CBSN Bay AreaWatch Now
Filed Under:BART, Bay Area, Board of Directors, East Bay, Kerry Hamill, Margie Shafer, Orinda, politics, Steve Glazer
A Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train sits idle at the Millbrae station on July 3, 2013 in Millbrae. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

OAKLAND (KCBS)— BART is facing criticism for not publicizing that filings are now open for the transit agency’s Board of Directors. One East Bay city councilman is hoping there are interested people so incumbents don’t run unopposed.

The councilman from Orinda, Steve Glazer, speaking for himself, points out there is no notification that July 14 is the opening date for filing for three weeks for those seeking a BART board of directors’ position.

“They have more than 5,300 posters on trains. I can’t find any, maybe you can, that lets people know that their most important office is now open for election,” he said.

Glazer has been an outspoken critic of the ability of BART workers to strike, but has also called the board of director’s an “insider’s club”. Glazer is not seeking a board seat.

“I’m certainly looking for people to step into the race that represent an independent taxpayer point of view and I certainly would be interested in helping them,” he said.

Kerry Hamill the assistant general manager at BART said she’s not in the business of making sure that there’s as much competition in the political realm as possible. “That is sort of an external force,” she said.

There are four board seats out of nine that are up in November’s election. In past elections a number of BART board director seats had only one candidate running for office.

Comments (2)