Who is Albany City Council candidate Aaron Tiedemann?
"I believe in the power of local government and our community to make a positive difference in all our lives."
Name: Aaron Tiedemann
Age: 30
Occupation: Housing policy specialist, Alameda County Housing and Community Development
What office are you are running for? Albany City Council
What is the main reason you are running? I am running because I believe our city needs effective, experienced leadership. My previous time on City Council clearly illustrated that by putting in the hours, forming durable coalitions with our community members, and crafting smart, innovative policy I can make a positive difference for the city where I grew up. I know that, as the representative of a younger generation, a lifelong Albany resident, and a bit of a policy wonk, I can best make that difference as one of our elected leaders.
Why are you qualified? I served a term on the City Council from 2020 until 2024, serving as Mayor in 2023. In my time on Council we consistently delivered a budget surplus, launched new supportive programs, and delivered for residents. I have put in the work to pass our most important funding and equity measures, writing the policy and co-leading campaigns for the Youth Voting and Sidewalk Repair funding measures in 2024, the Emergency Medical Services funding measure in 2022, and the Ranked Choice voting Measure in 2020. For the past two years I have lead advisory bodies for the City and School Board.
What sets you apart from other candidates? I have the most robust history of effective policymaking and successful work in Albany of any candidate in this race. I secured an unprecedented $6 million contribution to our City budget from UC Berkeley, created our rental assistance program, and passed the measures to fund our Emergency Medical Services and Sidewalk Repair programs. I am particularly an expert in housing policy, as I work as a Housing Policy Specialist for Alameda County funding affordable housing and creating policy to encourage better housing results. Despite my experience, I am also the youngest candidate in the race.
How and when did you end up in Albany? I grew up in Albany and it has always been my home. After I graduated from college, I chose to settle in my hometown long-term, immediately getting to work in local government and getting involved with local causes to build a better Albany. My family still lives here and I love my community, so I have made the effort to stay despite the high cost of housing.
What are the three biggest challenges for Albany in the next five years?
- Housing Affordability: we are at the forefront of a severe housing affordability crisis. Many members of our community are in danger of being displaced or becoming homeless.
- Federal Retreat: The current administration is abandoning its role supporting vulnerable communities and undergirding local governments like ours. Losing federal support for key services and initiatives has already impacted our City.
- Golden Gate Fields: The change of the track from a tax paying owner to a public park is a huge opportunity for our community, but it is also a challenge.
How would you begin to address them?
- Affordable Housing: We should be passing denser zoning, ADU friendly code, objective design standards, and specific plans, like the one we approved a few years ago. We also need to fund new affordable housing creation and pass tenant protection measures.
- Federal Retreat: regional cooperation is our biggest tool to push back against this administration and their efforts to threaten our neighbors and defund core services. We have to work with our neighboring cities and state representatives.
- GGF: We should pass the current ballot measures to rebalance special taxes for EMS and Street Paving. Our Council should work with the parks and our other electeds to give Albany’s community a real voice in the process to plan for the track’s next phase. "
Allyson Aleksey
What is one new idea you'd like to bring to Albany? We committed our portion of the County’s Measure A1 affordable housing bond to the Verana Hill project, our first 100% affordable project. To build more projects like it, we need to create new local funding stream. This funding could also enable us to work on Memorial Hall and create a much more accessible, useful third space while conducting the repairs and retrofits necessary to make that space useable again.
How will you be accessible to constituents? I have a track record of responding to constituent concerns, working with residents who have policy proposals, such as the students who suggested Albany’s Youth Voting Measure, and proactively holding community events to give residents a chance to give feedback and ask questions, such as the Town Hall I held when the Albany Twin closed. I have been and will continue to be accessible via Council email, one-on-one meetings, community events, and any other method that works for residents.
How much money do you expect to spend on your campaign? Between $10,000 and $15,000 to support my joint campaign with Robin D. López
A final thought? I have committed my career and my life to public service. I believe in the power of local government and our community to make a positive difference in all our lives. That is why I served on Council, why I have always put in the work to pass local measures, why I work in housing, why I have continued to serve as a volunteer in civic organizations over the last few years, and why I am running now.
Campaign websites: albanyforward.org | Facebook
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