Pleasanton mayor candidate Jerry Pentin focuses on improving and creating affordable housing with his experience

This November, Jerry Pentin will be running for mayor of Pleasanton. With eight years of experience as a councilman, Pentin is seeking to serve his city from a higher office. 

From his years on the City Council, Pentin has been integral to many local projects, including the Firehouse Theatre, the Callippe Golf Course, and the renovation of the Veterans Hall. He is also involved in the Purple Pipe Initiative to bring recycled water to Pleasanton.

“If it has been designed, planned, or built in the past 25 years in Pleasanton I’ve probably had a hand it in, some really great experiences,” said Jerry Pentin.

Some of Pentin’s priorities include housing, public safety, and clean water. His initiatives fall into two categories: local initiatives and responsible growth. Locally, he has supported many high school clubs and his organization, Cycling for a Cause, has raised thousands of dollars for programs like the AVHS Comp Civics Team and the Drama Club.

“Pleasanton is known as the city of planned progress, and he wants to continue that on. In terms of responsible growth, he’s a big proponent of open space and wants to make sure we preserve [it]. He was on the Parks and Rec commission prior to City Council, so he understands [those] aspects. The other area around responsible growth is affordable housing—he’s trying to figure out how we can build more affordable housing for seniors or for the workers” says Bryan Gillette, Campaign Manager for Jerry Pentin.

Regarding COVID-19, Pentin hopes to help his community and as a business owner himself, he has been very supportive of downtown being able to open up. 

“He has been involved in making sure businesses are getting the support they need and he has been very active in making sure we can provide loans to some of the small businesses,” says Gillette.

Pentin believes that mayor isn’t an entry-level job, and so he has years of experience on the City Council, as well as various task forces and committees. This involvement is what sets him apart from the other candidates.

“What really differentiates Jerry from all the others is his experience beyond Pleasanton. It’s one thing to understand how Pleasanton works, but we have all these other agencies and cities that also impact how things happen, and he’s gotta be able to have relationships with these people. He has those relationships and that will help Pleasanton be more successful,” says Gillette.

Pentin has been endorsed by many prominent figures, including Pleasanton’s current mayor, Jerry Thorne, Congressman Eric Swalwell, and PUSD’s Board President, Steve Maher. 

“When you look at the endorsements that he’s got, he has endorsements from both sides of the aisle, like Congressmen Eric Swalwell on the Democratic side and Assemblymember Catherine Baker on the Republican side. What [his endorsers] generally say is he has strong integrity, he wants to do what’s right for the city, and he’s got a very practical way of getting things done. These endorsers show a broad level of support,” says Gillette.

Overall, regardless of the results this November, residents can be sure their new mayor is passionate and dedicated to their community.