An essay on Fairfax leadership: Policymakers are entrenched in ideology

Marin Forum/Teliha Draheim

The Fairfax Town Council works in mysterious ways. A year ago, in November of 2022, without notifying stakeholders most affected by their upcoming decisions, the Council voted to adopt two ordinances relating to rent stabilization and just-cause-for-eviction, greatly exceeding the regulations established by the State of California in the Tenant Protection Act of 2019, and establishing Fairfax’s ordinances as the most punitive in the state for housing providers.

In the aftermath of public outrage, the citizens of Fairfax demanded their constitutional rights by collecting enough signatures to place a citizen’s ballot initiative on the November 2024 ballot. This initiative seeks to repeal Fairfax’s rent control and just-cause-for-eviction ordinances and provide voters the opportunity to democratically decide the outcome of decisions that will greatly affect their lives and their future.

Yet, instead of heeding this clear call for a pause, the Fairfax Town Council continues to aggravate and escalate the damaging divisiveness their decisions have caused in our town, by considering implementation of the two ordinances prior to hearing the outcome of the vote of the people.

Though exact dollar amounts related to costs associated with creating these ordinances are difficult to verify, according to Fairfax Town Records, the Town has already paid $287,386 over the budgeted $190,000 to the Town Attorney in 2022 and approved a 93.7% increase, totaling $368,000, for the Town Attorney in 2023. For implementation of these laws, Legal Aid of Marin’s yearly fee is $40,000 and the City of Berkeley will charge an additional $76,000 per year. This does not include the creation of additional data security systems, the hiring of additional staff or creating additional office space to handle the extra work load in Fairfax. 

For those unfamiliar with the proposed plan, a database containing tenant’s personal information and source of income will be developed. A 19-step appeals process with the Berkeley Rent Board will be required of both housing providers and tenants for resolving disputes and other assessments. Did anybody think to ask why the City of Berkeley will be getting our taxpayer money and providing litigation on our local properties?

At the November 1st meeting of the Fairfax Town Council, the citizens of Fairfax spoke again, collecting enough signatures in a resident petition to place an item on the agenda requesting that the Council provide a public presentation outlining the projected costs of implementation, the timeline, and the responsibilities and fees of hired outside consultants, prior to implementing the system. The fact that this fiscal accounting was never determined or presented to the public who will be footing the bill through their taxes, is hard to believe. It’s also hard to believe that the residents of Fairfax must continually remind our elected officials of our constitutional rights to voting and free speech.

In adopting and implementing extra rent control and just-cause-for-eviction ordinances, the Council piles an excessive amount of cost, administrative duty and government control upon a town “with a village-like aesthetic”, that fiercely doesn’t need or want this kind of government control. It is truly disheartening when the Town Council’s reaction to a citizen ballot initiative for a democratic vote and demand for fiscal accounting is to proceed with more of their personal ideology, more government control and more expense imposed upon the people of

Fairfax.

These ordinances have caused nothing but divisiveness and anger between the Fairfax Town Council and the entire town. Why not pause and consider a fresh start? A fresh start provides an opportunity to reassess and re-evaluate the issue from a new perspective, consider alternative solutions, and find common ground to move forward. A fresh start provides new opportunities to engage with the community and gather input, building trust and strengthening relationships between policymakers and their constituents. This will help ensure that any future decisions made take into account the needs and concerns of the entire community and are more likely to be accepted and supported by residents.

When facing complex issues, policymakers can become entrenched in their own positions and lose sight of the bigger picture. There is no greater goal to which humanity can aspire than achieving unity and peace, yet this commodity seems to be in short supply both locally and worldwide. 

Competing ideologies foster the continuation of war and division. Taking a pause will allow all voters the opportunity to have a voice and give everyone time to evaluate where we are. If Fairfax is a microcosm of the world, let’s begin by achieving peace and unity here.

(Teliha Draheim is a resident of Fairfax. To write a Marin Forum, contact Publisher Sherman R. Frederick at shermfrederick@gmail.com.)