> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.albanyscanner.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Who is Albany City Council candidate Chris McDaniels? - URL: https://www.albanyscanner.com/2026/09/22/election-2026/albany-city-council-candidate-chris-mcdaniels/ - Published: 2026-09-22T08:45:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-01T22:12:34.000Z - Description: "Leadership starts with developing positive relationships with residents and businesses." - Author: Guest contributor - Tags: Election 2026, Elections, Albany City Council, #articles, City, #nohomepage **Name:** Chris McDaniels **Occupation:** Bureau manager **What office are you are running for?** Albany City Council **What is the main reason you are running?** I want to keep forward momentum for Albany. **Why are you qualified?** Based on my 27 years living in Albany and serving under 4 years in SF, I can bring continued Albany community support and leadership. From a political statement, I believe I’m well experienced in understanding what matters most. Leadership starts with developing positive relationships with residents and businesses. Be a good listener and then collaborate with everyone involved. Set achievable goals and "Get it done." Forward thinking protects the future! **What sets you apart from other candidates?** Continuous Improvement is my motto and we reach this by transparency and excellent communication skills. Providing construction management, asset management, condition assessment and emergency management experience set me apart from other candidates. **How and when did you end up in Albany?** I have lived in Albany for 27 years. Born and raised in San Francisco, I moved to the east bay and settled in Albany, knowing it was a small community where we could raise a family, while being embedded and giving back to the friends who later became our extended family. My wife and I did double-duty, while she managed PTA and the parent groups with her incredible baking skills, I coached baseball, basketball and football becoming "Coach Chris" to a generation of young students. **What are the three biggest challenges for Albany in the next five years?** 1\. Albany needs to find a way to ensure it is economically stable and able to generate alternative forms of revenue. Revenue gaps cannot be filled by imposing special assessments or additional fees on the backs of our critical residences and small businesses. 2\. Albany has an aging infrastructure without clear plans for deferred maintenance. We need a multi year plan to ensure long-term sustainablity of our color infrastructure. 3\. Regain the trust of our community. **How would you begin to address them?** 1\. Albany needs to identify additional revenue streams and ensure small businesses thrive in the city. They can’t just increase taxes and assess special fees. We need to be creative in our thinking and identify opportunities to bring more money into the city. 2\. Create a five-year infrastructure plan that is based on an initial assessment of our core infrastructure. 3\. Promote transparent, ethical and accountable leadership I am highly committed to listening to as many community members as I can, and having personal conversations so that the votes within our city council reflect the diverse needs of our community. [Albany elections: November 2026 ballot measure guideAlbany has six ballot measures that would change zoning rules, business and property taxes, and funding for city services.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/b5/b0/b5b0b7ec-798c-4cb6-ab42-472b59c05589/content/images/icon/alb-scanner-orange-458a0fd6-1780-496c-bd2c-b4c4d83aa2cb.png)Albany ScannerAllyson Aleksey![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/b5/b0/b5b0b7ec-798c-4cb6-ab42-472b59c05589/content/images/thumbnail/key-route-trees-b8a1cb5a-566b-4d15-b040-8159efa16432.jpg)](https://www.albanyscanner.com/2026/08/12/elections/albany-2026-november-election-ballot-measures/) **What is one new idea you'd like to bring to Albany?** I would like Albany to identify a space that brings a multi-use revenue component. I would enjoy seeing a family, friendly entertainment venue that becomes a destination for individuals to have a safe cooperative space filled restaurants, food vendors, outdoor music, and other possible forma entertainment. **How will you be accessible to constituents?** I am a very open and honest individual. Constituents can contact me via phone text or email. I am not opposed to having individual meetings even in my own home or at a local coffee shop I thrive from hearing and listening to our people. The key is to foster collaboration among families, dedicated staff, and community partners to adjust challenges and build on our cities successes. **How much money do you expect to spend on your campaign?** At this time, I am limited to spending $2000 of personal funds on my campaign. **A final thought?** I want to keep the beautiful city of Albany affordable for future generations. The goal here is to ensure continuous improvement to establish and solidify Albany legacy. **Campaign website:** [Chris4albany.com](https://chris4albany.com/?ref=albanyscanner.com) *See complete* [*Election 2026*](https://www.albanyscanner.com/topic/election-2026/) *coverage on Albany Scanner.* **Editor's Note:** This post was published Oct. 1 after McDaniels submitted his responses late due to a medical procedure. In a rare exception to our usual practice, we've set the displayed publication date to Sept. 22 to keep his responses grouped with the other candidate Q&As. ## Sign up for Albany Scanner Stories for an informed community Get updates Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.