wait to serve the city that I love.

What are the three biggest challenges for Berkeley in the next five years?

1) Affordability: The high cost of housing is pushing out longtime residents, driving up homelessness, and making it hard for all but the most well-off to move here.

2) Street safety: Traffic incidents are the leading preventable cause of serious injury and death in Berkeley. If we're serious about our climate and safety goals, we need to get people out of cars and walking, biking, or taking transit, but we can't expect people to mode shift if it isn't safe.

3) The budget: Recent painful staffing cuts show we need to grow revenue and operate efficiently, or core services will keep shrinking.

How would you begin to address them? On housing, I'll streamline permitting and reform building codes and impact fees so approved projects actually break ground, with a faster, more predictable process for small builders and homeowners adding units.

On safety, I'll champion our Complete Streets, Bike, Pedestrian, and Vision Zero plans, using Measure FF funds to pair repaving with safety upgrades. Too many neighbors worry about speeding, unsafe cars.

On the budget, I'll prioritize housing production and support for small local businesses. New construction from 2020 to 2024 already generates more property tax revenue than everything built from 1970 to 1999 combined. Growing our tax base, making it easier to do business here, and running the city efficiently is how we protect core services without repeated cuts or new taxes.

What is one new idea you'd like to bring to Berkeley? I'd like to explore whether we could make it easier to open a cafe or corner store in residential neighborhoods. Seattle just legalized this citywide, and Spokane lets old storefronts reopen. Berkeley doesn't allow it in most residential districts today. I’d like to see if we could pilot a simple approval process on select corner lots, in the spirit of making Berkeley more walkable and providing access to more community-oriented third-spaces.

How will you be accessible to constituents? If elected, I will hold regular in-person office hours in the district, host town halls two to three times a year, and stay responsive by email and phone. I will keep knocking doors and attending community events to reach people where they are. A Councilmember should represent District 1's priorities, which means listening not only to the loudest voices in the room but also to residents who lack the time or resources to reach out.

Are you using public financing? Yes

How much money do you expect to spend on your campaign? $62,000

A final thought? It has been a joy and privilege to meet so many phenomenal people in Berkeley these last three months: volunteers, endorsers, current and former elected officials, and neighbors who gave me their time at the door. Berkeley has more than its fair share of smart, passionate, engaged residents. I want to help channel that energy to make Berkeley a shining example of a progressive city that delivers.

Campaign website: RossForBerkeley.com | Instagram

See complete election coverage on The Berkeley Scanner.